Creative Connections
Creative Connections is a cross border creative partnership programme that brings professional creative practitioners into schools to work alongside teachers and children and young people. Since its launch in February 2025, the programme has partnered with 20 schools in Northern Ireland and 20 in Ireland, alongside 40 creative practitioners. It supports the integration of creativity and the arts into everyday teaching, learning and assessment, enhancing pupil engagement and outcomes.
Programme Overview
Creative Connections combines curriculum‑aligned creative residencies, professional learning and structured cross‑border collaboration. Through bespoke creative learning projects, schools work in partnership with professional artists to embed creativity as a core element of classroom practice.
Funded through the Shared Island Initiative, the programme is jointly supported by the Department of Education (Northern Ireland) and the Department of Education and Youth (Republic of Ireland), with delivery managed by National Arts in Education (NAE), based at Tralee Education Support Centre, County Kerry.
Programme Expansion
Building on the successful pilot phase, the Creative Connections programme has been extended for a further year and expanded to an additional cohort of 16 schools and 16 and creative practitioners across both jurisdictions. This second phase of the programme, launched at the North South Ministerial Council Education meeting on 22 April 2026, will run from September 2026 to June 2027.