Sol – an inspiring film about a little boy’s journey through grief – premieres in the UK and Republic of Ireland on the darkest night of the year, the Winter Solstice – Monday 21 December.
The animated, 28-minute film, which will be shown on BBC ALBA in Scotland, aims to bring light and comfort to families with young children as the darkest year in modern times draws to a close.
Featuring a boy called Sol whose world is plunged into darkness when his beloved grandmother dies, the film explores the different aspects of grief (shock, yearning, disorientation and resolution) through the eyes of a child.
The film has been created as a vital and relevant resource to help children and families cope with grief and is especially poignant after such a difficult year nationwide.
It is hoped the storyline and characters will help spark conversations amongst teachers, parents and young children about how to manage your feelings after the death of a loved one.
Recognising the need nationwide for such a topical film, multiple TV broadcasters have come together to premiere Sol across seven platforms on the same day.
Originally commissioned by regional broadcasters as a Celtic-language film in Welsh, Irish and Scottish Gaelic, Sol will also be broadcast with English subtitles to a national audience.
Gaelic singer and actress Anna Murray voices Sol’s grandmother (while Emmy award-winning Irish actor, Fionnula Flanagan voices the English language version) and Gaelic singer Ellen MacDonald voices Sol’s mother.
Sol was created and produced by Belfast-based children’s TV production company Paper Owl Films, with the Gaelic version for BBC ALBA created by Obh! Obh! Studios in Stornoway.
Bill MacLeod, Commissioning Editor at MG ALBA, which operates BBC ALBA in partnership with the BBC, said: “Sol is very much a film for our times – but it also taps into an older strand in Celtic tradition in which the changes in the seasons and the turning of the year have a deep significance. I’m sure that this beautiful and wise programme will bring a little light into all our lives.”
Paper Owl Creative Director, Grainne McGuinness said: “Now, more than ever, children need strong visual stories to help them deal with unfamiliar emotions and to inspire a way forward full of optimism.”
Sol was commissioned by Celtic broadcasters TG4, S4C and BBC ALBA and distributed by Aardman. It received funding from the British Film Institute’s Young Audiences Content Fund, and from Northern Ireland Screen’s Irish Language Broadcast Fund and Screen Fund. The Albert calculator and sustainable production certification was used to measure and reduce the production’s carbon footprint.
The BFI’s Head of Young Audiences Fund, Jackie Edwards said: “Sol’ is about remembering, with love, those we’ve lost, knowing we’re not alone and encouraging families to talk about their loss. Far too many children and young people are experiencing grief this year, and so we wanted to create a moment to pause and reflect, and for public service broadcasters to come together and co-transmit this special film to as many of this country’s young people as possible to support them to find light in the darkness.”
Film Synopsis:
Sol is a young boy plunged into darkness after the loss of his grandmother whom he adored. He is the reluctant hero of his own story – sent on a quest to bring back the light to a darkening world.
His quest takes him through a vast landscape made from Nonee’s memories – the collected photos and scraps of her photo albums. He has help in this world, guided as he is by Nonee as a little girl in the beginning and finding her at different stages of her life along the way.
At the end of their journey, Sol reaches the Ancient Temple of Light in the East, where his grandmother is waiting for him…he realises he can accept his feelings of grief as his love for her is far greater than the pain from his loss. He accepts that the world was a better place because his grandmother was part of it and that her memory will always be a part of him. Love never goes away.
Monday 21 December – Sol’s broadcast schedule:
18:30 LIVE: S4C (in Welsh), TG4 (in Irish), BBC ALBA (in Scottish Gaelic)
19:30 LIVE: CiTV (with English subtitles)
19:30 On DEMAND: iTV Hub, All 4, My5 (with English subtitles)
The usually live annual event was this year broadcast in a vibrant programme put together and aired exclusively on BBC ALBA. Hosted by Alistair Heather and Mary Ann Kennedy, award winners were announced along with specially-recorded music performances from some of traditional music’s top luminaries, including The Iona Fyfe Trio, Project Smok, Deirdre Graham, Jarlath Henderson and Karen Matheson as well as Phil Cunningham and many more.
