The SPARK Mini-Grant Scheme supports youth arts taster workshops for young people aged 10 to 25 in youth work and non-formal education settings – sparking young people’s interest in youth arts practice, new ways to express themselves and collaborative relationships with local artists!

This year, the SPARK Mini-Grant Scheme will focus on creativity and wellbeing!

• Grants of €300 are available
• Eligible expenditure includes artist facilitation fees, materials, venue rental, travel costs etc

The SPARK Mini-Grant Scheme is part of the SPARK Youth Arts Festival 2026!

Find out more and apply >>

Key Dates – 2026

Application Deadline: Wednesday, Jan 21st 2026 @ 5pm

Applicants informed of grant allocations: Monday, Jan 26th 2026

Funded youth arts workshops must take place by: Thursday, February 26th 2026

Funded groups must submit a short report on their youth arts workshop by: Monday, March 2nd 2026

Grant Criteria 

SPARK Mini-Grant Scheme applications must:

• Be submitted by youth work organisations or organisations working with young people in non-formal education settings with a compliant Child Safeguarding Statement.
• Support a youth arts workshop for young people aged 10 to 25
• Include eligible expenditure such as artist facilitations fees and workshop materials (or venue rental, transport costs etc. where relevant)

In selecting successful grant applicants, NYCI Youth Arts Programme will prioritise applications which:

• support youth arts practice that is youth-centred (young people are central to decision-making and the workshop responds to the needs and interests of the young people ) and nurtures a collaborative relationship with an artist
• explore the 2026 theme of ‘creativity and wellbeing’
• widen access to youth arts by supporting the participation of young people and artists from minority and marginalised backgrounds
• engage with a diverse range of arts practice and achieve a geographical spread across the country.

For more information, contact rhona@nyci.ie

Source: SPARK €300 Mini-Grant Scheme – National Youth Council of Ireland