Skip to main content

We are currently installing new phone lines so if you need to contact us please email admin@donegaledcentre.ie

Email: admin@donegaledcentre.ie 

Create Account
Login
Subscribe to Newsletter

Creative Connections 2025 / 2026

Call Out for Creative Connections Cluster Facilitators



Creative Connections 2025/26

Announcing a wonderful opportunity for creative practitioners and educators with a passion for facilitation, a love of creativity who enjoy working with schools.  National Arts in Education (NAE), Tralee Education Support Centre is seeking Creative Connections Cluster Facilitators. Closing date for expression of interest Friday 27th June 2025.

School Clusters form part of the wider Creative Connections Programme which is a Shared Island Pilot Programme funded by the Department of the Taoiseach and led by the Department of Education in Northern Ireland  (DENI) the Department of Education and Youth (DEY) in Ireland and is managed at a national level by the National Arts in Education Administrative Office (NAE) in Tralee Education Support Centre.  Each Creative Connections Cluster will comprise of two schools from Northern Ireland, collaborating with two schools in Ireland to develop a Community of Practice.  For more information in the Creative Connections pilot, please see here: https://www.gov.ie/en/department-of-education/publications/creative-connections/

Creative Connections Facilitators support, inspire, connect and mentor, teachers as school representatives to their Clusters from September 2025 to June 2026.  Facilitators are provided with:

  • Training into the role of Creative Connections Facilitator on either the 2nd or 3rd September 2025.
  • Attend a one Sharing Day of Residency 1 of the Creative Connections Programme on September 22nd, 2025, in the Glenavon Hotel, Cookstown.
  • Workshop with your Creative Connections Cluster schools and with other Clusters and Facilitators in the Glenavon Hotel, Cookstown on September 23rd, Accommodation and meals will be provided overnight.
  • Funding to host 3 Meetings throughout the year for your Cluster at your local Education Support Centres, Ireland, Education Authority Centres, and/ or collaborating creative learning hubs in Northern Ireland.
  • Attend a Creative Connections Celebration Day in Dublin in May 2026.

Help to bring creativity in learning to children and young people, teachers and school communities across Ireland and Norhtern Ireland, join Creative Connections as a Facilitator today!

Creative Connections Overview

The Creative Connections Clusters phase forms part of the wider Creative Connections initiative, focused on building cross-border creative educational communities of practice. Creative Connections Clusters are composed of four schools/settings, two from Ireland and two from Northern Ireland. Clusters can be made of all primary, all post primary schools, special schools or a combination of settings. During the Cluster schools will experiment, risk take, innovate and collaborate on a project which helps them address a common issue or challenge and builds cross-border links.

Creative Connections Clusters are Professional Learning Communities where children and young people have an active and collective leadership role. Through their Clusters, schools collaborate to innovate, plan, enact and reflect on context sensitive, new approaches to creative learning. In Clusters leadership and responsibility are shared between young people and adults.

Creative Connections Facilitator Role

The Creative Connections Facilitator will be appointed by the NAE, Tralee Education Support Centre (ESC), their role is to facilitate, inspire and give practical advice to teachers and schools in their Creative Connections Cluster of schools. As well as guiding the Cluster, Facilitators may also act as a critical friend, challenging their thinking, encouraging them to delve deeper into creativity through curriculum and promoting young people’s participation in decision making. Creative Connections Facilitators cannot be a staff member from the Creative Connections participating schools.

Overall Support

  • Facilitators lead Creative Connections Cluster Meetings and manage administrative requirements e.g. ensure Attendance Sheets are complete and sign Attendance Certificate.
  • Supporting the Creative Connections Cluster to meet the aims of the programme, to experiment, risk take and collaborate on their project.
  • Support the Cluster to reflect, assess learning and take measures to support the sustainability learning within and after the Creative Connections
  • Work with the Cluster on the design, planning and budgeting of the project ensuring each school has an agreed plan of work to implement between meetings.
  • Link the Cluster with local, regional and cross border opportunities to engage with arts, creativity and culture across the island of Ireland.
  • Prompt the Clusters to progress and complete required documents.
  • Ensure Image Consent is in place for images shared with Tralee ESC, DEY and DENI.
  • Communicate with the Creative Connections Co-ordinator, Schools Advocate and Tralee ESC, sharing progress, challenges, successes and achievements.
  • Share events, celebrations and “outputs” of the Clusters with the Co-ordinator, School Advocate and Tralee ESC and NAE so that they might attend and/or share on social media networks

Specific Requirements

  • Cluster Meetings
  • Liaise with Cluster to establish dates and times for Cluster Meetings.
  • Liaise with local ESC/Education Authority Centre to organise the Cluster Meetings and documents.
  • Prompt teachers to book substitution cover.
  • Prompt Lead School Coordinator to take substituted days.
  • Support the Clusters in establishing and using systems of information sharing e.g Google Drive, One Drive, WhatsApp etc.
  • Financial: supporting the Cluster in ensuring that funding is planned for, accessed, records kept and advising them of sources of funding.

Creative Clusters Facilitator Expression of Interest Letter

Interested parties apply for the Creative Connections Facilitator role via an Expressions of Interest Letter sent to the NAE office through This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., no later than 5pm on Friday 27th June 2025. Expressions of interest should be in the form of a letter of max 600 words, accompanied by a CV or short bio with links to images or samples of relevant work.

In your letter of application, please:

  1. Outline your motivation in applying for the role of Clusters Facilitator in Creative Connections. Please include your interest and /or experience in working with teachers and schools to support them in embedding creativity in learning and teaching.
  2. Outline the professional experience in creative practice, education or facilitation that demonstrates your skills in, or across, these areas. Demonstrate a track record of minimum of three years’ professional practice in creative practice or education.
  3. Demonstrate an interest in / commitment to the principles of Creativity and Arts in Education and to enhancing the lives of children and young people through arts/creative practice and professional learning for teachers.

The role of Creative Connections Facilitator is limited to five Facilitators in Ireland and five in Northern Ireland. Facilitators will need to travel to meetings and events in both jurisdictions. Please ensure that it will be possible for you to meet all requirements of the programme before applying.

Final decision on offers of this role will be taken by the Creative Connections Team, NAE. Please direct programme queries to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..