Bòrd na Gàidhlig Chief Executive Kenneth Murray will visit the Ceòlas project on South Uist (Thursday 10 July 2008) to discover first-hand how the Bòrd’s funding is helping to keep Gaelic alive on the island.

The week long music and dance summer school which runs from 6th - 11th July is receiving £10,000 of funding from Bòrd na Gàidhlig, the Government’s Gaelic language agency, which aims to promote and develop the use and understanding of Gaelic throughout Scotland.

Ceòlas features expert tuition in a range of traditional Gaelic arts such as piping, fiddling, singing, Scotch reels and Quadrilles, step dancing as well as the Gaelic language itself. Based in South Uist, the ‘school’ explores the important connections between Scottish traditional music, Gaelic song and dance with the help of skilled teachers. Many of the lecturers are guests from Cape Breton in Nova Scotia, Canada, where Gaelic culture was taken by emigrants from the Highlands and Islands nearly 200 years ago.

Bòrd na Gàidhlig Chief Executive Kenneth Murray said:

“The Bòrd supports a wide variety of Gaelic organisations and activities across Scotland and I am delighted to be able to visit Ceòlas, which each year continues to build on its previous successes. I look forward to meeting those who work tirelessly to help keep our language and its traditions alive and up to date.”

He went on:

“It is projects such as Ceòlas which exemplify all that is great about the Gaelic culture and why we must work together to keep it alive. Gaelic is a precious inheritance which the people of Scotland should be proud of. It is a modern, vibrant, living language which is relevant in every way in today’s world, and this can be clearly seen at Ceòlas as it attracts students from around the world.”

Minister for Culture Linda Fabiani, who recently met Cèolas organisers and attended the opening Ceilidh as part of her summer tour in the Western Isles, said:

“Cèolas is a celebration of our wonderfully rich and vibrant Gaelic culture and I was delighted to experience the music, song and dance for myself at the weekend. The Scottish Government is committed to building a successful and sustainable future for Gaelic and I commend Cèolas as they nurture an appreciation of our celebrated heritage in Scotland and beyond.” 

During the visit Mr Murray will visit a variety of projects, before spending the afternoon at the Crossover Workshops, in which students learn about another part of the Gaelic arts, secondary to their own specialism. Ceòlas believes that this holistic approach generates a greater understanding of the links between the various aspects of the Gaelic culture.

In the evening Kenneth will join the students and lecturers for a cèilidh in Eriskay hosted by Angela MacKinnon, Gaelic radio and television presenter, with special guest Gaelic singer Kathleen MacInnes.

Ceòlas Chairperson Mary MacInnes said:

“We will be delighted to welcome Kenneth for the first time at Ceòlas. It’s exciting that Bòrd na Gàidhlig acknowledges the place of the Ceòlas Community Summer School in the future growth of the Gaelic language. Ceòlas is an excellent example of partnership working and can demonstrate the importance of Scotland’s culture and the Gaelic language in a global environment.”