Skye is creating the right atmosphere for bright Scots to light up the creative industries, First Minister Alex Salmond said today as he opened a new centre for the creative and cultural industries on the island.

 

The Fàs Centre has been developed on the campus of the Sabhal Mòr Ostaig, the Gaelic-medium college in Sleat. The centre is intended to attract and support cultural enterprises, including media, publishing and Gaelic projects.

 

The First Minister also announced £260,000 of Scottish Government funding to support the work of the centre – with £200,000 to provide digital TV production and post-production equipment, and £60,000 to support the college’s ambitious plans to produce a Gaelic historical dictionary. 

 

First Minister Alex Salmond said:

 

“Today half of Scotland’s sixty thousand Gaelic speakers live in the Highlands and Na h-Eileanan Siar – with 30,000 elsewhere in the country, including almost 6,000 in Glasgow. There can be no doubt that Gaelic truly is a national language.

 

“Scottish language and culture are inherently linked. They are part of unique heritage and of a rich future. As Iain Crichton-Smith said; 'The Highlander who loses his language loses his world.'

 

“What we must do is create the economic and cultural opportunities for Scotland’s Gaelic speakers – and the language itself – to thrive. Sabhal Mòr Ostaig College stands at the forefront of promoting and developing Gaelic in Scotland.

 

“The new Fàs Centre will allow the college’s reputation to grow, and will be a home for artists, musicians, broadcasters, Gaelic adult learners and much more. That’s why I am pleased to announce £260,000 funding to support its valuable work and to help creative talents to flourish.

 

“What better place to set a centre for creativity and culture than amongst some of Scotland’s most stunning scenery? It is a fine example of the magic Scotland has to offer. Skye is the obvious place to develop stars of the future.

 

“Having just returned from the successful Scotland Week celebrations in the US, I know that there is enormous interest in Scotland internationally and that Scotland is capable of global cultural success. By continuing to develop our rich culture, our talent and opportunities to showcase their potential, we can promote Scotland’s creativity across the world.”

 

Bòrd na Gàidhlig Chief Executive, Kenneth Murray said:

 

“Bòrd na Gàidhlig is delighted to see the opening of this new centre that will help to grow the already vibrant Gaelic culture. Culture is key to the development of any language and a strong Gaelic culture will help fuel the spoken word while encouraging those who do not speak the language, but enjoy its music and other arts, to learn it.   We congratulate Sabhal Mòr Ostaig on their great achievement and wish the centre every success for the future.”

 

William Roe, Chairman of Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE), one of the key funders of Fàs said:

 

“At £3.6m overall HIE's support was our largest-ever investment in a single creative industries project anywhere in the Highlands and Islands, and was critical in ensuring that the project would progress. High quality jobs are being supported and a world-class business environment has been created in a rural area.

 

“Developing quality learning infrastructure is fundamental to the long term growth and sustainability of the Highlands and Islands. The mix of cultural and business activity at Fàs will create a vibrant centre for creativity, promoting creative industry as well as creativity and the arts, in the context of Gaelic culture and language.

 

“We look forward to continuing to work with Sabhal Mòr Ostaig and Fàs in the future.”

 

Norman Gillies, Director of Sabhal Mòr Ostaig,

 

"Fàs is an exciting new concept that explores synergies within the creative and cultural industires.  It will stimulate new thinking about language development and create employment.  Researchers will mix with musicians, visual artists, broadcasters, writers and business people. Technology will provide a useful tool for crossing boundaries and the location is absolutely superb.  It will be a pleasure to work in.  We are absolutely delighted that the First Minister is opening Fàs for us and in this concept he will find a delivery mechanism for the development potential he foreshadowed in his Sabhal Mòr Lecture in December last.  A warm welcome awaits him. "

 

The Chief Executive of the Scottish Funding Council, Roger McClure, has welcomed the launch of Fàs:

 

"The Scottish Funding Council welcomes the launch of Fàs as an important contribution to the development of the Gaelic language, Gaelic-related economic activity and Gaelic culture. In our recent report, 'Gaelic education provision in Scotland', we recognised the need for improved general marketing of Gaelic and enhanced community development opportunities. The cultural and economic facilities available from Fàs will provide valuable support towards these objectives".

 

NOTES

 

1.         Sabhal Mòr Ostaig (Literally “the great barn at Ostaig”) is Scotland’s only Gaelic-medium college. It’s based in Sleat on the Isle of Skye, having been founded in 1973 on the site of the disused Ostaig Farm.

 

2.         The college is part of the UHI Millennium Institute and also has a campus on Islay.

 

3.         The Scottish Government is currently supplementing the college’s core grant by £1.25 million for 2008-09.

 

4.         The new Fàs Centre, over four floors, will house 420 square metres of letting accommodation for businesses involved in creative and cultural industries; business start-up offices; new media and digital television training facilities; a learning centre; exhibition space; artists and musician space; Gaelic research offices; meeting space and a crèche for use by staff and the community.

 

5.         The Fàs Centre will help to sustain 70 jobs.

 

6.         Funding support for the new centre has come from Highlands and Islands Enterprise (£3.6 million), Highland Council (£1.2 million), Scottish Government (£750,000), Highlands and Islands Special Transitional Programme (£1.9 million), UHI Millenium Institute (£145,000), Sabhal Mor Ostaig and private sponsors (£190,000), BBC (£400,000).

 

7.         The total cost of the new centre is £7.6 million including specialist equipment purchased.