Staff and students from Scotland’s newest University will be taking to the stage at Scotland’s most famous winter cultural festival in the New Year, Celtic Connections. Featuring a mix of music, language, history and archaeology, the University of the Highlands and Islands will showcase its students and academics to audiences gathered in Glasgow from all over the world as a proud education partner.

“We’re really excited about our involvement in the programme this year,” explained James Fraser, Principal and Vice-Chancellor. “The partnership makes great sense as many of our courses and research outputs reflect the traditions, culture and heritage of the Highlands and Islands.

“We are delighted to increase our involvement this year during the 40th anniversary celebration of Sabhal Mòr Ostaig UHI. It’s nearly two years since we became a university, and we hope that with academic partners of the calibre and prestige of Sabhal Mòr Ostaig UHI, we can attract potential students from the whole of Scotland and further afield to study our specialist subject areas such as history and archaeology, Gaelic and music at campuses all over the Highlands and Islands.”

The University’s varied programme of music and free lectures and discussions begins on Saturday 19th January when students will present an exciting joint project between Tobar an Dualchais – set up to preserve, digitise, catalogue and make available online several thousand hours of Gaelic and Scots recordings – and the University to create a new musical suite to celebrate Scotland’s heritage of song and music. Under the direction of Julie Fowlis, Oscar-nominated for her song Touch the Sky from the Disney-Pixar movie, Brave, and tutor Anna-Wendy Stevenson, this concert will feature cross-genre collaborations between students working on the innovative new BA (Hons) Applied Music, who are based all over the Highlands and Islands.

Three free lectures and a lively discussion on the origins of our tongue begin on Wednesday 23rd January at the BBC in Glasgow where Margaret Mary Murray, Head of service at BBC Alba, will talk about Gaelic language in the media. Dr Iain MacInnes from the University’s Centre for History presents his lecture on royal punishment of rebels, traitors and political enemies in medieval Scotland on Thursday 24th January; and on Thursday 31st January, audiences can hear Julie Gibson of the University’s Department of Archaeology present “Rising Tides: Climate change and the loss of our coastal heritage”, accompanied by music composed by BA Applied Music students. Using Orkney as a case study, where one third of all known sites are threatened, Julie’s lecture will travel, island by island, looking at the loss, and showcasing some of the potential for investment. All of these lectures are FREE but are ticketed from www.celticconnections.com

In addition on Wednesday 30th January, there’s a chance to exchange views with some eminent Scottish language experts, when the University’s Dr Donna Heddle, Director of the Centre for Nordic Studies and Professor Rob Dunbar, Director of Soillse, with guests Dr Christine Robinson, Director of Scottish Language Dictionaries and J Derrick McClure, Honorary Senior Lecturer at the University of Aberdeen, debate the origins of Scotland’s indigenous languages.

Details of the University of the Highlands and Islands’ events are on our website. For more information on Sabhal Mòr Ostaig @40 at Celtic Connections and the rest of 2013 go to www.smo.uhi.ac.uk . Tickets for all events are available at www.celticconnections.com

Luchd-obrach agus oileanaich an oilthigh a’ dol air an àrd-ùrlar aig Celtic Connections

Bidh luchd-obrach agus oileanaich on Oilthigh as ùire an Albainn a’ dol air an àrd-ùrlar aig an fhèis chultarach gheamhraidh as ainmeil an Albainn sa Bhliadhna Ùir, is e sin Celtic Connections. Le measgachadh de cheòl, cànan, eachdraidh agus arc-eòlas, taisbeanaidh Oilthigh na Gàidhealtachd agus nan Eilean na h-oileanaich agus na sgoilearan aige do luchd-èisteachd a bhios cruinn ann an Glaschu às gach ceàrn den t-saoghal, agus e uaibhreach a bhith na chom-pàirtiche foghlaim sa ghnothach.

“Tha sin gu math togarrach mun phàirt a tha sinn a’ gabhail sa phrògram am-bliadhna,” thuirt Seumas Friseal, am Prionnsapal agus Iar-Sheansalair. “Tha an com-pàirteachas a’ dèanamh mòran cèille leis gu bheil iomadh gin de na cùrsaichean is na toraidhean rannsachaidh againn stèidhichte air traidiseanan, cultar agus dualchas na Gàidhealtachd is nan Eilean.