This year’s event had been set to take place in Dundee’s Caird Hall but with live music and event restrictions in place for the foreseeable future, Hands Up for Trad worked to support artists and provide an alternative platform, culminating in two special programmes of Na Trads on BBC ALBA.
Joy Dunlop presented the inductees to the Hall of Fame on Friday evening, followed by the MG ALBA Scots Trad Music Awards themselves on Saturday. The awards will be shown again on BBC ALBA at 9pm on Saturday 18th December 2020 and will be available on the BBC iPlayer for 30 days.
Ealasaid MacDonald, Director of Strategy & External Affairs at title sponsors MG ALBA, which operates BBC ALBA in partnership with the BBC, said: “Once again, the Trads has showcased the best of creativity and talent across Scotland. MG ALBA would like to congratulate all those who have taken part, those nominated and the winners, as they have been part of a very different year where music has been an essential part of all our lives. We are delighted that Hands Up for Trad has brought us all together for this wonderful opportunity to celebrate the best of traditional music.”
Hands Up for Trad’s founder and Creative Director Simon Thoumire thanked all involved:
“The arrival of Covid-19 has required a massive change for us all, impacted in so many different ways, and I want to thank MG ALBA and our sponsors, the artists and musicians and crew and everyone who voted.
“Everyone has worked together tirelessly to maintain, pivot and bring our music programme online right through this year, culminating in last night’s fantastic BBC ALBA broadcast of the Na Trads 2020 programme of our annual MG ALBA Scots Trad Music Awards, the pinnacle of our year.”
Within the awards programme, three pillars of the Scots Trad Music community were recognised through special awards; the Janet Paisley Services to Scots Language Award sponsored by Creative Scotland awarded to James Robertson, the Services to Gaelic Award sponsored by Bòrd na Gàidhlig awarded to John Smith, and the 2020 Hamish Henderson Award for Services to Traditional Music went to Lisa Whytock.
Tweaked for 2020 to reflect everything the entire industry has created due to Covid-19, MG ALBA Scots Trad Music Award winners are:
1. Album of The Year, sponsored by Birnam CD
The Woods by Hamish Napier
2. Original Work of the Year, sponsored by PRS for Music
Everyday Heroes by Skerryvore
3. Community Music Project of the Year, sponsored by Greentrax Recordings
Tunes in the Hoose
4. Event of the Year Award sponsored by VisitScotland
BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician Award 20th Anniversary Concert (Celtic Connections)
5. Gaelic Singer of the Year, sponsored by The Highland Society of London
Fionnag NicChoinnich (Fiona MacKenzie)
6. Musician of the Year, sponsored by the University of the Highlands and Islands
Tim Edey
7. Online Performance of 2020, sponsored by Gordon Duncan Memorial Trust
Duncan Chisholm’s Covid Ceilidh
8. Citty Finlayson Scots Singer of the Year, sponsored by Traditional Music and Song Association (TMSA), for artists singing in Scots language
Siobhan Miller
9. Trad Video of the Year, sponsored by Threads of Sound
Calum Dan’s Transit Van by Peat & Diesel
10. Trad Music in the Media, sponsored by Sabhal Mòr Ostaig
Anna Massie – Black Isle Correspondent
11. Up & Coming artist of the Year, sponsored by Royal Conservatoire of Scotland
Rebecca Hill
12. Music Tutor of the Year, sponsored by Creative Scotland’s Youth Music Initiative
Josie Duncan
To celebrate the best of Scottish traditional music, BBC ALBA will broadcast the MG ALBA Scots Trad Music Awards across Friday and Saturday evening.
