Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 28 February 2018
244. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht her plans to create a greater awareness of culture and heritage among young persons through schools; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10401/18]
View answerCreative Youth was launched on 7th December 2017. It sets out measures to deliver on one of the key goals of the Creative Ireland Programme, to ensure that every child in Ireland has practical access to tuition, experience and participation in music, drama, art and coding by 2022.
Underpinning the vision behind Creative Youth are four long-term strategic objectives: Supporting collaboration between Formal and Non-Formal approaches to Creativity in Education: Extending the Range of Creative Activities for our Young People; Embedding the Creative Process by developing programmes that will enable teachers to help young people learn and apply creative skills and capacities; Continuing Professional Development (CPD) for teachers working in Early Years, Primary and Post Primary Schools.
The first stage of implementation of Creative Youth, which is a five-year Programme, involves 18 actions to be progressed in 2018-2019. Actions in the Plan include:
Scoileanna Ildánacha/Creative Schools initiative, bringing artists into the classroom, will be piloted. This has been launched and activated by the Arts Council.
A Creative Clusters School Scheme to generate creative cultural and artistic projects will be piloted.
Creativity programmes for young people in disadvantaged communities will be developed.
An Early Years CPD Project will be developed and existing Primary Schools and Post-Primary Schools CPD Projects will be mainstreamed.
Increased opportunities for students to learn coding and computational thinking will be introduced.
Opportunities to participate in drama/theatre outside of school will be expanded.
A strategy to develop and extend choral singing will be developed.
Cruinniú (formerly Cruinniú na Cásca) will be redesigned and developed as a national creativity day for children and young people in consultation with the local authorities;
Local Creative Youth Partnerships will be established on a pilot basis.
Implementation of additional elements of the Arts in Education Charter will be supported.
Music Generation Programme will now be extended countrywide as soon as possible, and certainly by 2022.
In addition to this, the Heritage Council also have an extensive schools Programme which aims to bring an appreciation and connection with our heritage to children and young people.
