The Department of Education and Youth is pleased to announce the opening of a new round of Creative Clusters. The deadline for receipt of applications is 20th April.
Each Creative Cluster will receive grant funding of €3,000 per school over a two-year period to implement their project 2026–2028.
· 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 and Youth Guidelines English / Gaeilge.
Applications are to be completed online using the following link: Creative Clusters 2026 – 2028 Application.
Should you need assistance, please contact your local full-time Education Support Centre (list at Appendix 1 of Guidelines document)
If you have any queries, please contact your local Education Support Centre or email the programme administrators at National Arts in Education, Tralee Education Support Centre: artsineducation@traleeesc.ie
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 the Arts Council led Creative Schools initiative and those who will complete Creative Schools Year 2 in the 2025/26 school year. Schools cannot simultaneously participate in Creative Clusters, and the Arts Council led Creative Schools initiative.
· Schools that will complete Creative Clusters Year 2 in the 2025/26 school year can only apply to lead a cluster of schools who have not yet participated in 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 and Youth, led by and in partnership with the 21 full-time Education Centres (Education Support Centres Ireland – ESCI)
