Creative Schools Partnership Evaluation Report July 2023
October, 2023
The Arts Council of Northern Ireland commissioned Annabel Jackson Associates Ltd to conduct an evaluation of the Creative Schools Partnership.
The Creative Schools Partnership (CSP) Programme has been running since 2017/2018, funded by the Arts Council of Northern Ireland (ACNI), Education Authority (EA) and the Urban Villages Initiative (UV). This tripartite relationship combines sector expertise and relationships with an area-based approach.
Eleven post-primary schools took part in the 2022/23 programme school year, engaging a total of 227 students.
Bringing young people together and engaging their parents, around shared creative activities, the programme has provided a unique and positive forum to discuss and resolve serious issues around community identity and cohesion.
Arts activities naturally support emotional maturity, empathy, understanding of difference, and acceptance of nuance, which are valuable protections against hardened attitudes or positions. The joy and personal expression fostered by taking part in arts projects means that change is easier, and less likely to meet resistance, than other forms of public programmes.
View the Evaluation Report below: