Creative Schools: Republic of Ireland

Creative Schools led by the Arts Council of Ireland in partnership with the Department of Education and Skills, Children and Youth Affairs and the Departments of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media is a flagship initiative of the Creative Youth Plan as part of the Creative Ireland Programme.  CCE worked closely with Arts Council Ireland to launch and develop Creative Schools from 2017 to 2023, and also worked with wider partners within the Creative Youth Plan.

The Creative Schools initiative supports schools/centres to put the arts and creativity at the heart of children’s and young people’s lives. It provides opportunities for children and young people to build their artistic and creative skills; to communicate, collaborate, stimulate their imaginations, be inventive, and to harness their curiosity, with the aim of empowering children and young people to develop, implement and evaluate arts and creative activity throughout their settings. Additionally, it stimulates innovative approaches that enhance the impact of creativity on their learning, development, and well-being.

At Leading for Creative Thinking we firmly believe that Creative Habits of Mind can and should be applied throughout the curriculum, this film gives a snapshot of one approach that is stimulated through the arts.  However, the broad themes of creativity becoming part of the culture of the school, being seen and felt, empowering children and young people and increasing their sense of agency and working with partners to drive change are universal. 

This film hopes to inspire other schools to embed creativity and demonstrates the huge benefits for both pupils and staff.

Reflecting Together

• Why might involving children in lesson planning and/or the process of embedding creative thinking lead to more creativity?
• What does pupil voice look like in your school and how are young people able to champion creativity as a valuable future skill? 
• A Creative Council is one idea of doing this, how might this look in your school (bearing the children’s advice on starting small in mind)?