Minister Naughton invites applications from schools for Creative Clusters 2026 – 2028

Minister for Education and Youth Hildegarde Naughton has invited primary, post-primary and special schools, as well as YouthReach centres, to apply to take part in Creative Clusters 2026-2028.

The Creative Clusters programme brings together small groups of three to five schools or YouthReach centres, lets them choose a creative theme or challenge, supports them to work together as a team on their project over two years and helps them connect with their local community. Each group gets funding of up to €15,000 to help run the project and is supported by a trained facilitator and their local Education Support Centre to bring it to fruition.

Up to €575,000 has been made available for the Creative Clusters beginning in September 2026, enabling up to 210 schools or YouthReach centres to come together across 42 clusters.

Minister Naughton said: “Creative Clusters represent a wonderful model of partnership and connection that celebrates youth voice as central to the initiative. By working together, school communities can explore their own creativity while also connecting with the wider community to enhance their learning.

“The active participation of each group, along with their collaboration with teachers and school leaders, will support innovation, problem-solving, and creative approaches to learning, teaching, and assessment. Clusters enhance engagement with the arts, STEM and other creative disciplines while enabling learners to develop their critical thinking skills through creative expression. I would encourage all interested schools to apply to take part.”

The application process will be open until Monday 20th April 2026.

Application forms can be accessed at Creative Clusters / Cnuasaigh Chruthaitheacha 2026-2028, with guidelines for applications accessible here:

Notes for Editors

Creative Clusters is an initiative of the Department of Education and Youth, led by and in partnership with full-time Education Support Centres Ireland (ESCI). One of five pillars of the Creative Ireland Programme, Creative Youth aims to enable the creativity of every child and young person.

Creative Clusters is a programme designed to foster creativity and strengthen collaboration across schools. Over a sustained two-year period, these communities work collaboratively, supported by local facilitators and full-time Education Support Centres, to address a shared learning challenge or explore a common theme through creative projects that reflect their own unique contexts and priorities. To date, Creative Clusters has given 875 schools in 253 clusters the opportunity to work together to develop creative projects and collaborate on new ideas based on their local experience and unique perspective.

Each Creative Cluster will receive funding of €3,000 per school over a two-year period to implement their project in the 2026–2028 school years. For example, a cluster of three schools would get €9,000 over two years while a cluster of five schools would receive €15,000 over two years.

The Creativity, Arts, and Culture in Education Hub/webpage provides details of all programmes and creativity, arts and cultural organisations supported by the Department of Education and Youth under Creative Youth 2023 – 2027 along with application information, access to research, examples of practice and insight on the national reach of Creative Youth in schools through the Department of Education and Youth’s Data Mapping Tool.

Some of the exciting projects that have taken place to date through Creative Clusters’ support include:

A Celebration of Traditional Music – Mayo

Behy National School hosted a collaborative music concert involving pupils from Cooneal and Bonniconlon National Schools. The schools worked towards the event throughout the year, with pupils performing both individually and together by class cohort, before joining as one large ensemble to play shared tunes and songs.

The concert was recorded and shared with parents from all three schools. Funds raised were used to support learning and purchase instruments for an instrument loan scheme. The event proved highly positive, strengthening links between schools, increasing pupil participation, and inspiring many children to take up second instruments.

The gathering of more than 200 people was a highlight for pupils, teachers, and families, and left a lasting impression—reflected in pupils asking if they were ‘doing a big concert’ like they had last year.

Building on this success, plans for the coming year include expanding the repertoire, increasing the number of pupils learning second instruments and hosting another collaborative concert for parents and the wider community.

Healthy Local Food Choices – Kerry

Gaelcholáiste Chiarraí has been leading a series of weekly cooking workshops held every Friday for participating primary schools, including Gaelscoil Mhic Easmainn, Gaelscoil Lios Tuathail, and Scoil Lios Teilic. The workshops give pupils the opportunity to prepare food and to enjoy what they make at the end of each session, promoting practical life skills in a fun and engaging way.

A farm visit for all participating primary schools further enhanced pupils’ understanding of food production. The initiative encourages children to cook at home and supports awareness of healthy eating and the food pyramid. Feedback from pupils has been very positive, with one student commenting, “The classes were enjoyable… we had lots of fun.”

Darkness into Light – Mayo

Ballyhaunis Community School, St Joseph's Secondary School, St Louis Community School, and Scoil Muire agus Pádraig, Swinford, joined other local schools and took part in a series of collaborative creative workshops culminating in their participation in the Darkness into Light initiative.

Teachers participated in a one-day training event to explore the process of making willow lanterns and other sculptural techniques. These skills were brought into the classroom, where students created their own lanterns. Printmaking workshops also gave students the opportunity to experiment with recycled materials such as tetra packs and CDs, creating artworks that were both accessible and environmentally conscious.

Cultural outings to institutions such as the National Museum, National Gallery and local art foundations complemented these workshops, providing students with inspiration and exposure to professional artistic practices.

The community-focused outcome of the initiative saw more than 50 students contribute to installations that formed part of the Darkness into Light walk, raising awareness of mental health and suicide prevention in their local areas. The initiative was documented on the Creative Clusters’ Instagram, highlighting the impact of the work.

One Transition Year student reflected, “I felt very proud of my work and lighting up the walk.” Feedback from both the schools and the wider community has been overwhelmingly positive, celebrating the creativity and dedication of the students.

The programme demonstrates how teacher training, hands-on arts experiences and creative cultural engagement can combine to create meaningful community impact while fostering artistic skills in young people.

Faces and Places Animation – Donegal

Scoil Mhuire B&C, Stranorlar, Sessiaghoneill and Glencovitt National Schools recently completed an engaging stop-motion animation project. Pupils took part in five half-day workshops facilitated by a professional artist, resulting in the creation of three original animated films.

Teachers from all participating schools received professional development in stop-motion animation, supported by Donegal Education Support Centre and are now embedding these creative methods across the curriculum. Pupils gained confidence using digital technology, while also improving self-expression and self-esteem, particularly for children with additional needs or those whose voices are seldom heard.

The workshops supported language development, cultural awareness, and collaborative problem-solving. One pupil, aged 7, shared, “I liked making the tow truck and car. I made a big frog. I loved making the tadpoles and I loved using the tablets.” Another pupil, aged 6, added, “It was the best. We got to colour and now we get to go to the Balor Theatre and watch the animations we made.”

The project demonstrated the value of creative, exploratory learning, fostered meaningful collaboration between the schools and laid the foundation for further creative teaching initiatives.