Following one of the most successful Blas Festivals yet, Fèisean nan Gàidheal will this weekhold its Annual Conference which will be addressed by the Minister for Gaelic, Dr Alasdair Allan MSP.

Dr Allan will launch Fèisean nan Gàidheal’s new Gaelic promotional campaign with leaflets being made available containing general information about Gaelic including the benefits of bilingualism, the opportunities speaking Gaelic can bring and ways in which adults can learn the language.

People will also be able to log onto www.feisean.org to hear the words and phrases in a newly produced phrase card being spoken and the bank of phrases and words will be augmented regularly.  Materials will be made available to other Gaelic organisations for distribution at their events.

Dr Allan said: “Recent research showed that there is a real appetite in Scotland to find out more about Gaelic and where to learn it.  It also demonstrated how much the public at large value its place in Scottish culture.  The campaign by Fèisean nan Gàidheal will raise awareness of the opportunities available around the country and help ensure that those who want to learn the language get the chance to do so.”

Fèisean nan Gàidheal’s Chair, Catriona MacIntyre, commented: “Gaelic is at the heart of all that Fèisean nan Gàidheal does and since we reach around 30,000 people annually between local Fèisean, summer Cèilidh Trails, the Blas Festival, regular traditional music tuition in schools and Gaelic drama work, we can get information on Gaelic to a large number of individuals.  The new promotional materials were available at the recent Blas Festival and were very well received.”

In her foreword to the organisation’s Annual Report, to be published at the conference, Catriona MacIntyre said: “Despite difficult times with public spending cuts beginning to be felt, Fèisean nan Gàidheal has held its own and there have again been many highlights, not least the resilience of the Fèisean themselves.”

She highlighted a report published last year by Highlands & Islands Enterprise on the Economic and Social Impacts of the Fèisean that confirmed the Fèis movement is worth more than £2m to the economy.  This report says that the organisation’s work supports the equivalent of at least 60 FTE posts.

Catriona MacIntyre said: “While we expect the next few years to be challenging, Fèisean nan Gàidheal’s reputation has been built on ensuring delivery of a wide range of projects.  Our annual programme of work is comprehensive and delivered to a high standard.  It is worth several million to the Scottish economy and underpins a relatively large number of jobs in the Gaelic and Creative Industries sectors.  It is important culturally and linguisticallyand we will continue to ensure the fullest support for, and growth in, the work of the Fèisean.”

Fèisean nan Gàidheal has also been successful in retaining investment for the next few years from the newly formed cultural body, Creative Scotland.

Arthur Cormack, Fèisean nan Gàidheal’s Chief Executive said: “During the year we began the process of negotiating for continuation of investment from Creative Scotland.  We have since been informed that Creative Scotland will continue to invest in our work for the years 2012-15 and willconsolidate, into our foundation settlement, the money that was previously granted on a year-to-year basis for our Grants Scheme for Fèisean.  In tough times, this is extremely welcome and our uplift is the largest awarded to any of Creative Scotland’s foundation bodies.”

Delegates at the conference will also hear about a major archiving project, Tobar an Dualchais, which has made available to the public several thousand hours of archive recordings from the School of Scottish Studies, the BBC and the John Lorne Campbell archives.

Plans to expand the use of Gaelic at local Fèisean will also be outlined as Catriona MacIntyre explained: “Our strengthened Gaelic Policy will require that, from 2012, tutors working at Fèisean will require to be engaged in Gaelic learning unless they are already Gaelic speakers.  This will be challenging but grants will be conditional on implementing this policy and Fèisean will need to ensure that tutors are aware of this and comply.  Fèisean nan Gàidheal will assist Fèis tutors who wish to learn Gaelic and will also be running bespoke courses geared towards the specific needs of the Fèisean in a bid to significantly increase the exposure to Gaelic that Fèis participants experience, at the same time as helping to increase numbers of Gaelic speakers.”

