Creative Clusters Initiative

Creative Clusters is an Initiative of the Department of Education, led by and in partnership with ESCI, and funded through the Schools Excellence Fund.

Creative Clusters is an initiative under the Schools Excellence Fund of the Department of Education and Skills and the Creative Ireland Creative Youth Programme. Clusters can comprise of between three to five schools collaborating on the design, implementation, evaluation and dissemination of an innovative arts and creative learning project, which supports them to address a common issue or challenge. Creative Clusters will include schools at different stages of their journey in using the arts and creativity in the classroom. Ideally, clusters can consist of Primary schools only, Post Primary schools only, or, a combination of both Primary and Post Primary schools.

The Lead School in the Cluster will nominate a Lead School Co-Ordinator, and each of the other schools in the Cluster must nominate at least one representative, who will work with the Cluster on behalf of the school, to be the point of contact for the school and available to attend the Regional Creative Workshops and three meetings in the local Education Centre. The Creative Clusters initiative consists of five events during the academic year. In March 2022, the Department of Education announced (Press Release) the opening of a new round of Creative Clusters for 2022-24.