Roscommon County Arts Office is now inviting applications from primary schools wishing to participate in the Artists in Schools scheme 2009. Application is open to all schools in County Roscommon who did not have a residency in 2006, 2007 or 2008.

Last year we decided to alter the way in which schools apply for the scheme in an effort to reduce the initial amount of time involved. In order to apply for the scheme, schools must register their interest in the scheme with us by filling in the simple form below and returning it to the Arts Office.

Artists will be selected through interview on the basis of their experience, expertise and suitability to working in a school environment.

Five interested schools will be picked on a lottery basis and matched to an artist. All planning between the school and the artist will only commence once you know that you have been selected for the scheme.

The Artist in Schools scheme is built on the idea of partnership. The artist and teacher work together to make a lasting, memorable and enriching project for the children involved and for the school as a whole. This is a unique opportunity for your school to actively engage in an innovative project. Both the teacher’s and the artist’s expertise are essential in order for the children to get the maximum benefit from the programme.

Once selected, the schools and artists involved will be asked to attend a special facilitated planning session to ensure that your school gets the best possible experience out of the scheme. This session will give teachers and artists an opportunity to get their planning off to a good start and to establish what they hope to get out of the scheme.

For further information about the 2009 scheme, please contact acarr@roscommoncoco.ie