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Creative Clusters 2026 - 2028 Applications Now Open

 

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 2026.

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: https://www.gov.ie/en/department-of-education/publications/creative-clusters/. 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 on DEY website) or use this link Appendix 1

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

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).

Dual Language Application Form