New creative projects designed to support young people as they emerge from lockdown are being announced at the Creative Youth Conference 2021 “Creativity – the connection to the future, now” which is being opened today by Taoiseach Micheál Martin at Dublin Castle
These include:
- Increased funding for Fighting Words to develop creative writing projects throughout the country with a focus on DEIS schools;
- Increased funding for Youth Theatre Ireland to extend their programme further with extra support provided for Youth Theatre workers to enable them to assist young people emerging from lockdown;
- A new Creative Technologies initiative that will promote capacity building within a variety of youth services;
- Department of Education and Skills and Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media to increase Creative Schools programme from 150 schools annually, to 190 schools in 2021.
The Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport & Media, Catherine Martin TD is today (Thursday 13th May 2021) announcing new funding details at the Creative Youth conference 2021, titled Creativity – the connection to the future, now.
Presented by the Creative Ireland Programme, the conference is focusing on the achievements of Creative Youth and the challenges that lie ahead as we consider what strategies will be required to deliver positive, sustainable outcomes for children through their engagement with arts, culture and creativity.
The conference is bringing together leading figures in education, enterprise, innovation and creativity, including Andreas Schleicher of the OECD, Bo Stjerne Thomsen of the Lego Foundation, Dr Michelle Cullen, Accenture, Professor Anne Looney, Institute of Education in DCU, Arlene Forster of the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment, Helene Hugel, Helium Arts, author Roddy Doyle and Professor Linda Doyle – Provost-elect of Trinity College Dublin.
At the conference, the Taoiseach Micheál Martin is highlighting the impact that creative activity can have on the lives of young people: “At the heart of the Creative Ireland vision is that every person has creative capacities that should be encouraged throughout their lives. Promoting this creativity not only benefits our wellbeing, it also builds social capital and economic success. Creative Youth is but one part of this vision – but possibly the most important, as it is about the future. It is about working toward a society which enables the innate creativity of all our young people to flourish – to support them in their education, their homes, their communities and their futures.”
Joining the Taoiseach is Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, Catherine Martin TD, Minister for Education, Norma Foley TD and Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, Roderic O’Gorman TD.
Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, Catherine Martin TD says: “As the impact of a year under Covid-19 restrictions becomes clear, there could not be better time to reflect on the Creative Youth plan, but also to look to the future. To consider not only the challenges but also the opportunities that lie ahead, as we strive to provide better, more inclusive opportunities for young people to discover, nurture and celebrate their own creative potential.”
As part of a broader deliberation on its future direction of travel, the Creative Youth Conference 2021 is an opportunity for all stakeholders to reflect on progress to date and input their views concerning the provision of enhanced creative engagement opportunities for young people – both in the classroom and their home/community.
Minister for Education Norma Foley TD says:“Schools and particularly our teachers play an extremely important role in introducing children and young people to the arts and encouraging their creative expression. The Creative Youth programme is a wonderful asset to our schools, supporting them to promote creativity in education. We can all be proud of the important role played by school communities in this area, and the hugely beneficial impact on our children and young people, in many cases sparking lifelong appreciation and creative endeavours.”
Commenting on the centrality of young people themselves to initiatives such as Creative Youth, Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, Roderic O’Gorman TD, says:“Ensuring that the voices of children and young people are not just heard, but are listened to, is an important aspect in the work of my Department – and with Creative Youth we ensure that they are involved from the very start to design creative programmes and activities that stimulate their creativity.”
Creative Youth Conference 2021 “Creativity – the Connection to the Future, Now” is an online event on Thursday, 13th May at 12:00. To join, please go to https://hopin.com/events/creativity-the-connection-to-our-future-now
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Notes to Editors
New and extended initiatives being announced by Minister at Creative Youth conference
Minister Martin is today (Thursday 13 May 2021) announcing a number of new and extended initiatives to increase the access to creative activities for children and young people.
Creative Schools:
- Creative Schools was launched in 2018 with an initial annual intake of 150 schools.
- In 2020, additional funding from the Minister enabled the Arts Council to invite a total of 164 schools in the programme from September 2020.
- In September 2021, a total of 190 schools will be invited to participate.
- Applications are currently being invited and schools have until Thursday 10 June to apply.
New Creative Writing Access Opportunities:
- Fighting Words are being supported to expand an initiative called Story Seeds which is being piloted in north inner city Dublin.
- This initiative currently supports young people in 24 DEIS schools in Dublin to experience creative writing and to reimagine and transform their sense of place and possibility.
- The additional support will see this pilot expanded to other areas, including south Dublin, Cork city, Limerick city, Bray, Co. Wicklow and Drogheda, Co. Louth.
- Working with a range of local schools and youth organisations (as well as statutory service providers), this initiative will aim to reach young people in over 200 schools and youth organisations.
New Youth Theatre and Drama Opportunities:
- This additional funding from Creative Ireland will allow Youth Theatre Ireland to support young people, leaders and youth theatres across Ireland in overcoming the unique challenges presented by COVID 19.
- A targeted grants scheme will provide vital support for up to 23 youth theatre groups across Ireland to re-open safely and to provide special project funding to run new youth theatre initiatives, supporting young people to re-engage with youth theatre.
- The development of a wellbeing programme for leaders and young people that will support over 2,000 young people across our network of 60 youth theatres as well as over 250 leaders nationwide.
- A national recruitment campaign for youth theatres across Ireland will support groups in promoting the value of youth theatre and attracting new members.
- An accredited facilitator training programme will support the development of 20 emerging youth theatre facilitators across Ireland and the development of at least 3 new youth theatre groups.
Creative Technologies:
- A significant consequence of public health restrictions for young people has been a lack of access to be creative with technology, an area that has experienced accelerated growth recently and is emerging as a key driver to future community growth and opportunity.
- A new Creative Technologies initiative, in partnership with Camara Ireland, will promote capacity building within a variety of youth services to enable greater opportunities for young people to experience a range of technology and digital based creative activities.
- Working through the Children and Young People’s Services Committees (CYPSC), Tusla and Education and Training Board Ireland (ETBI) the programme will support up to 220 youth workers to upskill allowing them to support up to 3000 young people to achieve their full potential with a key driver being access to creative opportunities in technology.
- Some 88 youth services are engaged with the initiative across 15 counties.