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Minister for Education Norma Foley TD has today invited schools and YouthReach centres across Ireland to apply to take part in Creative Clusters for the two years commencing September 2024. Up to €575,000 has been made available this year for Creative Clusters and this will enable up to 210 schools to come together across 42 clusters.
Creative Clusters supports clusters of three to five schools to work together on building capacity in creativity with the support of a specialist facilitator.
The programme is open to primary and post-primary schools, including special schools, as well as YouthReach centres. Creative Clusters support includes release time for schools to meet and develop their project, as well as funding of up to €15,000 to help bring their creative plans and ideas to fruition over the course of two years, from 2024 to 2026. The resources provided will help the schools to build a project of learning and activities tailor-made for their community with their students.
Minister Foley said:
“This is a wonderful opportunity for schools to work together on a creative project of their choice. Schools are given complete freedom to design and develop their own project, with support from a local facilitator and their local education centre. Creative Clusters will help schools to further enhance creativity in their classrooms. It will support students of all ages to develop creative and critical thinking skills, learning to adapt and collaborate as well as to enjoy and explore artistic and creative expression – whether through traditional arts, STEM or other creative avenues.”
To date, Creative Clusters has given 591 schools in 168 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 in each cluster over a two-year period to implement their project in the 2024–2026 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 application process will be open from 6th February 2024 until 10th May 2024. Please find link to application form here https://forms.gle/kGAcKgGeHXJ2DQvu8
Guidelines for applications will be available from the Department’s website https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/f04b1-creative-clusters-2024/
Creative Clusters is an initiative of the Department of Education, led by and in partnership with the Education Support Centres Ireland (ESCI) and part of Creative Youth 2023-2027 launched on 28 March 2023 and is one of five pillars of the Creative Ireland Programme. Creative Youth aims to enable the creativity of every child and young person, and the Department of Education, the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, the Department of Equality, Children, Disability, Integration and Youth, the Department of Further and Higher Education and the Arts Council are key partners in delivering Creative Youth.
Some of the exciting projects that have taken place to date through Creative Clusters support include:
Education for Sustainable Development : In 2023 a Co. Monaghan Cluster began working on the cluster theme of Biodiversity – Delving into the World of Wonder. The Cluster is made up of three schools, led by Edenmore National School, with Scoil Bhríde and St. Comgall’s N.S. The project focuses on the importance of biodiversity in protecting our future and exploring the power of this world and the impacts of a more biodiverse eco-system whilst developing creative problem-solving skills. The initiative aims to offer opportunities for the pupils to connect and collaborate in varied creative settings through art, music, writing and offer learning experiences that are real and meaningful for them. This multi-faceted programme is cross-curricular in nature, lending itself to science-based enquiry as well as creative writing-based activities.
STEM / STEAM was the theme of a new Creative Cluster established in Kerry in 2023. The cluster comprises of four schools with the lead school being Firies NS joined by St Brendans NS, Blennerville, the Monastery Primary School and Murhur National School. The theme is Master Piece - Bringing the arts (‘A’) alive in STEAM. The cluster encourages students to explore different forms of art such as music, dance, theatre and visual arts and challenge them to think about how art can be used to solve real world problems. The cluster focuses on the integration of different forms of art and how they can be integrated with STEM skills. Students use LEGO systems of education and extension kits which are available in the schools, reusable materials (paper, card, plastic, tape, art and craft etc), school resources (magformers/knex/microbits etc) and digital technologies (ipads, computers, 3D printer etc). The project-based activities involve inquiry-based learning opportunities that are pupil-driven.
Wellbeing : In West Cork a Creative Cluster of three schools commenced working on the theme of Outdoor and indoor sensory learning to promote wellbeing of the children in 2023. Schools involved included the lead school, Trafrask N.S with Adrigole N.S. and Scoil Fhiachna. This project centres around outdoor and indoor sensory learning to promote the wellbeing of students using spoken word, music, dance and visual art while using the natural environment of West Cork for inspiration. The project aims to provide an opportunity for a different learning experience, engaging students and staff in an unpressurised way. The voice of the child is vital to the success of this initiative, giving each child across all three schools ownership of their own creativity and body of work and helps them to make a connection with themselves and other children around them.
What is the application process?
Creative Clusters is a national programme of local projects and the 21 full-time education support centres across Ireland are lead partners in the initiative. They will have a key role in identifying and supporting a Creative Cluster for their local area. Individual schools, existing networks of schools and potential clusters of schools must apply using the online Creative Clusters 2024-2026 Application Form only (https://forms.gle/kGAcKgGeHXJ2DQvu8) by 5pm on Friday, 10th May 2024. Following the application process, the local Education Support Centre will assess and score applications using the criteria outlined below. The local education support centre will then inform the successful clusters in their area. Unsuccessful applicants will also be notified [The list of full-time education centres and associated contact details are attached in Appendix 1 of the Guidelines]. The application deadline is 5pm Friday, 10th May 2024.
Which schools are not eligible to apply to lead or participate in a Creative Cluster? The following schools may not apply to participate in Creative Clusters:
● Fee Charging Schools i.e. Schools not in receipt of capitation grants from the Department of Education / education and training boards and are not in the free- education scheme
● Schools that are already participating in Creative Clusters 2023/25 (Year 1 commenced in September 2023).
● Schools that are already participating in Creative Schools 2023/25 (Year 1 commenced in September 2023).
● Schools cannot simultaneously participate in Creative Clusters and Creative Schools.
● Schools who have participated as a cluster previously, cannot reapply for Creative Clusters unless they lead a combination of schools new to the initiative. The following schools may apply to lead or participate in a Creative Cluster:
● Schools that have not yet participated in Creative Clusters.
● Schools that have not yet participated in Creative Schools and those who will complete Creative Schools Year 2 in the 2023/24 school year.
● Schools that will complete Creative Clusters Year 2 in the 2023/24 school year. However, they must apply as part of a cluster who have not yet participated in the initiative. In this instance, it is required that this school applies to lead a cluster of schools that are new to the initiative.