The Creative Schools

The 2025/2026 school year marked Athenry Primary School’s first year of the Creative Schools journey. Led by the Arts Council of Ireland, this two year programme affords our school the opportunity to facilitate creative experiences for our pupils. It recognises the importance and value of creativity as an integral part of children’s education and development.

This year focused on empowering our pupils to voice their opinions on existing creative practices in Athenry Primary School. Children were invited to reflect on creativity and share their ideas on how creativity could be enhanced within our school environment. The children’s feedback has informed the direction of our Creative Schools journey. Through working with a Creative Associate assigned to our school, Athenry Primary School’s Creative Schools Team has sought to organise creative experiences for our pupils. A team of pupil representatives, christened The Creative Squad, have supported staff in realising the children’s Creative Schools vision.

The end of year one saw our three 4th class groups participate in an exciting filmmaking project. Graham Cantwell, an Irish film and television director, worked with the 4th classes to bring their vision to life. This opportunity was used to enable children to explore and connect with Athenry’s rich historical roots. The children worked closely with Chris from Athenry Castle to identify historical film locations around the town. Chris worked with the 4th classes and their teachers to create a factually accurate script detailing key historical events associated with Athenry town. This provided children with an opportunity to delve into the world of filmmaking, while also enhancing their knowledge of Athenry’s rich history. Graham worked hard to ensure every child was included in a meaningful way, with opportunities for children to work both on and off screen. The children worked very hard on their documentary film and are very excited for its official premier in Autumn 2026!

Year two is shaping up to be another exciting year in our Creative Schools journey. The Creative Team are working hard to secure a variety of creative experiences for children across the different age groups. Watch this space for all the amazing creative experiences to come…