Early Years Programme

Projects should develop coherent and progressive experiences, rich in creativity, between partners which extend the skills of problem solving, language and creative abilities of young children through interaction with creative practitioners.

The outworkings of projects supported through this scheme should be evidenced through:

• The development and application of strategies in Early Years settings by teachers, classroom assistants, play workers and artists for the development of creativity through the arts.
• Professional dialogue and partnerships established between the voluntary and statutory sectors and between teachers, classroom assistants, play workers and artists with a view to enriching the learning environment for children aged 3 – 7 years.
• The identification of a group of arts practitioners with Early Years training who can develop creative work with children aged 3 – 7 years.
• Providing information and support for parents with a view to their encouragement of children’s creativity.
• Models of good practice in Early Years settings supported with documentation of outcomes to be available to others.

In line with its Strategic Plan the Arts Council will prioritise its support for projects which include the following:

• Projects which can demonstrate the support of the sectoral body, e.g. Schools which can show the support of the Education & Library Board, or pre-schools groups which can demonstrate the support of NIPPA.
• Cross-sectoral partnership projects between:
• voluntary and statutory sectors
• pre-school groups and primary school(s) within the same educational catchment area;
• Projects which involve teachers, classroom assistants, play workers and artists with training/experience in Early Years Arts;
• Projects involving children from areas of urban and rural disadvantage/social exclusion;
• Projects involving children with disabilities.

Applications should be returned to the Arts Council, 77 Malone Road, Belfast, BT9 6AQ, no later than 4.00pm on Thursday 2 February 2006.

Applications received after this deadline cannot be accepted.

http://www.artscouncil-ni.org/departs/lottery/early_years.htm