Nine Meath Schools Awarded €36,000

The Arts Council has announced today that 156 schools and Youthreach centres across Ireland have joined its Creative Schools programme, with awards totalling €664,000. As part of this, nine schools in Meath have been awarded a total of €36,000.

The full list of Meath recipients is as follows:

Creative Schools is a two-year initiative that supports schools and Youthreach centres to bring arts and creativity to the heart of children and young people’s lives, enhancing their learning experience. Awardees receive €4,000, and are partnered with a professional Creative Associate to develop a bespoke creative activities plan. This year’s awardees include 16 special schools, 45 DEIS schools, nine Irish-language medium schools and six Youthreach centres.

Children and young people are given a central role in directing Creative Schools’ activities, empowering them to develop leadership skills, build confidence and engage with their local community. As a result, the development of the Creative Schools programme is unique to each setting. From exploring new forms of creativity, to organising festivals, hosting workshops, putting on performances, and much more, Creative Schools offers children and young people an exciting opportunity to lead creative activities in their area.

To amplify the voices of lesser heard children and young people, Creative Schools prioritises applications from DEIS schools, schools in rural settings and special schools. This year, 10 schools in hospital settings will join the programme and receive a larger grant and greater supports to ensure all children and young people can access the arts. These supports include a greater funding allocation and a greater allocation of time with Creative Associates throughout the academic year.

Creative Schools is led by the Arts Council in close partnership with the Department of Education and Youth, the Department of Culture, Communications and Sport and Creative Ireland. As well as Creative Schools, the Arts Council is a partner in multiple initiatives aimed at improving outcomes for children and young people. The Arts Council will continue to work with national and local government, and local arts infrastructure, to support partnerships in the areas of early childhood, education and youth arts.

Speaking recently, Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport, Patrick O’Donovan, said: “Congratulations to the 156 successful applicants to this year’s Creative Schools programme. Including these recent awardees, the number of schools that have participated in this exciting and unique programme has risen to more than 1,400 since it began in 2018. Creative Schools is one of the many State initiatives which aims to centre arts and creativity in the lives of young people across the country, and I would like to thank the Department of Education and Youth for their continued support in this initiative.”

Minister for Education, Hildegarde Naughton added: “I am delighted to welcome the 156 schools and Youthreach centres joining the Creative Schools programme this year. Creativity plays a vital role in every child and young person’s education, helping them to build confidence, express themselves, develop critical thinking skills and strengthen their connection with their school and community.

Chair of the Arts Council, Maura McGrath, commented: “On behalf of the Arts Council, I would like to extend a warm welcome to this year’s Creative Schools participants. Creative Schools is an integral part of the Arts Council’s ongoing work to support development and engagement in children and young people’s arts. It is a fantastic programme which has been shown to enhance young people’s well-being, their self-esteem and their connection to their school.”