Provision of services to evaluate the work of the Creative Ireland Programme's Shared Island initiative

In 2022 the Creative Ireland Programme was allocated €6 million over three years (2023-25) to invest in creative initiatives under the Government’s Shared Island initiative. 2023 marked the first year of Creative Ireland’s participation in the initiative, which aims to harness the full potential of the Good Friday Agreement to enhance cooperation, connection and mutual understanding on the island and engage with all communities and traditions to build consensus around a shared future. The Shared Island dimension to the Creative Ireland Programme seeks to deploy creativity on a shared island basis to: 1. Increase opportunities for cross-community cultural and creative initiatives between children and young people; 2. Support local authorities to enhance networks of creativity in support of vibrant and inclusive people-to-people and community-to-community partnerships; 3. Position Ireland as a global leader in demonstrating the value of creativity and mental health including in post-conflict societies; 4. Deepen collaborations for a more environmentally and socially sustainable island. With the allocated funding of the Creative Ireland / Shared Island initiative due to cease at the end of 2025, it is timely to undertake a strategic evaluation of the approach, outputs, outcomes and impacts, with a view towards recommendations for the future of how the approach may be scaled up in a way that is sustainable for all stakeholders.