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Departmental Programmes

Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 21 February 2019

Thursday, 21 February 2019

Ceisteanna (52)

Fergus O'Dowd

Ceist:

52. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the status of the Creative Schools Programme 2019; and the schools in County Louth that are participating in same. [8520/19]

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Freagraí scríofa

The Creative Schools pilot is one of the flagship projects of Creative Youth, which seeks to enable the creative potential of every child and young person. This Plan is led by my Department, with the Departments of Education and Skills, and Children and Youth Affairs and the Arts Council, all working in partnership.

Creative Schools aims to understand, develop and celebrate the arts and creativity as a core aspect of school life. It strives to foster children and young people’s creativity, potential and participation in the arts as an integral part of their education. The initiative recognises that the arts are a powerful means through which children and young people can explore communication and collaboration, stimulate their imaginations to be inventive, and harness their boundless curiosity.

The Creative Schools pilot is now up and running, reaching over 38,000 children and young people the length and breadth of the country. Of the 150 schools participating (chosen from 400 applicants or approximately 10% of all schools), 110 are primary, 30 post-primary, 7 special schools and 3 Youthreach centres.  38 DEIS schools were chosen for inclusion in the pilot (30 primary and 8 post-primary).

On 14 February last, myself, Ministers McHugh and Zappone announced a €6M investment in the Creative Youth initiative for 2019, which will allow us double the number of participating schools to 300. Online registration and applications are now open until 21st March, after which the additional 150 schools will be selected and added to the existing participants.  All information in relation to the Scheme is available on the Arts Council website.

Each participating school has access to Creative Associates who are essential in embedding inspirational and sustainable creative practices in teaching and learning.  Creative Associates are a mixture of practising artists and teachers with an understanding of creativity and its potential to transform the lives of children and young people.

Participating schools, working with their Creative Associate, are completing the development of plan for arts and creativity, and implementing these plans. The Creative Associates will explore new links for schools with artists and with arts and cultural organisations, both locally and nationally, to help develop their plan. To assist this, each participating school is awarded €2,000 for implementation of their plan.

The participating schools in the current cohort of Creative Schools from County Louth are:

- SN Muire Gan Smal

- SN Tulach Aluinn

- St. Brighid's Special School

- St. Oliver's NS

The Creative Youth Plan is ambitious and ever developing, and I hope that by 2022 it will have touched the lives of every child and young person in Ireland.

Question No. 53 answered with Question No. 31.
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