Annual Report 2005/06 2
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1 Annual Report 2005/06 2 Contents 1. Highlights of the Year 4 Mòran Taing 2. Chairman’s Comments 6 Bòrd na Gàidhlig would like to thank the following for the use of photographs 3. Bòrd Members 8 in the Annual Report: Cailean Maclean, 4. Chief Executive’s Report 10 Ùr-sgeul, Ceòlas, Sabhal Mòr Ostaig, Comunn na Gàidhlig, Clì Gàidhlig, 5. The Third Year 14 The Scottish Parliament, The Scottish Gaelic Language Act 14 Executive, Ewen Weatherspoon, Comann nam Pàrant (Nàiseanta), Stòrlann Partnership and Alliance 16 Nàiseanta na Gàidhlig, The Highland Language Planning 18 Council, Cròileagan Clann Trang, Scottish Qualifi cations Authority, Careers Scotland. The Community 20 Education and Learning 22 Culture, Heritage and the Arts 24 6. Report of The Directors & Financial Statements 26 1 April 2005 to 31 March 2006 7. Financial Assistance approved by the Bòrd to 31 March 2006 48 8. Declarations of Interest made at Bòrd Meetings 52 Register of Members’ Interests 52 Register of Bòrd Meetings 53 9. Corporate Governance 54 Bòrd na Gàidhlig, Darach House, Stoneyfi eld Business Park, Inverness IV2 7PA Large text versions of this annual report are available from Bòrd na Gàidhlig on 01463 225 454. T: 01463 225454 The report can also be downloaded from www.bord-na-gaidhlig.org.uk www.bord-na-gaidhlig.org.uk Pelican Design Consultants • www.pelican-design.com Bòrd na Gàidhlig Annual Report 2005/06 3 4 1 Highlights of the Year • The Gaelic Bill was passed on • Highland Council celebrated 20 • Angus Peter Campbell’s Gaelic 21st April 2005. This meant that years of Gaelic Medium Education with novel An Oidhche Mus Do Sheòl legislation to promote the use of Gaelic a conference on strengthening Gaelic Sinn was voted in ‘The List’s’ Top was given unanimous support by in the community and in the home. Ten Scottish Books of All Time, and members of the Scottish Parliament. More than 100 delegates from 33 Gaelic author Martin MacIntyre organisations attended the conference. made the short list for the Saltire • Royal assent was given to the Scottish Book of the Year award. Gaelic Language (Scotland) Act • The Gaelic Initiatives Fund for 2005 on 1st June 2005 and it was 2006-07 was launched by Bòrd na • A representative from commenced on 13th February 2006. Gàidhlig in October 2005. The scheme Bòrd na Gàidhlig visited the The Act established Bòrd na Gàidhlig off ers assistance to community groups Finnish capital Helsinki to study as a statutory body responsible who promote Gaelic in their own area. It minority language projects. for securing the status of Gaelic as has been closely associated with events • In 2005 An Lòchran published a an offi cial language of Scotland, for the Highland 2007 celebration. strategy for the Gaelic arts in Glasgow. commanding equal respect to English. • Comhairle nan Eilean Siar • Fèisean nan Gàidheal celebrated There was a rise in the number marked 20 years of Gaelic • 25 years of Gaelic teaching festivals, the of students doing a Gaelic or Gaelic- Medium Education in 2006. fi rst of which started in Barra in 1981. related course. The number of students • The Western Isles Language in Scottish universities and colleges • Julie Fowlis received the Horizon Plan – based on research carried out who were on a Gaelic or Gaelic- Award for her album Mar a tha mo between 2003 and 2006 on the state related course went up from 730 chridhe at the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards. of Gaelic in the Western Isles – was in the academic year 2003-2004 to published in 2006. The aims of the • Highland Council published 1,200 in 2004-2005. (Source: Scottish plan are to strengthen Gaelic as a their Gaelic Language & Executive Education Department) language in the family, to strengthen Culture Plan for 2005-09. • A new initiative was launched in Gaelic as a language in the community • Margaret MacDonald started June 2005 when Bòrd na Gàidhlig and to increase the number of as the fi rst director of Tobar an commissioned Fosglan to establish a Gaelic speakers in the islands. Dualchais/Kist o Riches – the biggest list of approved translators, at the same • Martin MacIntyre and Iain Finlay project ever undertaken involving the time creating new job opportunities. MacLeod added to the series of Gaelic digitisation of archived Gaelic cultural • Investors in People status was novels, Ùr-Sgeul, and spoke about material. The project aims to digitise achieved by Bòrd na Gàidhlig their new works at the Edinburgh and preserve up to 18,000 hours of on 6th December 2005. International Book Festival. recordings in Scots and Gaelic. Bòrd na Gàidhlig Annual Report 2005/06 5 • The Gaelic Media Service (GMS) Looking