Na Trads 2020 will feature phenomenal performances from leading trad musicians and the highly regarded annual awards give recognition to excellence; encompassing all aspects of the trad scene including Gaelic & Scots singing, instrumentation and a host of others in between.
This year the event was set to take place in Dundee’s Caird Hall, but the vibrant celebration continues on BBC ALBA with specially recorded music performances from some of traditional music’s top luminaries, including, The Iona Fyfe Trio, Project Smok, Deirdre Graham, Jarlath Henderson, Phil Cunningham, Karen Matheson and many more.
Presented by Mary Ann Kennedy and Alistair Heather, the awards on the evening of Saturday 12th December will be presented in a new tri-lingual format in Gaelic, Scots and English to celebrate the wealth of trad culture in Scotland.
Acclaimed Gaelic singer Mary Ann Kennedy, who herself won the Gaelic Singer of the Year award in 2019, is a stalwart of Na Trads having presented the show since the first broadcast on BBC ALBA in 2008.
New co-presenter, writer and broadcaster Alistair Heather, is a strong advocate for the Scots language and also hosts the annual Scots Language Awards.
On Friday night, a special new programme for the MG ALBA Scots Trad Music Awards Hall of Fame will be broadcast on BBC ALBA, hosted by Gaelic singer and broadcaster Joy Dunlop.
Featuring performances from Old Blind Dogs and acclaimed Gaelic singer Margaret Stewart, Joy will introduce the inductees to the 2020 Hall of Fame.
Margaret Cameron, Commissioning Editor and Head of Creative Collaborations for BBC ALBA said, “Na Trads is must-watch viewing for anyone with an interest in Scottish traditional culture and we’re delighted to be bringing this to our viewers yet again. There’s a real buzz around the awards which will be exclusively announced on the show.”
Ealasaid MacDonald, Director of Strategy & External Affairs at MG ALBA, said: “MG ALBA are extremely proud to sponsor these awards, and we can’t wait to watch the programmes on BBC ALBA. It’s been a very difficult year for the music industry in Scotland and that’s what makes this recognition for all the impressive innovation and collaboration all the more important.”
Watch Na Trads 2020 on BBC ALBA or on the BBC iPlayer:
9pm Friday 11 December Na Trads 2020: MG ALBA Scots Trad Music Hall of Fame
9pm Saturday 12 December Na Trads 2020: MG ALBA Scots Trad Music Awards
Music Tutor of the Year, sponsored by Creative Scotland’s Youth Music Initiative
• Rua MacMillan
• Rachel Hair
• Josie Duncan
• Lauren MacColl
• Corrina Hewat
• Laura-Beth Salter
• Louise (Mackenzie) Douglas
Gaelic Singer of the Year, sponsored by The Highland Society of London
• Fionnag NicChoinnich (Fiona MacKenzie)
• Joy Dunlop
• Rachel Walker
• Raymond Bremner
Album of The Year, sponsored by Birnam CD
• All Is Not Forgotten by Siobhan Miller
• Banjaxed by Ciaran Ryan
• Bayview by Project Smok
• Eye of the Storm by Tide Lines
• Light My Byre by Peat & Diesel
• Shhh I’m on the phone by Innes Watson
• Steall by Ewen Henderson
• The Ledger by Gillian Frame, Findlay Napier and Mike Vass
• The Roke by Ross Miller
• The Woods by Hamish Napier
Up & Coming artist of the Year, sponsored by Royal Conservatoire of Scotland
• Benedict Morris
• Rebecca Hill
• Malin Makes Music
• Avocet
Community Music Project of the Year, sponsored by Greentrax Recordings
• Campbell’s Ceilidh
• Tunes in the Hoose
• MacGregor’s Live at Five
• Hands Up for Trad Strathspey and Reel Society
• Covid Choir Workshops
• Carry On Streamin
• Comhairle Cèilidhs (Comhairle nan Eilean Siar)
Event of the Year Award sponsored by VisitScotland
• 365 stories + Music (Aidan O’Rourke and James Robertson)
• Virtual Edinburgh International Harp Festival
