National Gallery (Photo: Derek Speirs)
Arts-in-education practice involves skilled, professional artists of all disciplines working for and with schools in the making, receiving and interpreting of a wide range of arts experiences. Arts-in-education practice can happen within or outside the school. It ranges from once-off visits, through more extended programmes, to intensive, collaborative projects. Artists, arts organisations, pupils, teachers, and sometimes primary carers, work together to create arts experiences that enrich the curriculum and support the core educational mission of the school. Arts-in-education practice enriches the lives of all involved, particularly in nurturing the developing the minds and imaginations of the pupils. (Arts in Education Charter, p.10; Points of Alignment, p. 13)
The national digital resource for arts in education in Ireland is: www.artsineducation.ie
The Department of Education and Skills (DES) and the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht (DAHG) made a joint commitment to promote and integrate the arts in education with the launch of the Arts in Education Charter (Dec 2012). The Arts Council is committed to working in partnership with these Departments to implement the Arts in Education Charter. The Director of the Arts Council sits on the Charter Implementation Group and the Arts Council is represented on the Editorial Committee for www.artsineducation.ie.
The Arts Council has published a number of reports, guidelines, and other information in relation to arts in education – please see our publications section.
Artists~Schools Guidelines is designed to provide practical guidelines that will empower artists and teachers to work in structured and respectful partnerships with young people in order to enhance their learning, enrich their experience of the arts and develop their creativity.
It is intended to assist teachers and artists, pupils and primary carers, schools and arts organisations, policy-makers and providers, and all those interested in Artists~Schools practice. The guidelines may also prove useful for arts projects and programmes in other social and community settings.
Artists~Schools Guidelines is a product of a partnership between the Department of Education and the Arts Council. The document was devised by a Steering Committee and a Core Group drawn from both the arts and the education sector. Artist~Schools Guidelines was published in 2006.
Artist in Schools Scheme (Local Authorities)
The Artists in Schools Scheme facilitates a professional artist to make a series of visits to a school in his/her local county, to work with students on a specific project. Projects can range across artforms.
Most local authorities run this scheme. Please contact your local arts officer for more information.
Writers in Schools Scheme (Poetry Ireland)
The Writers in Schools Scheme is one of the longest running arts-in-education programmes in Ireland. 2007 marked the 30th anniversary of the Scheme, run by Poetry Ireland and funded by the Arts Council/An Chomhairle Ealaíon.
The Scheme part-funds visits by writers and storytellers to primary and post-primary schools throughout the Republic of Ireland. These are over 250 writers and storytellers for schools to choose from on the Writers in Schools Web-Director of Writers.
For more information please visit the website of Poetry Ireland at www.poetryireland.ie.
Creative Engagement (National Association of Principals and Deputy Principals - NAPD)
Creative Engagement is managed by the NAPD. The scheme entails a partnership approach to the promotion and development of the arts in second-level schools, based upon positive interaction between artist, teacher and learner.
Please visit the website of the NAPD at www.napd.ie for more information and contact details.
The Per Cent for Art Scheme is a government funded programme whereby an additional fund of up to 1% of the cost of a publicly-funded infrastructure or building, can be applied for by the Client (typically a Local Authority, School, Hospital, the National Roads Authority, the OPW) to commission original, site and context specific works of art. The 1% is subject to a cap of €64K. The fund is available across all government departments. The Per Cent for Art scheme supports the commissioning of artists and artworks across all contemporary artforms.
For more information on how your school can commission an artist or artwork through the per cent for art scheme, please visit: www.publicart.ie