“Tha sinn anabarrach toilichte pàirt nas motha a bhith againn am-bliadhna an àm do Shabhal Mòr Ostaig UHI a bhith a’ comharrachadh 40 bliadhna on thòisich e. Tha cha mhòr dà bhliadhna on thàinig sinn gu bhith nar n-oilthigh, agus tha sinn an dòchas le com-pàirtichean acadaimigeach aig a bheil inbhe is cliù cho àrd ’s a th’ aig Sabhal Mòr Ostaig UHI, gun tèid againn air daoine anns am bi adhbhar oileanaich a thàladh às gach ceàrn de dh’Albainn agus nas fhaide às, a bhith ag ionnsachadh nan cuspairean speisealaichte againn mar a tha eachdraidh is arc-eòlas, Gàidhlig is ceòl air àrainnean air feadh na Gàidhealtachd is nan Eilean.”

Tòisichidh prògram an Oilthigh de chaochladh ciùil agus òraidean is deasbadan gun phàigheadh Disathairne 19 Faoilleach nuair a bhios oileanaich a’ taisbeanadh pròiseact co-phàirteach togarrach eadar Tobar an Dualchais – a chaidh a stèidheachadh airson na mìltean de dh’uairean an uaireadair de chlàraidhean sa Ghàidhlig agus sa Bheurla Ghallda a ghleidheil, an cur ann an cruth digideach, catalog a dhèanamh dhiubh agus an tairgsinn do dhaoine air an eadar-lìon – agus an t-Oilthigh, a chruthachadh sreath ùr de phìosan ciùil airson dualchas òrain is ceòl na h-Alba a chliùthachadh. Sa chuirm-chiùil seo, fo stiùireadh Julie Fowlis, a chaidh ainmeachadh airson Oscar airson an òrain aice Touch the Sky on fhilm Brave le Disney-Pixar, agus an neach-oideachaidh Anna-Wendy Stevenson, bidh co-obrachadh eadar oileanaich a tha ag obair le diofar sheòrsaichean de cheòl air a’ chùrsa ùr-ghnàthach airson BA (le urram) ann an Ceòl Gnìomhaichte, agus a tha air an suidheachadh air feadh na Gàidhealtachd agus nan Eilean.

Tòisichidh sreath de thrì òraidean gun phàigheadh agus deasbad beothail air tùsan ar cànain Diciadain 23 Faoilleach aig a’ BhBC ann an Glaschu far am bi Mairead Màiri Mhoireach, Ceannard seirbheis BBC Alba, a’ bruidhinn air a’ Ghàidhlig anns na meadhanan. Bidh an t-Oll Iain MacAonghais o Ionad Eachdraidh an Oilthigh a’ toirt seachad na h-òraid aige air mar a rachadh reubaltaich, brathadairean agus nàimhdean politigeach a pheanasachadh leis na rìghrean sna linntean meadhanach an Albainn Diardaoin 24 Faoilleach; agus Diardaoin 31 Faoilleach, cluinnidh luchd-èisteachd Julie Gibson o Roinn Arc-eòlais an Oilthigh a’ toirt seachad “An làn ag èirigh: Atharrachadh na gnàth-shìde agus mar a tha dualchas na h-oirthire againn a’ dol air chall”, le ceòl air a dhèanamh le oileanaich on chùrsa BA ann an Ceòl Gnìomhaichte. A’ gabhail Arcaibh mar eisimpleir, far a bheil an treas cuid de na làraichean aithnichte ann an cunnart, siùbhlaidh òraid Julie bho eilean gu eilean, a’ coimhead air na chaidh a chall, agus a’ taisbeanadh cuid de na ghabhadh dèanamh a thaobh airgead a chur an seilbh. Tha na h-òraidean seo air fad GUN PHÀIGHEADH ach tha feum air tiocaidean o www.celticconnections.com

Cuideachd, Diciadain 30 Faoilleach, bidh cothrom air iomlaid bheachdan le sàr-eòlaich cliùiteach an raon chànanan na h-Alba, nuair a bhios an t-Oll Donna Heddle, Stiùiriche Ionad an Oilthigh airson Rannsachadh Lochlannach, agus an t-Àrd-ollamh Rob Dunbar, Stiùiriche Shoillse, leis an Oll Cairistìona Robasdan, Stiùiriche nam Faclairean Albais agus J Derrick MacLiuthar, Àrd Òraidiche Urramach aig Oilthigh Obar Dheathain nan aoighean, a’ deasbad thùsan chànanan dùthchasach na h-Alba.

Tha fiosrachadh mu thachartasan Oilthigh na Gàidhealtachd agus nan Eilean air an làraich-lìn againn. Airson tuillidh fiosrachaidh mu Shabhal Mòr Ostaig aig 40 aig Celtic Connections agus an còrr de 2013 theirig chun www.smo.uhi.ac.uk . Tha tiocaidean airson nan tachartasan air fad ri am faotainn aig www.celticconnections.com

Source: UHI