Funding will allow artists to work alongside pupils in creative learning projects
The funding of £15,000 will enable the 11 schools to work with professional artists to teach students new skills and to build their self-esteem.
The funding, which has been welcomed by First Minister Paul Givan and deputy First Minister Michelle O’Neill, has been awarded by the Creative Schools Partnership, a cross-departmental fund backed by the Arts Council of Northern Ireland’s National Lottery funds, the Executive’s Urban Villages Initiative and the Education Authority.
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Hide AdThe schools have each developed their own project proposals and will take part in a range of activities including screenwriting, dance, journalism, photography, film-making, music composition and visual arts.
The funding will enable St Joseph’s Boys School in Derry to have four artists working alongside 30 students on a new music project.
Working in partnership with St Columb’s School of Music, the project entitled Joe’s Musical Maestros will offer students extensive tuition across a range of instruments to create a collective ensemble.
Malone College in Belfast will see art, drama and English departments collaborate with artists to work with a group of pupils from a range of backgrounds and abilities to produce a visual and performance-based art project.
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Hide AdSt Colm’s High School in Belfast will have 28 pupils working on the development of their musical and literacy skills by experimenting with African drumming and the bodhran, and hope to have an intergenerational element to the programme, involving parents and grandparents.
All of the projects will have community focus, building connections with local community groups, care homes and families, and many will focus on mental health themes, building self-confidence, motivation and resilience.
First Minster Paul Givan said: “This successful partnership has already seen hundreds of children engage with the programme within post-primary schools in Urban Villages areas.
“The young people have benefited from this innovative arts-based approach, which has supported curriculum learning and improved their educational outcomes.”
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Hide AdDeputy First Minister Michelle O’Neill said: “It has been really heartening to see how the Creative Schools Partnership programme has benefited so many young people across Urban Villages areas.
“Their involvement in the creative arts has had a positive impact on their self-esteem and self-confidence, helping to improve their mental health and wellbeing.”
Roisin McDonough, chief executive of the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, said: “Working in partnership with the Education Authority and Urban Villages Initiative, this announcement sees grants awarded to 11 schools, providing teachers with the support they need to explore new creative ways to engage classes and help pupils achieve their potential.”
The schools awarded funding in Belfast are Ashfield Girls High School, Belfast Boys Model, Belfast Model School for Girls, Blessed Trinity College, Malone College, Mercy College, St Colm’s High School and St Vincent’s Centre.
The remaining schools – Lisneal College, St Cecilia College and St Joseph’s Boys’ School – are in Derry.