I am Creative

Creativity and Arts in Education Training & Residencies for Special Education Settings

Applications open Wednesday 29th April 2026- Thursday 21st May 2026

I am Creative (IaC) is a Department of Education and Youth led professional learning and in-school residency programme designed to support the integration of creativity and the arts in education for children and young people who attend special education settings.

IaC is a specific provision for special schools and special education settings under Strategic Objective 2 of the Creative Youth Plan 2023-2027. Given that many special education settings are currently engaging in mainstream Creative Youth programmes, IaC is deepening an aligned response to the specific needs of children and young people across the spectrum of additional and special educational needs.

Following successful pilot phases in 2023, 2024 and 2025/26 and in response to research recommendations contained in I am Creative: Collaborating with artists in special education settings by Dr Dorothy Morrissey (Mary Immaculate College, University of Limerick), IaC will expand to six special schools located in Education Support Centre catchment areas yet to participate; Clare, Cork, Kilkenny, Limerick, West Cork, Wexford in 2026/27.

IaC in-school residencies with children and young people are underpinned by iterative, collaborative training engagements with Creative Practitioners, Teachers, Special Needs assistants (SNAs) and School Leaders. This collaborative approach to shared professional learning aims to enhance the potential and scope of creativity and the arts through curriculum. IaC workshops create space for sharing perspectives and knowledge while developing the skills and approaches of creative and educator practitioners who work with children and young people in special education settings.

I am Creative

IaC will take place from Term 1 to the end of Term 3 in the school year 2026/27. Schools are invited to nominate one participating Teacher, one SNA and one School Leader to join the initiative. It is requested that the nominated SNA and Teacher work together with the same group of participating children and young people for the duration of the initiative to ensure continuity and progression in the initiative’s impact. All participants will receive substitute cover in order to attend training and shared learning events. Schools can invoice their local full time ESC for payment to facilitate the SNA attending the events. Please note, the payment reflects the fee for the covering SNA.

Each school will be paired with two Teacher Artist Partnership+ (TAP+) trained Creative Practitioners from different disciplines. They will collaborate with the school staff during training and with the children and young people during the two 40-hour in-school residencies. Creative Practitioners participating in IaC have been trained through the TAP+ programme and are experienced in delivering in-school residencies with students and teachers.

The extended 40-hour IaC residency per creative practitioner, includes time to consult, plan and evaluate the impact of the programme with children and young people. It also gives increased time for collaborative relationship-building between creative practitioners, students and school staff in addition to extending young people’s experience of the creative process with professional creative practitioners in their schools. Participating IaC schools will also receive €200 for materials to support their project.

I am Creative Structure Overview:

Timeframe: September 2025 to July 2026.

Schools: One from each of the six Education Support Centre Ireland regions. Participants per School: 1 SNA, 1 Teacher, 1 School Leader and 2 Creative Practitioners.

Please invite staff members to participate who have an interest and passion for this work, as well as the capacity to work collaboratively with one another throughout IaC.

School Leader - the function of this role is to support, facilitate and embed the residencies so that learning can extend within the school. The school leader may be the principal, senior leadership, or a teacher with passion for this work and capacity to lead and support IaC in your school.

Substitution cover will be provided for school staff.

2 Creative Practitioners experienced in working with schools through the Teacher Artist Partnership+ initiative will be nominated by local ESC.

Established Dates & Locations:

• Online IaC Introductions:

Thursday 24th September 2026 (16:30pm to 17:30pm)

• In-person IaC Professional Learning: Hotel Minella, Clonmel Friday 16th October 2026 (10:10am Registration)

Saturday: 17th October 2026 (15:30pm Close)

• Online IaC Sharing Learning Event:

Wednesday 27th January 2027 (16:30pm to 17:30pm)

• In-person IaC Sharing Learning Day: Hotel Minella, Clonmel Monday 17thMay 2027 (10:00am Registration, 15:30pm Close)

Please ensure that your school principal and participating staff are aware of and able to commit to the conditions below before applying to IaC.

