Arts in Education Residency Initiative in Primary and Post-primary Schools

2022

Please see the Projects tab above for more information concerning the BLAST initiative including the list of artists.

Application forms can be found here: https://www.gov.ie/en/service/69096-blast-arts-in-education/#application-form

The Department of Education is announcing the launch of the 2022 Arts-in-Education BLAST Residency Programme, which will enable up to 425 new Arts-in-Education Residencies in schools each year.

This initiative aims to support the integration of the principles and key skills outlined in the Arts in Education Charter and the Creative Ireland Programme (2017-2022), Pillar 1 Creative Youth.

The aim of this scheme is to give pupils in schools all over the country the opportunity to work with a professional artist on unique projects to be originated and planned between the artist, the teacher and the school under the coordination of the Education Support Centres Ireland ESCI network of 21 full-time education centres. This initiative supports children and young people for the future, where skills like the ability to connect and collaborate with others, engage in creative and critical thinking and practice inclusivity at every level will be paramount to peace, stability, sustainable economic growth and equality.

What is proposed is a unique streamlined process whereby schools apply for an artist on the Online Register of Approved Artists who are already trained for the new BLAST Arts-in-Education Residency Programme managed by the local education centre. The education centre will also pay the artist which will further remove the administrative burden on teachers and schools.

How will this BLAST Residency initiative work?

The Education Centre: 

While the programme will be nationally co-ordinated by the Arts in Education administrative base located at the Education Centre, Tralee, Schools will apply for a BLAST Arts-in-Education Residency to the full-time education centre in their area, based on the Online Register of Approved Artists. The register of approved artists in each education centre will be arranged by artist and discipline, include relevant required and approved training experience, examples of previous work and examples of relevant or related experience in an educational and community context.

In excess of 300 artists are currently trained and registered on the Online Register of Approved Artists managed by the education centre network nationally. All artists will have submitted their Child Safeguarding Best Practice Policy (to include Child Safeguarding Statement) and their Certificate of completion of the Children First Training module to the education centre.

What is proposed is a unique streamlined process when schools apply for an artist under the new BLAST Arts-in-Education Residency Programme. The education centre will also arrange for payment of the artist, which will further remove the administrative burden on teachers and schools.

Garda vetting:

Garda vetting for artists for successful school applications will be organised with the individual artist by the education centre in collaboration with the school. Schools may separately (if they wish) request the artist to apply for Garda vetting specifically to work in their school.

The Artists:

Artists from any artistic discipline who have been trained in partnership working with schools will be registered with each of the 21 full-time ESCI centres.  Artistic disciplines include visual arts, crafts, music, dance, drama, literature and film. Creative disciplines will be expanded as the residency programme develops over the next number of years.

The artists on the Register of Approved Artists will have been previously trained and have engaged in school residencies under the Teacher-Artist Partnership CPD and Residency initiative or the Arts in Junior Cycle Programme which are both approved and led by the Department of Education.

The School:

The schools must be in the catchment of the local full-time education centre. Schools may submit only one application. Schools should make their own selection of artists on the Approved Register, based on CVs/examples of recent work, training and recommendations. Inclusion of artists on the Approved Register is based on training in the education centre (TAP) in addition to suitability/artistic qualification etc. and has taken place in advance to ensure the selected artist satisfies school policies in relation to engagement of external personnel.

Once a school is approved for the scheme, the school has a commitment to the artist, who will have earmarked that time for the project and could potentially turn down other work at the times scheduled to work with the school.

This initiative encourages:

• ·      Schools, primary and post-primary, that have not recently had an opportunity to participate in such creative initiatives to apply.
• Schools supporting inclusion and enhanced arts-in-education engagement with students from disadvantaged backgrounds and students with special educational needs to apply.
• Schools that have a track record in teacher-artist partnership working in the classroom and school to apply.
• A whole-school commitment to the project, but it is not a requirement that all classes work with the artist

Projects should have regard to the relevant school curricula where appropriate and have a focus on process.

BLAST Arts-in-Education Residency funding:

The artist’s fee is €1,000 per residency. This is funded by the Department of Education via each education centre. The education centre will pay the artist in accordance with agreed guidelines after the artist and teacher/school evaluations have been submitted and received. In certain instances, this may include the payment of two instalments of €500 with agreement.

The artist will be funded for 20 contact hours, including 6 hours planning/development/review time. Participating schools must pay for materials associated with the project and also for documentation of the project through photographs etc. and any other costs involved including insurance costs. Funded residencies can be delivered throughout the academic year commencing in October in the year the residency was approved.

Schools must acknowledge the Department of Education and the local education centre in all publicity relating to the project.

Successful applications:

Successful schools will be required to sign a short contract with their local education centre accepting the terms of the BLAST Arts-in-Education Residency Programme prior to the commencement of the residency. Successful residencies should not be started until official written notification to proceed has been received from the education centre and once Garda vetting has been completed and this has been communicated to the school.

It is a specific condition of this residency programme that a teacher works closely and collaborates with the artist to plan the learning experience and is present at all times with the artist while working with students in the school and to enhance further teacher-artist partnership. Schools will be responsible for ensuring the residency complies with Public Health advice relevant at the time of the project.

