ENGLISH

NUACHTLITIR


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

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

BLAST 25/26


!!!! 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

BLAST 25/26