At St. Vincent’s N.S., Coolarne, we are proud to be part of the Creative Schools Initiative, an Arts Council programme that places creativity and the arts at the heart of school life. Through this exciting initiative, we are creating a school environment where imagination, expression, and student voice are celebrated every day.

Our vision is to offer all children a broad range of creative outlets beyond traditional academics — empowering them to discover their talents, express themselves confidently, and build lifelong skills such as collaboration, curiosity, and resilience.

By participating in Creative Schools, we aim to:

• Increase access to the arts and creative practices for every pupil
• Build staff capacity to incorporate creativity into teaching and learning
• Strengthen student voice and whole-school participation
• Link creativity with wellbeing, inclusion, and school improvement
• Celebrate our students’ talents through performances, workshops, and exhibitions

Creative Partnerships and Collaboration

We are delighted to be working alongside our Creative Associates Ceara Conway and Catherine Simon, whose expertise and support are helping us shape and implement our Creative Schools Plan. Their guidance has empowered our pupils and staff to think bigger, dream bolder, and explore new possibilities in the arts.

We also look forward to working with artist Kathy Ross with BLAST Arts and Creativity in Education Residency Programme (Bringing Live Arts to Students and Teachers) to create a vibrant mural on our outdoor school walls, which will involve participation from the entire school community. This project will brighten our environment and serve as a lasting symbol of creativity, collaboration, and school spirit.

Pupil Voice at the Core

In 2024, we established our Creative Team, giving pupils a leading role in planning and shaping creative projects. All pupils from Junior Infants to 6th class completed questionnaires to share their ideas and feedback. Children were also involved in workshops to reflect on what creativity means to them and how we can make our school even more inspiring. Student input was gathered through Whole-school surveys, class-based circle time, committee meetings, creative workshops, collaborations with visiting artists and our Creative Associates.

Creative Highlights:

• 🎬 Animation Workshops with “Animation Mike”
• 🎭 Theatre Trip to Baboró Festival: When the Moon Spun Round
• 🎵 Peace Proms 2025 with live orchestra performance
• 🛠️ Buddy Benches created in collaboration with Athenry Men’s Shed
• 🎨 Outdoor Mural Project with artist Kathy Ross (BLAST)
• 📖 Author Visit with Katherine Scanlon

These experiences have supported student wellbeing, enhanced learning across the curriculum, and given every child the opportunity to shine creatively.

Our Creative Schools journey is closely linked to our Wellbeing Framework, School Self-Evaluation, and School Improvement Plan. We are committed to continuing this creative momentum well into the future, embedding the arts into our school culture in a meaningful and lasting way.

At St. Vincent’s, we believe that every child is creative, and through the Creative Schools programme, we’re giving them the space, voice, and support to let that creativity flourish.