World Gaelic Week - Seachdain na Gàidhlig

Celebrating Scottish Gaelic across the globe from 21st to 27th March 2022.

Seachdain na Gàidhlig (World Gaelic Week) is a new initiative established to promote and develop Gaelic language and culture, with funding support from Bòrd na Gàidhlig and spearheaded by arts organisation Hands Up For Trad.

The week will contain two main strands: an Official Programme of Events, containing a timetabled programme of organised interviews, performances and conversations, executed in partnership with collaborators from across a range of sectors. These will be a mixture of in person and online events (Covid-19 restrictions dependent) that will provide a platform for Gaelic speakers to connect with wider actual and virtual communities.

This will be accompanied by a programme of local events, that will allow community groups, local authorities, schools, libraries and various organisations to become involved at community level.

We are working in collaboration with Moray Council to develop Gaelic medium in our local area and are hosting the following events in Moray:

Monday 21 March:

• Cofaidh agus Craic: 11am - 12.30pm at the AGBC Cafe Area at Moray College UHI, hosted by Moray Gaelic Group. If you are a learner or fluent speaker, a warm welcome awaits. No booking necessary.
• Gaelic Curricular Offer Presentation for Moray Staff within Education: 3pm for Early Years staff; 3.30pm for Primary staff; and 4pm for Secondary staff. Email: Willem.Smit@moray.gov.uk to book.

Tuesday 22 March:

• Gaelic Place names of Moray, their origins, development and treatment: 11am - 12.15pm, an online input by Dr Jake King*. Email: Karen.Delaney@moray.gov.uk for the Teams link.

Thursday 24 March:

Open online sessions to build phrases for beginners linked to Speak Gaelic by Des Scholes: 11am - 12pm; 1pm - 2pm; 7.30pm - 8.30pm. Email: Karen.Delaney@moray.gov.uk to book.

*Dr Jacob King was awarded a PhD at the University of Edinburgh in Scottish river-names in 2008 and in the same year began working for Ainmean-Àite na h-Alba, the organisation responsible for providing authoritative forms of Gaelic place-names for use in the public sphere. He is the author of a number of articles, including a column about place-names in the Gaelic page of The Scotsman; he is also co-author of the Scottish Natural Heritage `Gaelic in the Landscape' series. In 2019, he released Scottish Gaelic Place-names: The Collected Works of Charles M. Robertson. His book The A-Z of Scotch Whisky Place-names is coming out in March.