Artistic Development - Gaelic Artist/ Artwork Development Programme

Gaelic Artist/ Artwork Development Programme

As a national performing arts company, we place the development of artists and artworks at our core and it is therefore through our artistic remit that our relationship with Gaelic language and culture has begun.

In 2012 the Company embarks on its second year of a three year Gaelic action plan that aims to seek, develop and present Gaelic work and therefore provide for and build audiences for Gaelic performance. We are excited by the possibilities for theatre of working with artists from across artforms, so are not limited in our search of artists to those already working in traditional theatre roles.

Last year we invested around £100,000 in the delivery of this plan, including the production and tour of Somersaults by Iain Finlay Macleod and the first appointment by a national performing arts company of a Gaelic Associate Artist. Catriona Lexy Campbell has now come to the end of her year-long post but we continue to support her development as a writer, director and performer.

Many of the activities planned under this programme require additional, external funding, and will therefore only be announced as and when we have financially secured resource for each part of the programme.

YEAR TWO: APR 2012 – MAR 2013 CONFIRMED ACTIVITY

Associate Artists (Gaelic)
In May 2012, Fiona J MacKenzie and Maeve MacKinnon joined the Company as Associate Artists.

Fiona and Maeve will work with the Company over a calendar year to inform our Gaelic Strategy, maintain and extend links with the Gaelic community and develop new personal artistic projects,

Read more about our Gaelic Associates here.

Gaelic Activity at REVEAL: A season of new work, Citizens’ Theatre 2-12 May 2012
Gaelic for Beginners
A rehearsed reading of a new bi-lingual play by Catriona Lexy Campbell as part of our Reveal 2012 Festival. 

When her parents' marriage breaks down, Emily scours their past relationship to try to find the reason. The only problem is she can't understand a word they're saying.

Zona Morriaté 
A 15 minute work in progress performance written and performed by Eilidh Daniels (in Gaelic with some English). 

Exchange:
A public bi-lingual performance from Seanachas Youth Group, Skye, at Exchange2012.

Seanachas is the first bilingual youth group in the Skye and Lochalsh area. This group was formed by Islay Macrae, of Eden Court Theatre, from an existing group in Portree High School and the local community, and contains both Gaelic and English speakers. They are based at the Aros Centre in Portree and we will be holding their home performance there on 29th June, 7pm .

Bank of Scotland Emerge Programme
In 2012, Catriona Lexy Campbell completed an artist attachment to develop a new one-woman performance.

Get Involved
If you are a Gaelic Artist living and working in Scotland, we’d like to hear from you. Please send your CV or information about future productions/ showings/ gigs etc. to anna.hodgart@nationaltheatrescotland.com