Fèisean nan Gàidheal’s Annual Conference takes place at the Dunblane Hydro Hotel on Friday 23 and Saturday 24 September.  It is expected that around 60 Fèis organisers from across Scotland will be present along with representatives of other traditional cultural organisations.

A’ leantainn air fèis shoirbheachail Blas, bidh Fèisean nan Gàidheal a’ cumail Co-labhairt Bhliadhnail na buidhne far am bi Ministear na Gàidhlig, An t-Oll Alasdair Allan BPA, a’ toirt seachad òraid.

Bidh An t-Oll Allan a’ cur air bhog iomairt ùr shanasachd airson daoine a bhrosnachadh a thaobh na Gàidhlig, a’ cleachdadh stuthan ùr air an deasachadh le Fèisean nan Gàidheal.  Bidh bileagan fiosrachaidh air an sgaoileadh a’ mìneachadh nam buannachdan an cois dà-chànanas, cothroman a tha a’ Ghàidhlig ag adhbharachadh agus dòighean inbhich a tharraing gu ionnsachadh na Gàidhlig.

Bidh cothrom aig daoine a dhol gu www.feisean.org far an cluinnear faclan agus abairtean air-loidhne a tha cuideachd rim faighinn ann an cairt ùr abairtean.  Bithear a’ leudachadh nam faclan agus nan abairtean san àm ri teachd.  Bidh na stuthan foillseachaidh ri fhaotainn le buidhnean Gàidhlig eile a bhios airson an sgaoileadh aig na tachartasan aca fhèin.

Thuirt An t-Oll Allan: “Sheall rannsachadh bho chionn greis gu bheil miann mòr aig daoine barrachd fhaighinn a-mach mun Ghàidhlig agus ciamar a dh’ionnsaicheadh iad i.  Dhaingnich an rannsachadh cuideachd beachd a’ phobaill agus an luach a thathar a’ cur air a’ chànan agus a h-àite ann an cultar na h-Alba.  Bidh an iomairt ùr seo, air a cur air dòigh le Fèisean nan Gàidheal, a’ tarraing aire dhaoine do na cothroman a th’ ann air feadh na dùthcha dhaibhsan a tha ag iarraidh Gàidhlig ionnsachadh.”

Thuirt Cathraiche Fèisean nan Gàidheal, Catrìona Nic an t-Saoir: “Tha a’ Ghàidhlig aig cridhe gach rud anns a bheil Fèisean nan Gàidheal an-sàs agus leis gu bheilsinn a’ ruighinn timcheall air 30,000 neach gach bliadhna eadar Fèisean, Cèilidhean air Chuairt, Blas, a’ teagasg ceòl traidiseanta anns na sgoiltean gu cunbhalach agus tachartasan dràma, tha seo a’ toirt dhuinn cothrom fiosrachadh mun Ghàidhlig a thoirt gu àireamh mhòr de dhaoine.  Bha na stuthan aig an fhèis Bhlais air an t-seachdain sa chaidh agus bha daoine a’ gabhail riutha gu math.”

Anns an ro-ràdh aice dhan Aithisg Bhliadhnail a thèid fhoillseachadh aig a’ Cho-labhairt, thuirt Catriona Nic an t-Saoir: “A dh’aindeoin ’s gur e àm duilich a bh’ ann agus gearraidhean san sporran phoblach a’ tòiseachadh air buaidh a thoirt, bha Fèisean nan Gàidheal fhathast a’ soirbheachadh le iomadh adhbhar moit dhuinn, gu sònraichte mar a chuir na Fèisean fhèin aghaidh ris gach dùbhlan.”

Thug i iomradh air aithisg a dh’fhoillsich Iomairt na Gàidhealtachd agus nan Eilean, Measadh Buaidhe Eaconamach is Sòisealta, a sheall gun robh na Fèisean a’ cur còrr is £2m ris an eaconamaidh. Thug an aithisg seo iomradh cuideachd air mar a tha obair nam Fèisean a’ cruthachadh 60 obraichean ionnan is làn-thìde.

