Show latest news, more from February 2005.
New partnership to support Gaelic arts
An innovative partnership between the Scottish Arts Council, Bòrd na Gàidhlig, and the Gaelic Arts Strategic Development Forum will yield multiple new initiatives in support of Gaelic Arts in Scotland. The GASD Programme will invest £400,000 in new strategic initiatives over the next two years, providing new funding opportunities for individuals and organisations working within the Gaelic arts sector. To be co-ordinated by Pròiseact nan Ealan, the Gaelic Arts Agency, on behalf of the GASD Forum, the programme will target Audience Development, Skills Development and Showcase Development while building broader support for the Gaelic language. Director of Pròiseact nan Ealan, Malcolm Maclea, described the initiative as ‘the first fruits of the Scottish Arts Council’s new Gaelic Arts Policy’. ‘The Gaelic arts sector has grown significantly over recent years and become a vibrant part of Scotland’s arts and cultural life,’ he said. ‘These new opportunities, however, mean that the Gaelic arts now need new forms of support, co-ordination and promotion. This Programme will enable us to work together to test new ideas and create new possibilities for artists, organisations and communities.’ Jim Tough, Head of Arts at the Scottish Arts Council, said: ‘The Scottish Arts Council is delighted at this initiative, built through genuine partnership and with the direct input of those Gaelic arts organisations already actively working across a range of communities. This programme underpins many of our ambitions for our Gaelic Arts Policy and reinforces the vital and central relationship of language and the arts to national culture and identity.’ Chief Executive of Bòrd na Gàidhlig, Allan Campbell, agreed. ‘It is extremely important to the future of the language that the Gaelic Arts are supported and stimulated through programmes such as this.,’ he said. ‘Not only will it improve the profile and awareness of the language and culture, it will bring real economic and cultural benefits to the Gaelic community. Bòrd na Gàidhlig is delighted to be working with the Scottish Arts Council in supporting this important sector.’ For further information, CLICK HERE.
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