Evaluation:

The education centre will put in place the necessary evaluation for Arts-in-Education Residencies. This will include a school visit, completion and return of the Teacher/School Feedback Form and the Artist Feedback Form. The second instalment of the artist fee will be paid following the submission of the final reports. 

Any images submitted by the school either in reports or on completing the project may be used to promote the scheme through print and other media including social media. It is therefore important that the schools have permission for the use of such images, noting in the consent forms that they will be used for this purpose, and only send images to the education centre once parental consent has been obtained.

Guidelines for Application:

A note on COVID-19 related Public Health Guidance: Schools should base proposals on the best public health advice and guidance available at the time of application.  

Completed applications must include

• ·       A completed application form
• A written proposal for the project indicating the aims of the project, the theme, materials, processes, anticipated outcomes, deliverability, number of contact hours and number of classes and pupils that will participate in the project.
• ·     Please also indicate the planned time-frame schedule and planned method of documentation for the project.

·       The proposal should demonstrate a whole school commitment to the project. (This does not mean that all children must participate in the project rather that the whole school should be supportive and flexible in facilitating the project).

·       Applications will open on 25^th May 2022. The closing date is 30^th September 2022.

Applications can be sent by email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 

This initiative will be supported by the ESCI education centre network, Teacher Artist Partnership CPD programme, Arts in Junior Cycle, NAPD Creative Engagement Programme and the Arts in Education Portal.

Cork Education Support Centre has partnered with Cork Public Museum to host a Night At The Museum event in Cork Public Museum, Fitzgerald’s Park.

This event will be hosted by the Museum Curator, Dan Breen, and will consist of a tour of the exhibits with a focus on bringing class groups to visit the museum.

The event will take place on Tuesday 17^th May from 7pm to 8pm and will be suitable for Primary and Post Primary teachers.

Free parking will be available on the night on the grounds of Cork Education Support Centre (T12 KC86).

We kindly ask you to share this invitation with any teacher in your school who may be interested.

Please RSVP via email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. at your earliest convenience if you wish to attend.

Announcing a wonderful opportunity for Artists (all art forms) to broaden their practice, receive training and project fees, develop creative partnerships with teachers, and transform the lives of children in every County in Ireland

CALL OUT FOR ARTISTS for 4^th to 8^th July 2022

The TEACHER-ARTIST PARTNERSHIP CPD programme (TAP)

is a Creative Ireland, Department of Education led and approved Summer Course offering

FULLY PAID TRAINING AND IN-SCHOOL RESIDENCY OPPORTUNITIES FOR ARTISTS

TO WORK WITHIN PRIMARY SCHOOL SETTINGS & AND DEVELOP PARTNERSHIPS WITH CREATIVE TEACHERS

-       Open to artists, working in any art form, who are committed to sharing their practice with children and teachers in a modern primary school environment

-       Specialist, week-long training (4^th – 8^th July 2022 based in Cork Education Support Centre to prepare the artist for the unique requirements of working harmoniously in partnership with a teacher within the modern Irish classroom

-       A training allowance of €150 per day over the initial 5-day training/induction week (€750 in total), plus travel with daily lunch provided.

-       Brokerage and development of partnerships with creative teachers, in schools committed to contemporary arts learning, practice and creativity.

-       Guarantee of a paid, follow up in-school-residency within a local primary school (€1,000 Fee total inclusive of Travel) to carry out a 20-hour project (14 contact hours plus 6 hours planning, preparation and evaluation) in partnership with your teacher partner throughout the 2022/2023 academic year

-       Information, learning and networking opportunities for further freelance work within the education system.

Artists must

• have a track record of a minimum of three years’ professional practice in any art form
• demonstrate an interest in / commitment to: the principles of Arts-in-Education and Creativity and to enhancing the lives of children through arts practice
• be willing to learn about modern classroom culture and to work in equal partnership with teachers
• Combine a sense of fun, joy and collaboration with professional dedication and high artistic vision
• Be willing to undertake child protection training as part of the induction week, and undergo standard Garda vetting before taking up project placements.

Successful artists will be contacted by their local Education Support Centre (Cork Education Support Centre) to participate in the training and to deliver a subsequent partnership residency project, but must apply to be part of the scheme in the first instance via the “Call Out for Artists” by the Arts Officer of the Local Authority in which the full-time Education Support Centre is located.

Expressions of interest should therefore be sent to the relevant address of the Local Full-time Education Support Centre, (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) by 27^th May 2022.  Expressions of interest should be in the form of a letter of max 600 words, accompanied by a CV or short Bio with links to images or samples of relevant work.  The letter should set out:

1. Where you trained
2. A very brief description of your practice
3. Why you might wish to work in partnership with a teacher and with children in a school setting
4. What you think qualifies you to take up this opportunity.

Places on this national Creative Ireland CPD initiative, taking place in the local full-time Education Support Centre training programmes, are limited to four artists per year – 4 Artists per Summer Course.  Final decision on offers of places will be taken by the Director of the local Education Centre in collaboration with the Local Authority Arts Office.

All completed Expressions of Interest/Applications must be returned to your Local Education Support Centre –

Cork Education Support Centre, The Rectory, Western Road, Cork, T12 KC86

Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.