Thuirt Catrìona Nic an t-Saoir: “Ged a tha dùil againn gum bi na beagan bhliadhnaichean a tha romhainn dùbhlanach, chaidh cliù Fèisean nan Gàidheal a chosnadh tro bhith a’ dèanamh cinnteach gun coileanar caochladh phròiseactan. Tha prògram obrach againn a tha farsaing agus air a lìbhrigeadh le inbhean àrda. Tha ar n-obair a’ cur milleanan ri eaconamaidh na h-Alba agus tha i a’ cruthachadh ghrunn obraichean Gàidhlig agus ann an roinn nan Gnìomhachasan Cruthachail. Tha e cudromach a thaobh cànain agus cultair gun lean sinn oirnn a bhith a’ toirt taic do na Fèisean, agus nuair as urrainn dhuinn, a’ toirt cothrom dhaibh fàs.”Tha Fèisean nan Gàidheal cuideachd air naidheachd mhath fhaighinn mun mhaoin a thathar a’ faotainn bhon bhuidheann ùr cultarail, Alba Chruthachail.

Thuirt Art MacCarmaig, Ceannard Fèisean nan Gàidheal: “Rè na bliadhna, bha sinn a’ tairgse do dh’Alba Chruthachail feuch an glèidh sinn ar n-inbhe mar bhuidheann stèidhichte.  Tha sinn air fios fhaighinn a-nis gun lean Alba Chruthachail oirre a’ toirt maoineachadh dhuinn airson ar n-obair airson nam bliadhnaichean 2012-15.  Cuideachd, tha Alba Chruthachail a’ dol adh’fhighe a-steach do ar maoineachadh stèidhichte an t-airgead a bhathar roimhe a’ toirt dhuinn bho bhliadhna gu bliadhna airson Sgeama Tabhartasan nam Fèisean.  Aig àm glè dhoirbh, tha sinn gu math taingeil airson sin.”

Cluinnidh luchd-frithealaidh na co-labhairt mun phròiseact thasglann, Tobar an Dualchais, a tha a’ toirt cothrom do dhaoine na mìltean de chlàraidhean bho na cruinneachaidhean aig Sgoil Eòlais na h-Alba, Fear Chanaidh, Iain Latharna Caimbeul, agus bhon BhBC.

Bidh iomradh cuideachd air amasan cleachdadh na Gàidhlig a leudachadh aig ìre nam Fèisean ionadail, mar a mhìnich Catrìona Nic an t-Saoir: “Ri linn Poileasaidh Gàidhlig nas treasa, bho 2012, feumaidh luchd-teagaisg aig Fèisean nan Gàidheal a bhith ag ionnsachadh na Gàidhlig mura h-eil Gàidhlig aca mu thràth.  Cha bhi seo furasta ach bidh e mar chùmhnant le tabhartasan gun tèid am poileasaidh seo a chur an gnìomh agus feumaidh Fèisean dèanamh cinnteach gu bheil fios aig an luchd-teagaisg aca mu dheidhinn seo agus gun lean iad am poileasaidh. Cuidichidh Fèisean nan Gàidheal luchd-teagaisg nam Fèisean a tha ag iarraidh Gàidhlig ionnsachadh, agus bidh iad a’ ruith chùrsaichean a dh’aona-ghnothach gus frithealadh air feumalachdan nam Fèisean ri linn ’s gun cluinnear barrachd Gàidhlig aig na Fèisean agus cuiridh sinn ris an àireamh de luchd-labhairt na Gàidhlig aig an aon àm.”

Thèid co-labhairt Fèisean nan Gàidheal a cumail ann an Taigh-òsta Hydro Dhùn Bhlathain Dihaoine 23 agus Disathairne 24 Sultain.  Thathar an dùil gum bi timcheall air 60 de luchd-eagrachaidh nam Fèisean an làthair le riochdairean bho bhuidhnean cultarail eile.

Source: Fèisean nan Gàidheal