• Fèis Rois Adult Feis Weekend Online
• Tional Gaelic Online Music Festival
• BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician Award 20th Anniversary Concert (Celtic Connections)
• Coastal Connections (Celtic Connections)
Citty Finlayson Scots Singer of the Year, sponsored by Traditional Music and Song Association (TMSA)
• Siobhan Miller
• Claire Hastings
• Adam Holmes
• Allan & Rosemary McMillan
Trad Video of the Year, sponsored by Threads of Sound
• Erica’s by Balter
• Calum Dan’s Transit Van by Peat & Diesel
• Deep Dark Beast by Twelfth Day
• Moorlough Shore by ELIR
• Ceòl Mòr Style by Calum MacCrimmon
• Taste the Rain by Tide Lines Choir
Online Performance of 2020, sponsored by Gordon Duncan Memorial Trust
• Sandy on Sunday Show (Sandy Brechin)
• Live from The Lounge with Paul Anderson and Shona Donaldson
• Pete Clark From The Shed
• Tide Lines Virtual World Tour
• Skerryvore Live Across The World
• Duncan Chisholm’s #CovidCeilidh
• Lomond Ceilidh Band’s The Daily Ceilidh
Original Work of the Year, sponsored by PRS for Music
• The Woods by Hamish Napier
• Everyday Heroes by Skerryvore
• Graham Rorie – The Orcadians of Hudson Bay
• Rachel Newton – To the Awe
• Camhanaich (Dawn) by Mhairi Hall
Trad Music in the Media, sponsored by Sabhal Mòr Ostaig
• Marie Martin – Box and Fiddle Magazine
• Ewan Galloway and Derek Hamilton – RadioGH
• Fiona McNeill – Celtic & Folk Fusions Radio Show
• Sruth na Maoile (BBC Radio nan Gàidheal and RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta)
• Anna Massie – Black Isle Correspondent
Musician of the Year, sponsored by the University of the Highlands and Islands
• Tim Edey
• Peter Wood
• Anna Massie
• Jenn Butterworth
• Ailie Robertson
• John Carmichael
Gaelic short film competition FilmG, has launched this year’s competition with the help of a well-known face from Gaelic broadcasting sharing tips, tricks and all the crucial entry information in a special online show.
Shona Masson, presenter of BBC ALBA’s upcycling series Dreach Ùr, hosted the YouTube event, which included a Q&A from pupils hoping to take part in the competition, a look back at the best from previous years of the competition, and the unveiling of this year’s stunning competition theme images.
2020 has been a year like no other, and FilmG’s yearly theme had to reflect this – Èirich (Gaelic for rise) aims to inspire this year’s filmmakers to rise above the challenges that the previous few months have thrown at them.
Alongside the competition launch, the FilmG team also announced the new series FoghlamG, an online masterclass in filmmaking from industry professionals, which provides those taking part with the knowledge to create stunning films on their own, without even the need for professional equipment. FoghlamG is available on FilmG’s YouTube channel.
As well as packing all of this into the livestream launch, the FilmG team gave pupils from across Scotland the opportunity to ask Shona, who also directs programmes for BBC ALBA, questions they might have about Gaelic, filmmaking, and media in general.
Shona Masson, who has been involved in many FilmG entries over the years, as both a youngster and industry professional said: “It’s clear that creating and trying new things is good for everyone, and FilmG provides a platform for anyone to take part in a creative competition by making a short film. Everyone has a story to tell, so if you’re interested, hopefully you’ll make an entry for FilmG this year!”
FilmG is run by MG ALBA and Skye-based media company CGS, to encourage the growth of Gaelic media talent. This is the competition’s thirteenth year, and has been the platform for many people now working within the Gaelic TV and film industry.
