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Creative Clusters 2025 – Call for Applications
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Creative Clusters is an initiative of the Department of Education and Youth, 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 and Youth, the Department of Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport, the Department of Children, Disability and Equality, and the Department of Further and Higher Education and the Arts Council are key partners in delivering Creative Youth.
A Creative Cluster will typically consist of between 3 and 5 schools collaborating on the design, implementation, evaluation and dissemination of an innovative creative learning project which supports them to address a common issue or challenge. Creative Clusters will include schools at different stages of their journey in using creativity in the classroom. Clusters can consist of primary schools only, post-primary schools only or a combination of primary, post-primary schools, special education schools and Youthreach organisations. Clusters can be drawn from existing networks or result from the creation of new ones.
Each cluster must nominate a lead school. The lead school must identify a Creative Cluster Coordinator who would normally be a member of the school’s teaching or senior leadership team. Substitution will be provided for one representative from each school to attend the Cluster Workshop and Cluster Meetings. It is recommended that the same representative attend these events throughout the life of the Cluster. The Lead School Coordinators will receive an additional 2 days’ substitution cover to work on the Cluster project in Year 1 and in Year 2 of the initiative. If the application is successful, the co-ordinator will be responsible for managing the day-to- day operation of the project and will act as a single point of contact during the duration of the project. The other schools in each cluster must nominate a representative to participate in the project.
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 2025–2027 school years (e.g. a cluster of 3 schools would get €9,000 over two years while a cluster of 5 schools would receive €15,000 over two years). Schools in a cluster are expected to collaborate on how this funding is allocated and spent to support the implementation of their project. Clusters will receive 50% of the total funding in Year 1, with the second 50% being provided in Year 2
Creative Cluster applications will be assessed by the local teacher education centre. Applications will be assessed and scored against the following criteria:
- the rationale for the application
- benefits to teaching and learning
- capacity and commitment of all the schools in the cluster to participate
- children and Young People's Voices
The application process will be open from 27th January 2025 until Thursday, 10th April 2025.
The application process will be open from 27th January 2025 until 10th April 2025. Please find link to application form here
Please note only online applications will be accepted.
