The Department of Education is pleased to announce the opening of a new round of Creative Clusters. The deadline for receipt of online applications is 20th April.
Each Creative Cluster will receive grant funding of €3,000 per school over a two-year period to implement their project 2026–2028.
- 3 schools would receive €9,000
- 5 schools would receive €15,000
In addition to financial support above each cluster will also receive:
- A Creative Cluster Facilitator
- Teacher Substitution to attend Workshops and Meetings
- Room hire, travel & subsistence
Please see the following link for more details: Department of Education and Youth
Applications are to be completed online using the following Link , should you need assistance, please contact your local full-time Education Support Centre (list at Appendix 1 of Guidelines document on DE website) Appendix 1.
Any queries, please contact your local Education Support Centre or email National Arts in Education Administration
Eligible Schools - The following schools are welcome to apply to participate in Creative Clusters:
- 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 2024/25 school year.
- Schools that will complete Creative Clusters Year 2 in the 2025/25 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.
- The local Education Support Centre will have a key role in identifying and supporting a Creative Cluster for their local area.
- 42 Creative Clusters will be selected nationally - 2 per Education Support Centre.
Creative Clusters is an initiative of the Department of Education, led by and in partnership with the 21 full-time Education Centres (Education Support Centres Ireland - ESCI) and funded through the Schools Excellence Fund.
Comhoibríonn idir trí agus cúig scoil ar feadh tréimhse dhá bhliain ar aon chineál tionscadail chruthaitheach a dhíríonn ar shaincheist nó dúshlán comhchoiteann. Faigheann cnuasaigh tacaíocht ó éascaitheoir speisialtóra agus maoiniú €1,500 in aghaidh na scoile in aghaidh na bliana den tionscnamh chun infheistíocht a dhéanamh ina gcomhoibriú cruthaitheach.
Is é aidhm thionscnamh na gCnuasach Cruthaitheacha ná:
- Bealaí nua a chur chun cinn inar féidir le scoileanna agus leis an earnáil ealaíon agus chultúir oibriú le chéile
- Teagasc agus foghlaim a fheabhsú
- Deis a chur ar fáil do chnuasaigh scoileanna idirghníomhú le gairmithe ón earnáil chultúrtha, agus rochtain a fháil ar acmhainní chun dul i mbun fiosraithe agus nuálaíocht a dhéanamh trí thionscadal foghlama cruthaitheach saincheaptha
- Cruthaitheacht na bhfoghlaimeoirí agus na múinteoirí a fhorbairt
- Fiosraigh an bhfuil grúpáil scoileanna ag céimeanna éagsúla dá dturas cruthaitheach, idir chleachtas sa seomra ranga agus comhpháirtíochtaí fadtéarmacha a fhorbairt, ina mhúnla éifeachtach chun cleachtas a chothú agus a leabú i scoileanna
- Rochtain a chur ar fáil do scoileanna ar dhaoine, scileanna agus acmhainní cruthaitheacha, agus tacú leo leas a bhaint as a gcuid scileanna agus taithí féin agus as na scileanna agus na taithí atá acu laistigh dá bpobail níos leithne
Conas a oibríonn Cnuasaigh Cruthaitheacha
Tá an clár oscailte do bhunscoileanna agus iar-bhunscoileanna, lena n-áirítear scoileanna speisialta, chomh maith le hionaid Ógtheagmhála. Éascaíonn sé am scaoilte do scoileanna chun bualadh le chéile agus a dtionscadal a fhorbairt, chomh maith le maoiniú suas le €15,000 chun cabhrú leo beocht a chur lena bpleananna agus a smaointe cruthaitheacha. Go dtí seo, tá 591 scoil i 168 cnuasach tugtha le chéile ag Cnuasaigh Chruthaitheacha a thacaíonn leo agus iad ag úsáid ealaíne agus a gcruthaitheachta mar an teanga comhchoiteann chun a scéal uathúil a insint.
I measc roinnt samplaí de théamaí a úsáideadh roimhe seo tá Aontaithe san Éagsúlacht, Intleacht Shaorga, Ar Ais go dtí an Dúlra i nGairdín na hÉireann, Bithéagsúlacht – Ag Tóraíocht i nDomhan na nIontas, Ag Ceiliúradh na hÉagsúlachta Cultúrtha agus na Bithéagsúlachta, agus Comhartheagasc agus Comharfhoghlaim.
Is tionscnamh lárnach de chuid na Roinne Oideachais agus Óige é Cnuasaigh Chruthaitheacha, agus cuid den Phlean Óige Ildánach 2023-2027, a reáchtáiltear i gcomhpháirtíocht le líonra Ionaid Tacaíochta Oideachais Éireann (ESCI) trína 21 ionad oideachais lánaimseartha ar fad.