Gaelic arts and culture in Glasgow are set to be supported and strengthened by plan to promote participation and enable engagement

A new plan has been introduced by Glasgow Life to safeguard, strengthen and celebrate Gaelic language, arts, music and culture in Glasgow.

Article Source: Glasgow Life
Last Updated: 19 February 2025 14:26

Image: Metagama performed at Celtic Connections 2024. The work includes traditional Gaelic song and explores themes of migration, both historic and contemporary. Photo © Kris Kesiak for Glasgow Life.

The Gaelic Arts Plan 2025-2029 aims to nurture and amplify one of Scotland’s most important cultural identities within the city – which has the largest concentration of Gaelic speakers outwith the Western Isles.

The plan’s launch reaffirms the charity’s commitment to deliver and promote a broad spectrum of arts and culture which – reflecting the priorities of Glasgow’s Culture Strategy – are relevant to all of the city’s diverse communities, supporting inclusion, wellbeing, and the local economy.

Glaschu Beò: Plana nan Ealan Gàidhlig will ensure artistic expression in Gaelic, as a living language in Glasgow, is expanded and embedded within the city’s broader cultural offer to widen engagement and increase public participation.

To generate experiences and events which will encourage and inspire existing and new audiences to connect with Gaelic arts, language and culture, the plan sets out an exciting range of initiatives integrated across Glasgow Life’s museums, sports, libraries, learning and community services – as well as major festivals Celtic Connections, Merchant City Festival, Mela, Aye Write, and Glasgow International. The projects are also designed to act as a catalyst for collaborations which will create and cultivate opportunities for creative expression in Gaelic by artists, musicians and writers.

Glasgow Life Senior Projects and Programmes Manager - Arts, Music and Cultural Venues, Katie Duffy, said: “Glasgow has strong, historic links with Gaelic, and while it remains an endangered language, interest and engagement has grown considerably – as was highlighted in the 2022 census which revealed an 84% increase in Glasgow residents with Gaelic skills. We want to build on that and increase appreciation of Gaelic creative expression so we can boost its social and economic impact by ensuring it is an integral part of Glasgow’s cultural offer.

“Glasgow Life’s work is based on a belief in the power of the arts to enrich lives and strengthen cultural identity. Reflecting that, our new Gaelic Arts Plan will forge a pathway for Gaelic culture, arts and music to thrive in our modern, multicultural city by engaging city communities and visitors in relevant ways – for both Gaelic speakers as well as those who have no experience of the language or culture.”

The plan is designed to build on Glasgow’s achievements over the past 21 years to develop and celebrate Gaelic through programmes, projects and events which encourage participation. As a result, Gaelic arts now make a significant economic contribution and social impact to Glasgow. Highlights of the city’s cultural calendar that incorporate Gaelic elements in their programmes generate an estimated £11.5 million annually for the local economy.

Over the past two decades, strategies to boost the benefits Gaelic generates for Glasgow have led to a number of important and innovative initiatives – including the introduction in 2018 of the pioneering GUIR! incubator programme for new and emerging Gaelic artists. Delivered in partnership with National Theatre of Scotland, Tramway, Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, and Sabhal Mor Ostaig (the Gaelic College on Skye), GUIR! has supported 29 artists to date, and its latest funding round is currently underway.

The Gaelic Arts Plan sets out intentions to increase the impact and benefits of the well-established, successful programme by extending it further. In addition, the development of Gaelic Arts for GUIR! Associated Artists (GAGAA) will create a dynamic community of practice for artists through workshops.

Highlights of other initiatives noted in the Gaelic Arts Plan include:

• Cèilidh a’ Bhaile Mhòir: Following the success of an initial pilot at Celtic Connections 2025, the introduction of an inclusive, inter-generational cèilidh to offer people from all backgrounds an opportunity to experience Gaelic through music, dance and poetry – with three of these events a year taking place in venues across the city

• Gaelic musical pathways for youth: Creating a comprehensive music programme for ages 0 - 25, to foster talent and cultural engagement by children and young people

• Fèis Ghàidhlig Ghlaschu: Supporting the growth of the annual arts tuition festival by introducing new events, such as the Fèis nan Deugairean for teenagers– which was also recently piloted at Celtic Connections 2025

• Community collaboration: Partnering with Glasgow’s five Gaelic schools to integrate arts into the curriculum, and promote creative learning by including community drama initiatives, such as the Litir gu Glaschu (Letter to Glasgow) competition and Bàrd Baile Ghlaschu (Gaelic Bard for Glasgow)

• Cultural milestones: Celebrating Glasgow’s 850th anniversary throughout 2025 with Gaelic programming and a contemporary exhibition on urban Gaelic identity

• Royal National Mòd: Supporting the return to Glasgow of the event in 2026, through fringe activity

All of the projects share a key aim of enabling deeper connections and understanding between Gaelic heritage and contemporary society. This will ensure Gaelic remains a vibrant, integral part of Glasgow’s cultural fabric for generations to come, supporting local communities, as well as the city’s creative industries, tourism and events sectors, and economy.

The Gaelic Arts Plan was developed following broad consultation, and at its heart is cross-sector collaboration. To ensure meaningful programmes that increase engagement and impact are developed and delivered, Glasgow Life is working with a diverse range of partners – including Bòrd na Gàidhlig, Gaelic Books Council, Gaelic Books Council, Ceòl ‘s Craic, the University of Glasgow, Fèis Ghàidhlig Ghlaschu, An Lòchran, Theatre gu Leòr, and the five Gaelic Meidum Schools across the city.

Ealasaid MacDonald, Ceannard (CEO) of Bòrd na Gàidhlig, said: “Bòrd na Gàidhlig welcomes the launch of Glasgow Life’s innovative Glaschu Beò: Plana nan Ealan Gàidhlig at this exciting time for Gaelic arts in the city. We look forward to working with the charity and its partners to implement these proposals which will encourage, inspire and enable artists, organisations and communities across Glasgow to use Gaelic.”

The Gaelic Arts Plan 2025-2029 can be accessed in both English and Gaelic here and further information on its aims is noted below. Details on Glasgow Life Gaelic programmes and events can be found here.

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