New Creative Youth Nurture Fund projects to receive significant funding
- Minister Catherine Martin announces the nine successful recipients sharing €727,234 under the pilot Creative Youth Nurture Fund
- Seldom-heard children, and young people from a variety of backgrounds, supported to develop and nurture their creativity
The Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, Catherine Martin T.D. has announced the grantees under the pilot Creative Youth Nurture Fund.
The fund is a pilot to support youth-led creative engagement by young people. It will support individuals and organisations to reach specific cohorts of young people that are too often seldom heard, and empower them to develop innovative projects that can nurture their creative passions and ignite their creative potential
This fund focusses on some of our most disadvantaged children and young people. They will have a strong voice in shaping the projects. Nine projects from around the country were selected. They include:
- The Elevate Youth Arts Project - The Irish Refugee Council – Cork/Dublin
- Áit Eile - Creative Spark- Louth/Meath
- Building Bridges - Ballyhoura Development CLG- Limerick
- Journeys - Helium Arts - Dublin
- Glór Dance Project - Traces Dance Ensemble – Wexford/Waterford
- Hear I Am - Oberstown Childrens Detention Campus - Dublin
- City Instincts – Foróige – Dublin
- Creative Aftercare Communities - Limerick Learning Hub - Limerick
- Music in Mind Youth Programme - The National Concert Hall - Dublin
Examples include:
- Journeys by Helium Arts will support the wellbeing and happiness of children aged 8-12 years living with lifelong health conditions from refugee and asylum-seeking communities. This 2-year project will empower children to develop an innovative project, nurturing their creative passion and potential.
- Glór Dance Project by Traces Dance Ensemble will work with young people with disabilities who want to dance. It will put the voice and heart of the young people centre stage with a performance, followed by a post-show talk delivered by participants about the work. Ten pieces of work with be enacted around Waterford City by young dance artists with Down Syndrome.
- Hear I Am by Oberstown Children’s Detention Campus will work with young people, to give them a voice on a variety of relevant topics relevant to their lives, through podcasting.
- Creative Aftercare Communities by Limerick Learning Hub will work with young people transitioning from care, or already in aftercare, supporting them to identify creative interests and offer opportunities to engage in these areas of interest.
Minister Catherine Martin, said:
“I would like to congratulate the recipients of this inaugural Creative Youth Nurture Fund pilot. In our pursuit of progress and equality, how we uplift the most vulnerable around us is paramount to Ireland’s path forward. I believe that through creativity, and investing in young creatives who are often seldom heard, we are further enriching the vibrant Irish culture. I wish also to acknowledge everyone who applied for this pilot – it was overwhelming to see the extent of the work that is taking place with children and young people, and the efforts to break down barriers. It is apparent that there is an abundance of creative potential from across our youth – and diversity is essential to unleashing this.”
ENDS
Press and Information Office
An Roinn Turasóireachta, Cultúir, Ealaíon, Gaeltachta, Spóirt agus Meán
Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media
Tel: 01 6437610 Email: press.office@tcagsm.gov.ie Website: Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media
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Notes to the Editor
- The Creative Youth Plan 2023-2027 is an all-of-government plan. It goal is to enable the creative potential of every child in Ireland. It encourages partnerships between adults that work in education, early years and school-age childcare, youth and community work, artists and creative organisations.
- Under Article 31 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child children have the right “to participate fully in cultural and artistic life and parties shall encourage the provision of appropriate and equal opportunities for cultural, artistic, recreational and leisure activity”. A key focus of the new Creative Youth Plan is on young people that have the least access to creative opportunities.
- Applicants will work with 6-24 year olds, implementing a youth-led approach, for example by applying the National Framework for Children and Young People’s Participation in Decision-making to enable them to identify, develop and engage in a creative project. Young people will as much agency as possible in designing the project.
- The Nurture Fund targets children and young people
- Living with physical or intellectual disabilities and the neurodivergent community
- Refugees and asylum-seekers;
- Living with mental health issues;
- LGBTI+;
- Traveller and Roma;
- Those within, or transitioning from, the care system;
- Engaged with the youth justice system/ incarcerated persons and ex-offenders