Gaelic in the limelight for event series
A week-long programme to celebrate Gaelic culture is taking place in Edinburgh.
Between Monday 20 and Sunday 26 February, 26 events will be held for Edinburgh’s Gaelic Week.
Programme highlights include traditional performances of poetry and music, a walking tour, Gaelic taster sessions and an evening of storytelling.
‘Seachdain na Gàidhlig Dùn Èideann’ – a collaboration between the University and City of Edinburgh Council – will showcase Gaelic language from Scotland’s capital and beyond.
The annual events series will be held in conjunction with the second ever World Gaelic Week, an international festival to connect people across the globe and promote Scottish culture.
We’re delighted to be supporting Edinburgh’s Gaelic Week as it reinforces our commitment to growing Gaelic in Scotland’s capital city. These are exciting times for Gaelic in Edinburgh; we are working collaboratively with the Gaelic community to produce our third Gaelic Language Plan this year, alongside a long-term strategy for the development of Gaelic medium education in the city.
University events
Those new to Gaelic are invited to take part in a Gaelic language and culture taster session on Thursday 23 February.
Later in the day, writers Robbie MacLeòid and Rona Dhòmhnallach will join the University’s Gaelic Writer in Residence, Martin Macintyre, to perform poetry and take part in a discussion about their own creative journeys with Gaelic prose.
On Friday 24 February, Martin Macintyre will host an evening of bilingual stories as part of Edinburgh’s monthly storytelling club night.
Audience members will also have the opportunity to share their own poetry, stories or songs.
I’m delighted to be able to support the festival and help bring people together to celebrate Gaelic language, arts and culture. It is such an important element of Scotland’s culture and I’m pleased to be able to play a part in something that enables us to showcase all of the amazing work happening in the Gaelic community.
Supporting Gaelic culture
The University has a long history of supporting the Gaelic language and culture and established the first Chair of Celtic in Scotland in 1882.
The University launched Edinburgh’s first Gaelic Week in 2014. It is run by a committee of volunteers chaired by the University’s Gaelic Officer, with events run by organisations and individuals from across the city.
Related links
Gaelic Week Edinburgh - Seachdain na Gàidhlig Dùn Èideann
Gaelic at the University of Edinburgh
[Image credit: Stewart Attwood]