ahead and BBC Scotland agreed to work • The draft of The National Plan together to create a framework that will for Gaelic will be published on 14th lead to the establishment of a Gaelic August 2006. There will be a three digital television channel. Funding will month public consultation and it is come from the GMS and the BBC. hoped that the fi nal National Plan • A new website will be published early in 2007. languageplanning.eu, which Bòrd • The Guidance for Gaelic Language na Gàidhlig supports and is involved Plans will go out to public consultation in, was launched in Cardiff by Alun at the same time and public authorities Pugh, Minister for Culture, Welsh chosen by Bòrd na Gàidhlig will then Language and Sport. The website start to work on their language plans. is part of a European Commission • The National Strategy for project which encourages cooperation Gaelic Education will appear between minority language in the National Plan. boards throughout Europe. • Gaelic will be at the heart of • Bòrd na Gàidhlig and other the Highland 2007 initiative. Bòrd bodies gave evidence to the na Gàidhlig will work closely with Council of Europe’s Committee the organisers to achieve this. of Experts regarding the Gaelic undertaking in the Charter for • Bòrd na Gàidhlig will support Regional and Minority Languages. new research that will help to support its language planning. • Conclusions from the Gaelic Medium Teachers’ Action Group • It is expected that a Gaelic television report were published in November channel will begin broadcasting in 2007. 2005 and the Minister for Gaelic Peter • A new degree in music will Peacock said: “Attracting more teachers be off ered through the medium will be key to securing the continued of Gaelic at Sabhal Mòr Ostaig. growth of Gaelic medium education.” • Bòrd na Gàidhlig as established by the Gaelic Language Act met for the fi rst time on 17th February 2006. • It was agreed to build a dedicated Gaelic primary school in Inverness. The fi rst purpose built Gaelic school in Scotland. 6 2 Chairman’s Comments I took over as Chair of Bòrd na This Annual Report depicts the work Within this report there is much Gàidhlig in February 2006 with that was done by Bòrd members and evidence of the growing confi dence the commencement of the Gaelic staff in the past year to anticipate the of the Gaelic community itself. As we Language Act. With the Act came demands of the new Act. Although the move towards the implementation of a a new Bòrd and I, therefore, draft National Plan for Gaelic and the National Plan for Gaelic one of our prime acknowledge and pay tribute to draft Guidance for Gaelic Language aims must be to increase and develop the work of Bòrd na Gàidhlig (Alba) Plans could not go out for public that self-confi dence. during the past year. What my consultation until the commencement As a community we now need to feel predecessor Duncan Ferguson and of the Act, much eff ort went into the a new confi dence about our language his Bòrd members have done is to preparation of these documents during and we also need to make the rest of lay a foundation on which to build the past year. Let me thank all members, Scotland aware that Gaelic lies at the for the future benefi t of Gaelic and staff and colleagues from the Scottish very centre of its culture. its speakers. They should be proud Executive for their eff orts in preparing of the work they have done over the these documents. These are but some of the challenges past three years and it is pleasing facing the new Bòrd. A good steer has In the future the growth of partnerships to report that three members been given by the old Bòrd. I thank among the Gaelic organisations will of the previous Bòrd have been them for it and I thank also our Chief be critical to the development of the reappointed to the new body. Executive, Allan Campbell, and his staff language. The last year has seen these for all their eff orts. I pay particular tribute The past year, 2005-2006, has been a partnerships being fi rmly established to the Minister, Peter Peacock, and his memorable one for Gaelic. The Gaelic and the Bòrd met regularly with the offi cials who have consistently and ably Language Bill passed through its various Gaelic organisations. A whole variety supported the Bòrd’s work. A new and stages in the Scottish Parliament with a of skills and experience exists within exciting world now beckons and Bòrd pleasing level of cross-party support. In these organisations and these will all be na Gàidhlig welcomes it. February 2006 the Gaelic Language Act needed as we move forward together. commenced and established Bòrd na Gàidhlig as the lead agency for Gaelic development. The Act also reinforced the rights of Gaelic speakers.