Creative Connections Programme expanded to support additional schools in creativity and the arts
- Published on: 22 April 2026
- Last updated on: 22 April 2026
Minister for Education and Youth Hildegarde Naughton and Northern Ireland’s Education Minister Paul Givan have today launched the next phase of a cross-border pilot programme which enhances arts-based learning in schools.
The Creative Connections pilot programme will be extended across Ireland and Northern Ireland for the 2026/27 academic year to support a further 12 schools.
Expressions of interest for the next phase of the programme are being invited from schools from today.
This programme forms part of the Shared Island Initiative on tackling educational underachievement, alongside the RAISE programme and the Teachers’ Research Exchange Platform (T-REX).
Since its launch in February 2025, Creative Connections has partnered 20 schools from Ireland and 20 from Northern Ireland along with 40 creative practitioners to enhance arts education in schools including art, music, drama and literature. The programme promotes collaboration both between schools and with arts specialists to enhance learning for children impacted by social disadvantage.
Launching the second phase, Minister Naughton said:
“Creative Connections is a powerful example of how creativity can enrich teaching and learning and open new opportunities for children and young people.
“I am pleased to see the continued expansion of the Creative Connections programme now expanding on an all-island basis, through the Shared Island Initiative, bringing schools together from across Ireland and Northern Ireland through creativity, collaboration and the arts. This next phase will help strengthen connections between school communities, support children and young people to express themselves, and ensure Being Creative, a key competency in curriculum from primary school through to senior cycle, continues to play an important role in education.”
Minister Givan said:
“Creative Connections offers schools a valuable opportunity to explore learning in ways that are imaginative, inclusive and engaging, supporting wellbeing for children and young people. It offers opportunities that support schools to work with professional creative practitioners and with one another across jurisdictions. The programme helps foster innovation, shared learning and stronger connections between educational communities and offers opportunities that young people may not otherwise experience.
“It is encouraging to hear the positive impact that the programme has had to date and I am pleased to support this next phase of the programme. I have no doubt it will create further opportunities for children and young people across Northern Ireland and Ireland and I would encourage schools to express an interest in participating.”
Expressions of Interest will open from today and close on 6 May 2026.
Schools interested in participating can find the Guidelines for Expression of Interest and application process on the DEY website at: Creative Connections
For further information:
Schools in Ireland can contact creativity@traleeesc.ie
Schools in Northern Ireland can contact the Department of Education in Northern Ireland at tpl@education-ni.gov.uk
The Government of Ireland’s Shared Island Initiative aims to harness the full potential of the Good Friday Agreement to enhance cooperation, connection and mutual understanding on the island. The Initiative is backed by the Government’s Shared Island Fund, for delivery of all-island investment commitments and objectives in the Programme for Government and the National Development Plan. As part of existing cooperation, the Department of Education and Youth and the Department of Education in Northern Ireland are delivering a pilot cooperation programme on educational underachievement, comprising elements on teachers’ research exchange (T-REX), creativity in schools, and supports to address educational underachievement.