FilmG’s project manager, Ewan MacLean said: “FilmG is a huge part of the Gaelic social calendar, and in particular for the schools that we are involved with, so it’s such a pleasure that we’ve been able to keep that up in 2020.It’s so important for creative young filmmakers to see how professionals work, and be able to ask them about the industry.”
Murdo MacSween, Communications Manager for MG ALBA, said: “We’re very proud of the continued impact of FilmG in inspiring and developing young filmmakers to make Gaelic content. FilmG is very important to us and we can’t wait to see this year’s crop of films, they keep getting better and better.”
FilmG will remain open to entries until the 11th of December. Find out more at www.filmg.co.uk, or on the FilmG social media pages.
Peat & Diesel: That’s The Way We Do It! received the prize for International Documentary Feature at the long-running Williamsburg International Film & Music Festival in Brooklyn, New York.
Produced by MacTV, the programme follows the Stornoway band as they gain momentum and fame ahead of the launch of their second album and a landmark gig at the legendary Glasgow venue, the Barrowland Ballroom.
Peat & Diesel, comprising of fisherman Calum ‘Boydie’ Macleod, electrician Innes Scott and delivery van driver Uilleam ‘Uilly’ Macleod, have taken the Scottish music scene by storm, capturing the country’s imagination through their infectious music and unique tales of island life.
The documentary was a huge success on BBC ALBA when it aired in early April, as part of an evening of Peat & Diesel music and antics which drew one of the biggest audiences of the year.
BBC ALBA Head of Service Margaret Mary Murray, who was also Executive Producer of the programme, said: “We had a feeling that this programme would be a hit with audiences and it certainly was. We received a huge amount of appreciative feedback from the audience when we screened the double bill of this fabulously entertaining roller coaster road movie charting the rise of Peat & Diesel plus coverage of their sell-out gig in Glasgow. It was a memorable night on BBC ALBA!
“We are delighted that the talent of the island-based musicians and filmmakers has been recognised on the international stage demonstrating that the local does have global appeal!”
The programme’s Producer/Director, the RTS Scotland award-winner Daibhidh Martin, said:
“Peat & Diesel are totally unique and it was great craic being on the road with them. They are captivating and it’s been brilliant to be there with them as they become more and more successful, watching the audiences react so positively to them.
“They celebrate Gaelic and island culture, mixing sincere and relatable subjects with comedic imagery and stylings. It was never difficult to film the band and capture something that audiences would respond to.”
BBC ALBA has seen significant international success in recent years, with both international co-productions and awards frequent fixtures, a testament to the quality and ingenuity of the BBC ALBA production sector.
BBC ALBA has unveiled a rich and exciting line up of content in its Autumn schedule, today (Wednesday, September 16).
The line-up includes hard hitting drama, powerful documentaries, stunning international co-productions, some amazing music and the very best in Scottish women’s live sport. And with young talent to the fore at BBC ALBA, new, shining stars are set to light the dark Autumn nights!
BBC ALBA Head of Service Margaret Mary Murray, said:
“We are delighted to be sharing a fantastic range of programmes this Autumn making BBC ALBA the channel of choice for audiences who love thrilling drama, magical musical moments, fascinating documentaries and the dynamism offered by our sport portfolio. We’d love you to join us and enjoy a slate of stunning Scottish productions for the Autumn on ALBA.”
Highlights include a new series of Bannan, with gripping storylines of love and heartbreak, shocking and heart wrenching revelations across several complex and interwoven stories that uncover dark and difficult issues.
Tormod learns he has a child he didn’t know about, and schoolgirl Ceitidh exchanges compromising images with a boy on the internet. However, everything is not as it seems and Ceitidh finds herself dangerously isolated. The drama also tackles other big issues such as the devastating impact of cancer, and climaxes on the big day of Mairi’s wedding.
