The Creative Ireland South Dublin, Schools Culture Award 2025 seeks applications from interested schools located in South Dublin County. This initiative seeks to support primary schools, second level schools and programmes that support early school leavers, to develop programmes and projects that will enrich arts practice in schools in the county, in the disciplines of Drama, Dance and Visual Arts. Awards will be granted in the region of €500 - €2000. The maximum amount of any award is €2000
While it is not possible to offer this scheme to every school that applies, the programme seeks to encourage, in so far as possible, an art form and geographic spread and also to award the scheme to previously unsuccessful applicants. If you are a first time applicant and would like to discuss the process, please contact Eithne Swaine: Creative Communities Engagement Officer, eswaine@sdublincoco.ie
Applications are open only to those schools within the South Dublin County Administrative Area.
If you require the application by hardcopy or in large print, please contact: eswaine@sdublincoco.ie
Queries to: Eithne Swaine eswaine@sdublincoco.ie
Deadline for queries: Thursday 18th September 2025.
Assessment Criteria and Conditions
Selection Criteria
a. The extent to which the proposed event/ project is ambitious, innovative and fosters creativity (25 points);
b. The potential impact of the event/project on the school and the children (25 points);
c. The cost of the proposed event/project (25 points);
d. The feasibility of completing the project by May 2026 (25 points).
Conditions
- Payment of the award will be made by December 2025.
- All projects to be completed by May 2026.
- The project must have a public event or showing in South Dublin County.
- Applicants are asked to highlight to the Creative Communities Engagement office all dates for events associated with the Award
- Funding may be used to purchase materials / to engage an artist in the disciplines of Drama, Dance or Visual Arts to create new work / to fund an exhibition / or performance of new work.
- Funding may not be used for competitions (entry or travel to).
- Funding provided by Creative Ireland South Dublin must be acknowledged in all publicity material associated with the work. Logos are available from the South Dublin County Council Arts Office.
- Successful applicants will be asked to provide a written report describing how the award impacted the development of the programme and what the outcomes of the programme were along with photographs of the process.
- South Dublin County Council reserves the right to publicise the awarding of the fund. Successful applicants may be asked to be available for promotional material.
- The selection panel reserves the right not to grant an award if the standard of applications does not satisfy the criteria of the award in full.