Participating schools must qualify as a special school that caters for students with mild/ moderate or severe and/or complex special educational needs where a full-time mainstream placement would not be in the student’s best interest.

Participating schools must commit to full engagement for the duration of the programme September 2026 to July 2027.

Participating Teachers and SNAs must commit to participation for the duration of the programme and work with the same group of children and young people to ensure continuity.

Education Support Centres Ireland

Schools and Creative Practitioners participating in IaC will be supported by their local ESC in processing payments and administration relating to IaC. The local ESC will also ensure that creative practitioners’ Garda Vetting and Tusla Children First training certificates are in place.

Schools must follow and make Creative Practitioners aware of their Child Protection Procedures, Safeguarding Statement and Designated Liaison Person. Creative Practitioners must always be accompanied by their partner Teacher, who retains full responsibility for the welfare and safety of young people at all times. As an invited visitor the Creative Practitioner is covered under the school’s public liability insurance.

The IaC programme is coordinated by the National Arts in Education office, Tralee ESC. Please contact your local Education Support Centre or the National Arts in Education team at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. if you have any queries.

Evaluation & Images

I am Creative is an initiative of the Creative Youth Plan 2023-2027 and is supported by the Creative  Youth Evaluation Guidelines and the associated Pre & Post Project Forms. These guidelines and approaches will be explored during IaC training events.

Images taken during training or in-school residencies may be used to promote IaC through print and other media including social media. It is therefore essential that schools have permission for the use of such images. Parent/ Guardian Image Consent forms will be issued to participating schools noting the purposes they will be used for and permissions required.

I am Creative: Application Assessment Criteria:

Special schools are invited to apply for I am Creative using the online application form Here. Applications will be assessed and scored against the following criteria by the local ESC.

Application Outline

Maximum word count per question: 150 words

1. Learning, Teaching and Assessment

How will this initiative support learning, teaching and assessment in your school? Responses may consider:

• Identified areas of need and focus through School Self Evaluation
• Curriculum development
• Staff professional development

2. Youth Participation in Decision-Making

Young voices participating in decision-making is a key aspect of Creative Youth policy. How will you facilitate young people’s involvement and leadership in decision making from initial project planning through to final assessment and evaluation?

The project may also specifically support young people with least access to creativity

or who might fall within the ‘seldom heard’ cohort (Creative Youth Plan p.41).

3.  Partnership and Collaboration

This Creative Youth initiative enables and celebrates partnerships between students, creative practitioners and educators in schools. How will you facilitate and support this partnership during the initiative?

4. Capacity and Commitment

Creative Youth in-school initiatives provide funded support to enhance opportunities and access to creativity and the arts in education through curriculum. Why is your school applying to participate in Creative Youth and what benefits do you hope to gain?

Responses may consider:

• Capacity and commitment to fully participate
• Senior leadership support
• Dissemination in school or to the wider community

Assessment and Scoring

I am Creative applications will be assessed and scored by the local ESC using the following criteria:

1. Learning, Teaching and Assessment: Scoring based on proposed linkages to curriculum, pedological approaches and strategies that foster young people’s engagement and ownership in
2. Youth Participation in Decision-Making: Scoring based on proposed strategies for enabling young people’s agency and participation in decision-making, creativity, and The project may specifically support young people with least access to creativity or who might fall within the ‘seldom heard’ cohort (Creative Youth Plan p.41).

3. Partnership and Collaboration: Scoring based on proposed strategies for facilitating and supporting partnership between staff, young people and schools, which may include families and the wider
4. Capacity and Commitment: Scoring based on clear rationale for participation, and commitment to sustained support for I am

Scoring System

I am Creative: Application Link:

I am Creative 2026/27 Application Form: I am Creative - Schools Application 2026 Please note only online applications will be accepted.

Applications open on Wednesday 29th April 2026. The closing date is Thursday 21st May.