Creative Schools 

Get Ready to Get Creative! Scoil Naomh Mhuire Joins the Creative Schools Initiative (2025-2027)

We are thrilled to announce that Scoil Naomh Mhuire has been selected to participate in the Creative Schools Initiative from 2025 to 2027! This is an incredible opportunity for our entire school community to put creativity and the arts right at the heart of learning over the next two school years.

Creative Schools is a flagship initiative of the Arts Council of Ireland in partnership with the Department of Education. It aims to put the arts and creativity at the centre of children and young people’s lives.

This initiative provides us with time, resources, and support to understand, develop, and celebrate the arts and creativity in our school. We will be working to:

1. Increase creative learning opportunities for pupils.

2. Strengthen the connections between our school, teachers, pupils, parents, and the wider arts and cultural community.

3. Integrate arts and creativity across the curriculum, not just in dedicated arts subjects.

We have been assigned a Creative Associate, Fiona Linnane—an experienced arts professional—who will work with our school's Creative Schools Team to develop and implement a Creative School Plan.

Over the coming months and years, this plan will involve:

1. Listening to our pupils and staff to find out what creative activities they are most passionate about and how they like to express themselves.

2. Developing new projects and partnerships with local artists and cultural organisations.

3. Investing in resources that support imaginative and artistic expression in and out of the classroom.

For our pupils, this initiative means more opportunities to explore, experiment, and express themselves. Whether it's through drama, music, visual arts, digital media, writing, or even creative problem-solving in subjects like science and maths, pupils will be encouraged to:

1. Develop confidence in their unique ideas.

2. Learn new skills and techniques from professional artists.

3. Work collaboratively on exciting, large-scale projects.

4. Become active creators, not just passive consumers, of culture.

The next two years are going to be a period of inspiring change and artistic growth for Scoil Naomh Mhuire. Let's get creative!

Creative Sparks in the Junior Class! 

We’ve had an incredible week of creativity and collaboration in our Junior Class! We were delighted to welcome our Creative Schools resident artist, Fiona Linnane, back to the classroom.

Fiona worked closely with the children to record a very special podcast, capturing all the amazing work they have been doing through the BLAST program with our BLAST resident artist, Katherine Griffin.

The pupils are so proud of the finished result, and we are too! It’s wonderful to hear them describing their creative journey in their own words.

A huge thank you to Fiona Linnane and Katharine Griffith for providing such an inspiring experience for our pupils. 

From Classroom to Recording Studio: Sound Engineering with Fiona Linnane

We had an incredibly tuneful morning here at [Scoil Naomh Mhuire! As part of our Creative Schools initiative, we were thrilled to welcome our resident artist, the talented Fiona Linnane, back into the classroom for a hands-on deep dive into the world of audio.

Today, our pupils stepped away from their desks and stepped behind the "mixing desk." It wasn’t just about making noise; it was about capturing it.

• Becoming Sound Engineers: The children took full control of the recording process, learning how to handle equipment and understand the physics of sound.

• Documenting the Process: The pupils recorded their own commentary, reflecting on their creative work and articulating their artistic choices in real-time.

• Active Listening: Beyond just playing, they learned to listen critically—analysing levels, clarity, and the "texture" of their recordings.

There is a special kind of magic that happens when a child hears their own voice or creation played back through a professional lens!

"The classroom was buzzing with focus. Seeing the children transition from 'students' to 'producers' shows just how much potential is unlocked when we bring the arts directly into our daily learning."

A massive thank you to Fiona for sharing her expertise and inspiring the next generation of Irish sound designers and composers. We can't wait to hear what they "mix" next!

Visualising the Beat! 

We had a truly "groundbreaking" day with Creative Schools this week! The children didn't just listen to music—they drew it. Inspired by the brilliant Fiona Linnane, the class created seismograph drawings, mapping out the rhythms and frequencies they heard on paper.

It was amazing to see how every beat became a line and every melody a wave. Thank you, Fiona, for such an inspiring and innovative session!

Capturing the Magic: A Creative Visit from Fiona Linnane

We were delighted to welcome our Creative Schools Advisor, Fiona Linnane, back to the school for an inspiring workshop. As part of our ongoing Creative Schools journey, Fiona introduced the classes to a fantastic new medium for storytelling: comic strips!

The pupils were tasked with a unique challenge—to document their recent Christmas performance using the art of the graphic novel. It was a wonderful way to reflect on the excitement of the show, allowing the children to break down the narrative, recall their favourite moments, and translate the action of the stage onto paper.

The classroom was abuzz with creativity as the pupils designed panels, filled speech bubbles, and sketched out scenes. The results were truly amazing, capturing the energy and humor of the performance in a whole new light. A huge thank you to Fiona for guiding the pupils through such a fun and reflective process!

Inspiring Creativity: Mandala Art Session with Fiona Linnane

We were delighted to host our professional artist, Fiona Linnane, for a special workshop with our pupils, focusing on art inspired by the changing seasons!

The session centred around the creation of beautiful, intricate mandala designs drawing inspiration from the rich palette and natural elements of autumn and winter. Fiona expertly guided the children, introducing them to the principles of symmetry and pattern-making while encouraging them to express the colours, textures, and shapes they observe in nature during this time of year.

It was truly wonderful to observe the deep concentration and enjoyment as the children worked on their mandalas. This hands-on experience not only resulted in stunning artwork but also reinforced valuable skills in fine motor control, focused attention, and creative symmetry. The positive atmosphere in the room highlighted just how much the children really enjoyed this session.

We are already eagerly looking forward to Fiona's next visit to continue inspiring creativity throughout the school!

Creativity Comes Home: Our UCC Art Installation!

We are thrilled to announce a fantastic new addition to our school, thanks to a partnership with the Glucksman Gallery at University College Cork (UCC)!

As part of their outreach programme, we have been loaned a beautiful piece of art that will reside in our school until December. We gave the power to our pupils, and after a lively vote, they chose the piece that now hangs proudly on display!

The winning artwork explores the themes of Family and Identity. This inspiring choice shows a wonderful thoughtfulness from our pupils. We are excited for the opportunities this piece will create—sparking discussions, inspiring creativity, and enriching our learning environment across all subjects.

A big thank you to the Glucksman Gallery for bringing a piece of world-class art right into our hallways! 

Unleashing Imagination: Our Creative Schools Journey Begins! 

We're absolutely thrilled to officially kick off our two-year Creative Schools Programme with the incredibly inspiring Fiona Linnane! Fiona, our dedicated Creative Schools Advisor, joined us recently for a fantastic first session, and the energy in the room was electric.

The initial focus was all about pupil voice. Fiona's approach centres on what the children want to explore and achieve, ensuring that creativity in our school is driven by their own passions and ideas.

Fiona spent time gathering invaluable input from the pupils, asking them what sparks their imagination and what creative projects they dream of undertaking over the next two years. From drama and music to visual arts, the pupils offered a wonderful mix of ambitious and insightful suggestions.

This session has set the stage for an exciting journey where every pupil's unique creativity will be celebrated and nurtured. We can't wait to see which brilliant ideas bloom into reality!

Keep an eye out for updates as we start transforming these pupil-led ideas into amazing projects!