In 2025, more than 3,000 children and young people across Galway and Roscommon took part in creative projects supported by the Creative Youth Partnership. Working with over 70 organisations, the programme creates opportunities for young people, particularly those who face barriers to participation, to explore creativity, develop new skills and have their voices heard in their communities.

The partnership is part of Creative Ireland’s network of Local Creative Youth Partnerships (LCYPs), which bring together artists, youth services, local authorities and community organisations to expand access to creative and cultural experiences for children and young people. In partnership with DCDE and DEY, in 2025 Creative Youth expanded its reach to eight Local Creative Youth Partnerships delivering transformative impact all across the country.

Across Galway and Roscommon, projects are reaching young people from a wide range of backgrounds and communities.

In Tuam, young Travellers took part in drama and filmmaking workshops, developing acting, scriptwriting and camera skills while creating stories based on their own experiences. One of the largest initiatives in 2025 was the Misleór Festival of Nomadic Cultures which engaged more than 350 Traveller and Roma young people. Led by nomadic professional artists, workshops provided opportunities for young people to explore identity, culture and self-expression through the arts. The programme culminated in a public exhibition of participants’ work at the University of Galway.

For young people living with disabilities or long-term illness, creativity has provided new ways to communicate and connect. Through a podcasting project with Youth Work Ireland, participants learned every stage of podcast production, from developing ideas and writing scripts to recording, editing and promotion. The group also created and published a podcast trailer, building digital skills while creating content that reflected their own stories and perspectives.

Storytelling has taken different forms across the region. Atlantic Technological University has been supporting Ukrainian children to tell their stories through animation workshops and Vibes Dance Crew, a series of youth-led dance groups operating across Galway and Roscommon, provides an outlet for teenage self-expression through regular workshops that celebrate cultural dance practices while encouraging connection and confidence.

As one instructor explained:

""We want to create a space for younger people to be able to express themselves, especially in a world where sometimes it feels like people don't have a voice." "

Many projects have used creativity to explore themes of identity, belonging and inclusion.

In Roscommon, LGBTQI+ young people and their allies collaborated on digital art campaigns promoting respect, diversity and allyship. Their work was shared online and during Pride celebrations, contributing to wider conversations about inclusion within their communities.

Creativity is also helping young people connect with the places and traditions that shape their communities. In rural areas, projects such as Sparkcatchers! have created opportunities for young people who may face barriers to creative participation due to rural isolation. In 2025, participants created willow lanterns, designed a town-centre window installation in Glenamaddy and continued developing their work beyond the programme, leaving a visible mark on their community.

Similar work has taken place in the Gaeltacht and on the Aran Islands. Working with partners like Muintearas, the Creative Youth Partnership supported almost 300 young people in Irish speaking communities to develop and lead creative projects in 2025.

Galway Tradfest held events in Clifden and Loughrea, which introduced almost 500 people to live traditional music, song and dance. By bringing performances into local communities and offering free access, the programme enabled communities from marginalised backgrounds to experience and participate in an important part of Ireland’s living cultural tradition.

A defining feature of the Creative Youth Partnership is that young people are not simply taking part in these experiences but are helping to shape them. From youth-led initiatives in Irish-speaking communities to youth-curated showcases, participants are helping to decide what creativity looks like in the communities across Galway and Roscommon. As one participant reflected:

“I have a voice now for my interests… I am a creative person.”

The stories and experiences emerging from these projects are also being captured through the GRETB Creative Youth Stories documentary series, which documents the creativity and lived experiences of children and young people across community, youth work and early years settings. The videos are to be uploaded across their social channels throughout 2026.