. 

 The Department of Education is pleased to announce the opening of a new round of Creative Clusters. The deadline for receipt of applications is 10^th April 2025

Each Creative Cluster will receive grant funding of €3,000 per school over a two-year period to implement their project 2025–2027.  

• 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: Creative Cluster 2025 Department of Education Guidelines 

Cnuasaigh Chruthaitheacha Treoirlínte

 Applications are to be completed online using the following link: Creative Clusters 2025 Application should you need assistance, please contact your local full-time Education Support Centre (list at Appendix 1 of Guidelines document on DE website) or use this link Appendix 1

Dual Language Application Form

Any queries, please contact your local Education Support Centre or email National Arts in Education Administration This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

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.

BLAST Residency Initiative - Creativity and Arts in Education Bringing Live Arts to Students & Teachers (BLAST) in Primary, Special and Post-Primary Schools and YouthReach Centres.

The aim of this scheme is to give pupils in schools all over the country the opportunity to work with a professional artist on unique projects  

The aim of this scheme is to give pupils in schools all over the country the opportunity to work with a professional artist on unique projects  

The Department of Education announced the launch of the 2025 creativity and arts in education BLAST Residency programme, which will bring creativity and arts in education to 425 new Residencies in the school year 2025/26.

 Please see the following link for BLAST Application Guidelines and further details: 

(Department of Education BLAST Guidelines )

(Treoirlínte Iarratais BLAST na Roinne Oideachais)

BLAST Arts & Creativity in Education Residency 2025/2026 apply online here: Application Form

 The closing date for receipt of applications is 10^th April 2025

  Please contact your local Education Support Centre for queries or support, or email National Arts in Education, Tralee Education Support Centre at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Eligibility :

All schools in receipt of capitation grants from the Department of Education or Education and Training Boards (ETBs) can apply for BLAST.

Fee Paying Schools are not eligible to apply for BLAST Residencies. Schools that are not in the free-education scheme cannot apply for BLAST. 

Schools participating in either Creative Clusters or Creative Schools can apply for BLAST.

 BLAST is an initiative of the Department of Education, under the Creative Youth Plan 2023-2027. It is led by and in partnership with the 21 full-time Education Centres (Education Support Centres Ireland - ESCI).

-Artist list-

Announcing a wonderful opportunity for creative practitioners of all disciplines to broaden their practice through Teacher Artist Partnership+ (TAP+) professional development and in-school residency programme. Closing date for expression of interest Friday 6th June 2025. Develop creative partnerships with teachers and children. Receive funded training and residencies that bring the arts and creativity to children all over Ireland through TAP+, an initiative of Creative Youth 2023-27 under Creative Ireland and led by the Department of Education. TAP+ Overview

● TAP+ Summer Course running 1st to 5th July 2025 in your local Education Support Centre

○ Fully paid training to support creative practitioners to work in primary and special schools

● TAP+ In-school Residencies

○ Bringing learning into practice through creative partnership with teachers and children

○ Funded 20-hour residencies in the school year 2025/26

○ Access to the BLAST register of creative practitioners to deliver in-school residencies TAP+ Details

● Open to creative practitioners, working in any art form, discipline or creative practice (examples: boat maker, jeweller, computer programmer, horticulturist, engineer, drama, musician, etc), who are committed to sharing their practice with children and teachers in primary and special schools

● Training 1st - 5th July 2025 through your local nearest full-time Education Support Centre (www.esci.ie) to facilitate creative practitioners and collaborating teachers to work in creative partnerships with children.

● Training allowance of €150 per day over the 5-day summer course training (€750 in total), plus travel and lunch provided.

● Professional development through partnerships and creative, collaborative relationships with teachers, in schools committed to the arts and creativity in learning, practice and community.

● Guarantee of paid, follow up in-school residency within a local primary or special school (€1,100 Fee total inclusive of €200 Travel) to carry out a 20-hour residency (14 contact hours plus 6 hours planning, preparation and evaluation) in partnership with your teacher partner in the school year 2025/2026.

● Creative Practitioners must complete TAP+ in-school residencies following participation on the TAP+ Summer Course.

● TAP+ trained creative practitioners are also eligible to participate in BLAST in-school residencies. We invite successful TAP+ creative practitioners to join the BLAST register and where possible to deliver BLAST residencies. See here for further details: BLAST information

● Information, learning and networking opportunities for further freelance work within the education system. TAP+ Expression of Interest Letter In your letter of application Creative Practitioners must:

1. Outline willingness to undertake child protection training as part of the induction week and undergo standard Garda vetting before taking up project placements.

2. Demonstrate a track record of minimum of three years’ professional practice in any creative practice

3. Demonstrate an interest in / commitment to the principles of Creativity and Arts in Education and to enhancing the lives of children through arts/creative practice

4. Be willing to learn about classroom culture and to work in partnership with teachers and children

5. Combine a sense of fun, joy and collaboration with professional dedication and high artistic/creative vision Creative Practitioners apply for TAP+ via an Expressions of Interest Letter sent to the Director of your local Education Support Centre no later than 5pm on Friday 6th June 2025.

Expressions of interest should be in the form of a letter of max 600 words, accompanied by a CV or short bio with links to images or samples of relevant work.

The letter should outline:

1. Training institute/ organisation

2. Brief description of practice

3. Why you aim to work in education and in partnership teachers and children

4. What qualifies you to undertake the TAP+ summer course training and residency programme. Places on this Creative Youth initiative are limited to four creative practitioners per full-time Education Support Centre area. Please ensure that it will be possible for you to meet all requirements of the programme before applying.

Final decision on offers of places will be taken by the Director of the local Education Support Centre. Any queries in relation to TAP+ should be directed to your local full-time Education Support Centre.