2024 is the first year of Creative February 

Every school, from primary to secondary to alternative setting, is eligible to take part 

The project will run from Thursday the 1st to Thursday the 29th of February, using the Leap Day as an extra day of creativity!

The Arts Council is inviting all schools across Ireland to get involved in their first ever Creative February, a celebration of art and creativity in schools with a focus on fun, festivities, imagination and innovation. This initiative will run from the 1st to the 29th of February.  

Creative February will recognise and affirm that our schools are truly creative places, filled with very creative people. From primary to secondary to alternative settings, all children and young people will be encouraged to MAKE, SEE, DO.   

• Make any style of art you choose – paint, draw, dance, knit, design, sculpt, code; 
• See art – visit a museum or gallery, attend a theatre or spoken word performances, dance shows, music gigs, or see architecture and local art in your town or city! 
• Do a creative project – as a team, as a class or as a school.   

Children and young people across Ireland are invited to let their imaginations soar and take part in a special month which celebrates their creativity. To help inspire, guide and motivate everyone taking part, the Arts Council will host a series of online workshops in collaboration with Monaghan Education Centre and Wexford Education Support Centre. These workshops will be divided: half will be catering for school staff and teachers, with the remainder dedicated to students.  

The underlying theme for Creative February is Spring. Creation from new growth, the seeds of inspiration, this theme hopes to encourage students and school communities to reflect on where creativity begins in our lives, in every class, in every school and how it can grow and flourish. The month is a time to focus on celebrating this creativity, perhaps adding to the experiences of students in the form of events or workshops and providing a platform to show how creative each school can be. If your school is already in the Creative Schools initiative, this month is a great time to celebrate your journey so far.   

Ongoing updates will appear across the Arts Council’s social media platforms and our website.

We’re asking students and schools to proudly share their creations online with us, tagging the Arts Council and using the hashtag #CreativeFebruary. 

Speaking about Creative February Maureen Kennelly, Director of the Arts Council, said:

"Creative February is an exciting new initiative from the Arts Council that will provide space and encouragement for children and young people to demonstrate their ingenuity when it comes to how they understand art. This project is an evolution of the highly successful Creative Schools Week. Now with a full month to Make, See, Do, the project presents a fantastic opportunity to nurture and celebrate the many ways in which schools and school communities embrace creativity. I would encourage all schools across the country, big or small, to get involved in the inaugural year of Creative February and let their imaginations run wild."

Catherine Martin TD, Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media said:

"Creative February is a wonderful new opportunity for every school in Ireland to expand, experiment and engage with art and creativity. It has been well established that all forms of education can be enhanced by creative thinking and the theme of Spring and new life is a wonderful opportunity to embed art in the classroom. Creating art, in any form, as an individual, as a class or as a school is an incredibly positive initiative. Providing an inspiring space for creativity is vital to enable children and young people to discover their artistic passions. I’m really looking forward to seeing what our students create throughout Creative February."  

Minister for Education, Norma Foley TD, said:

"Creative February will help to spark young people’s curiosity in arts and creativity in our schools. It will provide opportunities for schools to work collaboratively with other local schools on creative projects and to develop a roadmap for self-improvement and celebration."

Mags Walsh, Programme Director of Creative Schools said:

"Creative February is a celebration of imagination and innovation across all schools in Ireland. It is an exciting time to empower students to explore, create, and reflect on their unique creative expressions. I extend heartfelt thanks to the young minds who were a driving force in shaping this initiative. We look forward to seeing school communities bring their unique and inspiring ideas to life."

Marino College Transition Year student, Zofia Piela added:

"We are really looking forward to Creative February. When we took part in Creative School’s Week we had fun planning and creating a festival for our community. The parade last year was the best day of school ever! Our principal Ms. McAteer even dressed up as Mother Earth." 

Run by the Creative Schools team within the Arts Council, Creative February is open to every school in the country, and all are warmly invited to take part. A welcome pack, with posters and details has been distributed to each school across the country. 

Creative Schools is a flagship initiative of the Government’s Creative Ireland Programme, putting the arts and creativity at the heart of children and young people’s lives. The initiative is led by the Arts Council in partnership with the Department of Education and the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media. 

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