Cruinniú na nÓg 2025 is open for project applications!
The National Day of Creativity for children and young people, Cruinniú na nÓg will take place on Saturday 7th June 2025.
Cruinniú na nÓg empowers children and young people to develop their creative expression by providing opportunities for them to participate in free creative activities in their local area. It’s Ireland’s national day for children to do, make and create.
We invite individuals and organisations to submit proposals for Cruinniú na nÓg 2025 as part of the Creative Ireland South Dublin Programme.
We are looking for all types of creatives to engage with children and young people in the form of activities, performances, developmental workshops, or projects. These activities will take place within and across the community of South Dublin County. This year we are looking for innovative activities that foster creativity and engage a diverse audience. We are prioritising activities that introduce children and young people to a new creative form that they may not typically experience or engage with in a formal way – design, construction, woodworking, gaming, sewing, knitting, cooking, baking, coding, gardening, filmmaking, app creation, etc. Please visit the Cruinniú South Dublin Facebook page to see our past event activities.
Cruinniú South Dublin 2025 will be a live event day and priority will be given towards proposals that are participative experiences for children and young people.
There are 3 award strands, please read through the conditions carefully.
Strand 1: Cruinniú day funding up to €1500
This strand is for once-off workshops taking place on Cruinniú day, with a focus on high quality, accessible, and hands-on activities.
Strand 2: Extended funding up to €4000
This strand is for a series of workshops and with a longer-term development which allows for a level of immersion in the creative activity.
Strand 3: Neighbourhood funding up to €10000
Proposals in this category could include mini festivals, showcases or readings in specific neighbourhoods with a community of interested children or young people. Proposals should have longer term developmental elements leading toward a public event on 7th June. Proposals should include how local partnerships bring their own resources to enhance and deliver the proposal. Proposals should describe how children and young people will be supported to collaborate and lead ideas and delivery of projects.
Who can apply?
- Individual Artist and Creatives
- Organisations who engage with children and young people (Community Youth Groups, Youth Work Groups, Sports Groups, Neighbourhood Groups, Creative, Cultural, etc.)
- Youth Collectives
- Creative Enterprises who engage with children and young people
Please note: If you are an organisation that engages with children and young people (i.e. youth work programme, community centre programme, sports club, etc.) but not an arts organisation, you can propose to bring in an individual artist/creative/collective to engage with your group. All artists involved with the project must be listed in your application.
How do I apply?
The application form and all required supporting materials are to be submitted via this link on Submit.com
What documents are required?
- Completed Application Form submitted via Submit.com
- Relevant facilitator(s)/organisation Biography (max 500 words) OR CVs
- Letter(s) of support/collaboration/partnership/agreements
- An example of previous work that will best support your proposal
- If you are applying to Strand 3, you are required to contribute 20% of the total budget. This amount can be from other funding sources and must be identified in your budget.
It is anticipated this award will be highly competitive. Proposals not containing all the above required documentation will not be considered for shortlisting.
What is the proposal timeline?
Applications open Monday 6th January 2025
Deadline for Submission Monday 17th February 2025 at 6pm
Notification of award March 2025
How is my proposal assessed?
Your proposal will be assessed by a selection panel made up of a member of the South Dublin County Council, young people from the South Dublin community and a creative practitioner.
What are the assessment criteria?
Your proposal must:
- Clearly define how children, youth and community are being creatively engaged in relation to Cruinniú na nÓg.
- Include a budget that is clear and straightforward. Identify other funding sources where applicable.
- Demonstrate how and why the proposal is a good match for Cruinniú na nÓg South Dublin.
Our specific priorities
Proposals that contain the following will be prioritised:
- Engaging children and young people in a creative form not typically experienced by this age cohort
- Cruinniú day engagement
Our special considerations
Special consideration will be given to proposals that directly meet one or more of the following:
- Engagement with harder to reach children or marginalised group(s) or within a marginalised community.
More questions?
Please do not hesitate to contact Creative Ireland South Dublin Creative Communities Engagement Officer, Eithne Swaine eswaine@sdublincoco.ie
Award Conditions (Requirements if your proposal is successful):
All projects must be competed 7th June 2025, with a public event/celebration that takes place on 7th June. All project reports must be completed by Wednesday 11th June 2025.
- The project must take place within South Dublin County.
- All individuals working with children and young people must be appropriately Garda Vetted. Individual artists/organisations are responsible for Garda Vetting. Child Protection and Safeguarding Policy must be in place and available upon request. You are responsible for this.
- Funding can be used to for creatives’ fees / purchase materials / to engage an artist in creating new work / to fund an exhibition / or performance of new work / video editing. Funding may not be used for competitions (entry or travel to)
- You as the awarded Individuals/Organisations are responsible for your own project management, insurance, risk assessment and any other administration and paperwork related to the funded project.
- The project timeline is not flexible, you as the awarded Individuals/Organisations must adhere to the overall project timeline and Cruinniú day events cannot be brought forward/delayed.
- All publicity material must include the following logos for acknowledgement: Cruinniú na nÓg 2025, Creative Ireland, South Dublin County Council, among others TBD. All appropriate logos will be provided to you by the Creative Ireland South Dublin Creative Communities Engagement Officer.
- South Dublin County Council reserves the right to publicise the awarding of the fund. You may be asked to be available for promotional material.
- The selection panel reserves the right not to grant an award if the standard of applications does not satisfy the criteria of the award in full.
- Only proposals with completed and signed applications and the required documents will be considered. Proposals and applications will be held onto for a year.
- Any creative facilitator who has been named/intends to participate in more than one Cruinniú day project must state this on application.
- Original receipts for all expenditure for the project will be requested by South Dublin County Council.
Apply here: https://submit.link/3fc
Follow our social media pages for updates:
South Dublin Creative Ireland programme (@southdublin_creativeireland)