Toirt Fàs air Gàidhlig – Growing Gaelic in communities

Friday 12th September 2008
Breascleit, Lewis

The Conference:

The conference will explore what is meant by the term Gaelic community in the context of modern day Scotland; what interventions are needed to revitalise the Gaelic language in its traditionally strong areas, and what language development support is needed in Gaelic communities.

The conference will also focus on young people who use Gaelic regularly; what motivates them and how can we best engage with young people on an ongoing basis to plan future strategies for the revitalisation of Gaelic.

Expected Outcomes:

a clear understanding of what steps should be taken to strengthen Gaelic in communities
the key role of the refocused Comunn na Gàidhlig community initiative
the steps that authorities and public bodies can take
the role that a Youth Forum and a Youth Strategy could play
how a Bòrd na Gàidhlig Challenge Fund could be used to support small-scale Gaelic community developments

Format of the Conference:

The conference will be in cafè style with table groups of 8-10 delegates. Structured group discussions will be co-ordinated by nominated leaders working from a pre-conference briefing and prepared questions. Each table group will ensure that responses are recorded and passed to the conference secretary.

A group of 10 – 16 senior secondary pupils will attend the afternoon session. It is expected that the pupil contingent will be drawn from The Nicolson Institute (Stornoway), Sir E Scott (Harris), Sgoil Lionacleit (Uist), Castlebay Secondary (Barra) and Portree High School (Skye) if possible. Transport and supervision will be arranged by CNAG.