The Artist in Schools Scheme was established in 2000 to enable primary schools in Clare to develop projects with professional artists for the benefit of the participating students. Since then over 300 residencies have taken place throughout the county with children participating in visual arts, music, dance, mime, drama, film and creative writing.
The Artists in Schools Residency Award Scheme is announced annually offering opportunities for schools and artist’s to submit joint applications for project funding.
Clare Arts Office have resumed the Artist in Schools Residencies Scheme for projects taking place in Primary and Secondary Schools in 2024/25
The deadline for submissions is the Friday the 4th of November. You can view the full brief and criteria details of the award and make an application at this link here:
The Arts Office also works with national organisations such as Encountering the Arts in Ireland to develop professional development opportunities for artists and teachers through the Teacher~Artist Partnership (TAP) Scheme delivered in Clare through the Clare Education Centre. The programme offers ongoing training and professional development opportunities for artists invitations to attend seminars and talks in the field of Arts in Education.
Curatorial Programme
As part of our wider remit the Clare Arts in Education programme curates projects that support artists and schools to engage in larger scaled innovative commissioned projects in partnership with local and national cultural organisations.
Recent 2020 commissions include Glaoch a recording project that aims at amplifying the voices of national school children in Clare by award winning artist John Lillis delivered in partnership Creative Ireland. In 2019 the programme partnered with glór theatre and the Ennis Book Club Festival to deliver New Word Order, a multidisciplinary poetry that engaged with over one hundred TY students and artist’s Stephen Murray, illustrator Alan Dunne and dramatist Zara Starr Madden.
Light Ballet as part of Coiscéim Coiligh!
Clare Artists in Schools Programme is excited to be partnering with Light Ballet.
Three primary schools in Clare will participate in this astonishing multu media project to co design a light installation. The event, Light Ballet, is presented as part of Brightening Air | Coiscéim Coiligh, a nationwide, ten-day season of art organised by the Arts Council, this June. Light Ballet will transform the skies and surrounding landscape of eight counties with a light installation floating down the River Shannon over eight days and taking in skies of Westmeath and Roscommon in its path. Created by Irish light artist Mick Murray, from Offaly, and lighting designer Matthew Cregan, Light Ballet will be visible (June 13-20) for up to seven kilometres into the sky and covering almost two hundred kilometres of land. This installation will be accompanied by a newly composed soundscape by David Kitt.