Announcing a wonderful opportunity for creative practitioners of all disciplines to broaden their practice through Teacher Artist Partnership+ (TAP+) professional development and in-school residency programme

Call Out for Creative Practitioners

Teacher Artist Partnership+ Applications Now Open

Announcing a wonderful opportunity for creative practitioners of all disciplines to broaden their practice through the Teacher Artist Partnership+ (TAP+) professional development and in-school residency initiative. TAP+ is a creativity rich national initiative where creative practitioners train and collaborate alongside primary and special school teachers, developing shared approaches to creativity, wellbeing, and partnership in schools.

TAP+ supports creative practitioners to work collaboratively with teachers and students, developing creative partnerships that enhance the creative potential of every student. Each course is delivered by trained Teacher–Artist tutor pairs and includes both professional development and practical experience.

Develop creative partnerships with teachers and students. Receive funded training and residencies that bring creativity and the arts into schools across Ireland through TAP+, an initiative of Creative Youth 2023–27 under Creative Ireland and led by the Department of Education and Youth and Education Support Centres Ireland (ESCI).

Closing date for applications: Friday, 5th June 2026 at 5pm. 

 Creative Practitioner Application Form

Closing date for expression of interest Friday 6th June 2025. Develop creative partnerships with teachers and children. Receive funded training and residencies that bring the arts and creativity to children all over Ireland through TAP+, an initiative of Creative Youth 2023-27 under Creative Ireland and led by the Department of Education. TAP+ Overview

● TAP+ Summer Course running 1st to 5th July 2025 in your local Education Support Centre

○ Fully paid training to support creative practitioners to work in primary and special schools

● TAP+ In-school Residencies

○ Bringing learning into practice through creative partnership with teachers and children

○ Funded 20-hour residencies in the school year 2025/26

○ Access to the BLAST register of creative practitioners to deliver in-school residencies TAP+ Details

● Open to creative practitioners, working in any art form, discipline or creative practice (examples: boat maker, jeweller, computer programmer, horticulturist, engineer, drama, musician, etc), who are committed to sharing their practice with children and teachers in primary and special schools

● Training 1st - 5th July 2025 through your local nearest full-time Education Support Centre (www.esci.ie) to facilitate creative practitioners and collaborating teachers to work in creative partnerships with children.

● Training allowance of €150 per day over the 5-day summer course training (€750 in total), plus travel and lunch provided.

● Professional development through partnerships and creative, collaborative relationships with teachers, in schools committed to the arts and creativity in learning, practice and community.

● Guarantee of paid, follow up in-school residency within a local primary or special school (€1,100 Fee total inclusive of €200 Travel) to carry out a 20-hour residency (14 contact hours plus 6 hours planning, preparation and evaluation) in partnership with your teacher partner in the school year 2025/2026.

● Creative Practitioners must complete TAP+ in-school residencies following participation on the TAP+ Summer Course.

● TAP+ trained creative practitioners are also eligible to participate in BLAST in-school residencies. We invite successful TAP+ creative practitioners to join the BLAST register and where possible to deliver BLAST residencies. See here for further details: BLAST information

● Information, learning and networking opportunities for further freelance work within the education system. TAP+ Expression of Interest Letter In your letter of application Creative Practitioners must:

1. Outline willingness to undertake child protection training as part of the induction week and undergo standard Garda vetting before taking up project placements.

2. Demonstrate a track record of minimum of three years’ professional practice in any creative practice

3. Demonstrate an interest in / commitment to the principles of Creativity and Arts in Education and to enhancing the lives of children through arts/creative practice

4. Be willing to learn about classroom culture and to work in partnership with teachers and children

5. Combine a sense of fun, joy and collaboration with professional dedication and high artistic/creative vision Creative Practitioners apply for TAP+ via an Expressions of Interest Letter sent to the Director of your local Education Support Centre no later than 5pm on Friday 6th June 2025.

Expressions of interest should be in the form of a letter of max 600 words, accompanied by a CV or short bio with links to images or samples of relevant work.

The letter should outline:

1. Training institute/ organisation

2. Brief description of practice

3. Why you aim to work in education and in partnership teachers and children

4. What qualifies you to undertake the TAP+ summer course training and residency programme. Places on this Creative Youth initiative are limited to four creative practitioners per full-time Education Support Centre area. Please ensure that it will be possible for you to meet all requirements of the programme before applying.

Final decision on offers of places will be taken by the Director of the local Education Support Centre. Any queries in relation to TAP+ should be directed to your local full-time Education Support Centre.