Scottish Fisheries Museum unveiled as part of vibrant Seachdain na Gàidhlig (World Gaelic Week) 2024 programme

Seachdain na Gàidhlig (World Gaelic Week) is gearing up for its third and most ambitious year as organisers unveil the first wave of events in the week’s packed programme for 2024, with the theme Do Chànan. Do Chothrom, which translates to Your Language. Your Opportunity.

The Scottish Fisheries Museum based in Anstruther has been named among the groups across Scotland taking part in the first official nationwide language week of its kind in Scotland, from 19th - 25th February.

A plethora of vibrant events will take place across the country and beyond, both in person and online. From workshops to walking tours, coffee mornings to cèilidhs, communities are set to come together to share their appreciation for Scotland’s heritage and cultural identity.

The Museum is partnering with the Dreel Halls to deliver a series of events in Anstruther for World Gaelic Week. The main event is at the Museum on Saturday 24th February. Everyone is invited to a fun musical community workshop ‘Gut-Along, Sing-Along: Gaelic Herring Lass Working Songs’. Explore why working songs were an important part of life in fishing communities. Have a go at singing some songs and learn some Gaelic words while gutting some fabric fish! See how many you can gut in a minute. The workshop is being led by Meg Hyland a researcher who has explored the music and songs of Scottish herring lasses.

The Scottish Fisheries Museum event is one of 53 taking place across 17 council areas which have been funded with help from the Small Grants Fund, supported by Bòrd na Gàidhlig.

Seachdain na Gàidhlig is not just for those who have received financial support, however, with organisers keen to emphasise that everyone and anyone can get involved.

The essence of the week-long event lies in welcoming individuals, community groups, clubs and schools to take part in any way they can. Whether it’s a casual conversation in Gaelic, sharing a Gaelic phrase or joining any of the numerous events happening throughout the week, every contribution, no matter how small, enriches the tapestry of this widespread celebration. Anyone keen to take part can add their own event to the week’s programme through the official online diary at: https://seachdainnagaidhlig.scot/events/.

This year’s festival will also see daily online workshops for schools take place across the country for the first time, offering resources and workshops that are tailored to suit schools with all levels of Gaelic experience – from total beginners to fluent speakers. Schools are encouraged to register their interest at https://seachdainnagaidhlig.scot/education/.

Also as part of the 2024 festival, youngsters under the age of 18 will be invited to take part in a T-shirt competition, designing the official merchandise for the 2025 event. Serving as a platform for the younger generation to engage directly with Gaelic culture through artistic expression, the competition asks participants to create a design based on what Gaelic means to them.

Thursday 22 February will be dubbed Say a Gaelic Phrase Day, with people of all ages, abilities and backgrounds encouraged to film themselves speaking the language and share it on social media, using the hashtag #SeachdainNaGàidhlig2024 or #SayAGaelicPhraseDay.

Julia Branch, Learning and Engagement Officer at the Museum said: “We are thrilled that the Museum has been awarded a grant to develop and deliver a new community workshop for World Gaelic Week. As a Gaelic-friendly venue and are always looking for ways to increase the use of Gaelic by our visitors and staff. As a non-Gaelic speaker, I am excited to learn something new and share this with Museum visitors throughout the year.”

Joy Dunlop, Director of Seachdain na Gàidhlig, said: “Seachdain na Gàidhlig is an inclusive week, designed to encourage everyone to embrace and express what the Gaelic language signifies to them and act as an important celebration of our cultural identity. Over the past two years, we’ve witnessed an incredible response, with Gaelic speakers and learners of all proficiencies seizing the opportunity to celebrate and share the language through various creative avenues. We are delighted the Scottish Fisheries Museum will be part of this year’s celebrations and look forward to seeing their activities come to life next month.”

Over 1,000 people took part in more than 100 events for Seachdain na Gàidhlig 2023, both in person and online, with 51 of these receiving support from the Small Grants Fund. Schools, community groups, libraries, musicians and football teams were among those who joined in the fun.

Organised by Scottish traditional culture and music organisation Hands Up For Trad, with support from Bòrd na Gàidhlig and Creative Scotland, Seachdain na Gàidhlig will take place from 19th - 25th February 2024.

ANSTRUTHER EVENTS

Friday 23rd February

Gaelic Bookbug, Dreel Halls, 10.30am

Gaelic Dreel Burn Walk, 1.15pm - 2.30pm

Saturday 24th February

‘Gut-Along, Sing-Along: Gaelic Working Songs Workshop, 1.30pm - 3.00pm at Scottish Fisheries Museum

Herring Lass Working Songs Talk, 4.00pm - 5.30pm at Dreel Halls

For a full list of events running throughout the week and information on how to get involved, please visit www.seachdainnagaidhlig.scot. For more information on Museum events please check our Events page. For more information on Seachdain na Gàidhlig, visit www.seachdainnagaidhlig.scot / Twitter @sngaidhlig / Instagram @sngaidhlig/ Facebook @sngaidhlig