!!!! BLAST Creativity and Arts in Education Residency 2026/2027 Now Open
Department of Education: BLAST Arts and Creativity in Education Residency 2026/2027 applications are now open
Closing date: 20 April
The Department of Education and Youth is pleased to announce BLAST Creativity and Arts in Education Residency 2026/2027 applications are now open. Bringing Live Arts to Students & Teachers (BLAST) gives pupils in primary, special and post-primary schools and Youthreach centres the opportunity to work with professional artists/creative practitioners on imaginative and joyful projects.
BLAST gives them the time and the space to design and develop innovative residencies meant to foster their creativity and to develop their collaboration skills, critical thinking and problem-solving abilities. BLAST is a key initiative of the Department of Education and Youth, part of the Creative Youth Plan 2023-2027. It is run by the Education Support Centres Ireland (ESCI) network through all its 21 full-time education centres and coordinated nationally by the National Arts in Education office at Tralee Education Support Centre.
Please see the following link for BLAST Application Guidelines and further details: BLAST: Arts in Education
BLAST Creativity and Arts in Education Residency 2026/2027 apply online here: https://forms.office.com/e/dtMnZXaunq
The closing date for receipt of applications is 20 April 2026.
Please contact your local full-time Education Support Centre for queries or support, or email National Arts in Education, Tralee Education Support Centre at artsineducation@traleeesc.ie.
Eligibility:
All schools in receipt of capitation grants from the Department of Education and Youth or Education and Training Boards (ETBs) can apply for BLAST.
Schools participating in Creative Clusters, Creative Schools, Creative Connections, I am Creative or TAP+ 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.
!!!! Creative Youth Arts Initiatives 2026 Application Opening Dates Announced
Department of Education – Creative Youth 2026
The Department of Education has announced opening dates for Creative Youth Arts Initiatives 2026 Applications including Creative Clusters, Creative Schools, BLAST, TAP+ Summer Course and I am Creative.
The opening dates for applications are as follows:
Creative Clusters
Opens: 26 January | Closes: 20 April
Find out more and apply here
Creative Schools
Opens: 24 February | Closes: 30 April
Find out more and apply here
BLAST
Opens: 18 March | Closes: 20 April
Find out more and apply here
TAP+ Summer Course
Closes: 19 June
Find out more and apply here
I Am Creative
Opens: 13 April (TBC) | Closes: 19 June (TBC)
Read more about the Creative Youth Arts Initiatives on gov.ie
Application forms will be available once the initiatives open.
Useful Resource – Creative Youth Data Viewer:
The Department of Education’s Creative Youth Creative Youth Data Viewer is a useful resource and maps the schools and youthreach centres which have taken part in a Creative Youth school-based initiative.
!!!! Announcement: Schools Selected for 2025 BLAST Arts in Education Residencies and Creative Clusters
Department of Education and Youth
4 July
Minister for Education and Youth Helen McEntee has announced details of initiatives which will support pupils and students to have more opportunities to be creative, including announcing schools who will take part in two Creative Youth Programmes and launching a new data mapping tool to empower greater engagement with creativity.
Minister McEntee announced the names of the 429 schools who will take part in the 2025 BLAST Arts in Education Residencies, as well as details of 43 Creative Clusters which will involve 151 schools nationwide. Both programmes are part of the Creative Youth Plan 2023 – 2027.
See BLAST and Creative Cluster Schools 2025 here: gov.ie/en/department-of-education
In addition, Minister McEntee launched a new interactive data mapping tool which will chart the engagement of schools and Youthreach centres across the country with Creative Youth initiatives and highlight areas where additional support may be beneficial.
Minister McEntee said:
“It is so important that students and young people have an opportunity to be creative, to have fun, all while working and learning together. By creating an environment which encourages creative learning, teachers can help their students to express themselves, develop teamwork skills and further their sense of social responsibility, resilience and empathy”
To read full press release, see gov.ie/en/department-of-education
!!!! BLAST Arts & Creativity in Education Residency Programme 2025/26 Now Open
Department of Education: BLAST Arts & Creativity in Education Residency Programme
Application Deadline: 10th April
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.
This initiative aims to support the objectives of the Creative Ireland Creative Youth Plan (2023-2027) which builds on the principles and skills outlined in the Arts in Education Charter (2013) and the achievements of Creative Youth (2017-2022).
BLAST aims to provide pupils in schools all over the country, time and the space to work with a professional creative practitioner on imaginative and joyful projects. BLAST is a key Department of Education initiative of the Creative Youth Plan 2023- 2027 which aims to foster creativity in schools focus and to provide young people with opportunities to learn and develop the key skills and competencies of collaboration, critical thinking, problem-solving, and innovation.
Innovative BLAST residencies are designed and developed between the creative practitioner, teacher, students and the school community under the coordination of the 21 full-time Education Support Centres Ireland (ESCI) network.
Applications will open on 18 March 2025. The closing date is 10 April 2025.
Please see the following link for BLAST Application Guidelines and further details
BLAST 2025/26 Application Form apply here: BLAST Application Form