BBC ALBA continues its trail-blazing coverage of Scottish women’s sport, with this season seeing regular live rugby and football coverage including the Scotland Women’s National Team’s fixtures for the Euro Qualifiers, more games than ever from the domestic women’s league, the SWPL, and live coverage of Scotland Women’s remaining games in the delayed 2020 Women’s Six Nations. BBC ALBA’s new digital women’s sports show 360 will follow all of these and much, much more. Presented by Iona Ballantyne, 360 will include interviews with the biggest names in Scottish women’s sport, exclusive highlights, and unique behind-the-scenes features. The show is available on bbc.co.uk/alba360 and BBC ALBA YouTube.
Strong and engaging factual programmes are a hallmark of BBC ALBA’s schedule. The award winning Trusadh series continues with a lyrical exploration of winter in the Hebrides and broadcaster Cathy Macdonald visits Argyll to explore the themes and symbolism within Robin Jenkins’ classic Scottish novel, Sàr-Sgeòil: The Cone-Gatherers, the dark and complex story of two brothers who collect cones for woodland regeneration and replenishment during World War Two.
And the channel’s extraordinary international collaborations continue, with BBC ALBA’s first Icelandic co-production. An Taistealaiche / The Far Traveller tells the epic and largely untold story of the legendary Viking, Gudrid, the granddaughter of a Scottish slave who crossed the Atlantic eight times and gave birth to the first European child in North America. With dramatic re-enactments, the story of one of the most famous women in the Icelandic Sagas is brought to life alongside historical contextualisation.
The excitement and novelty of a Mod like no other, the 2020 Royal National Mòd, will be created and shared across the week that would have been in October. A fabulous showcase of music, memories and song is promised featuring hundreds of participants of all ages from across the globe performing in a unique celebration hosted each evening by Cathy MacDonald.
Viewers can go on a journey across Scotland following vets as they tend to animals from small to large to very wild in Vets: Gach Creutair Beò. Stories include a two year-old pug that undergoes a risky operation, two very feisty 9-week old lion cubs that get their vaccinations, and a busy lambing season.
Keen cooks are sure to be inspired by Gregor MacLeod in Fuine as he guides them through delicious traditional Scottish recipes and exciting new combinations, from his island cottage on the Isle of Lewis.
There’s something for the wee ones too, with a charming animations Port Pàipeir and Rita is Crogall coming to BBC ALBA for the first time. Port Pàipeir utilises impressive ‘papermotion’ techniques, while Rita is a young girl who has a very hungry friend, Crogall the crocodile, who lives, guess where? In the bathtub!
All BBC ALBA programmes are available to watch live on BBC iPlayer and thereafter for 30 days. Across social media, BBC ALBA’s brand continues to grow in popularity, bringing original content to a wider, engaged, audience on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and this year’s newly launched BBC ALBA YouTube site, full of fantastic new and archive content.
BBC ALBA’s new autumn programmes start from Thursday, September 17.
The programme will showcase the women and empowering stories in Scottish sport and will be available simultaneously on both BBC ALBA YouTube and the BBC website.
BBC ALBA positions itself as the home of Scottish women’s sport, and the show, 360, represents significant further investment in coverage of women’s sport in Scotland.
This announcement comes shortly after the channel’s agreement to double its output of women’s domestic football in Scotland over the next season, in an agreement with Scottish Women’s Football.
The new magazine show launches its first programme on Thursday, August 20th at 8pm.
360 will be presented by Iona Ballantyne, and its focus will primarily be on BBC ALBA’s core sports of football, rugby and shinty.
Iona (26) from Glasgow, said: “It’s very exciting to be involved with this pioneering new programme from BBC ALBA, which is the first of its kind in Scotland.
“My dad took me and my sister to football games when we were younger so I’ve always had a love of sport.
“He used to lift me up and put me on the rail and one time a player gave me the ball to head back in so I have some lovely memories from growing up. I remember my dad’s passion for sport and that doesn’t ever leave you.
“Hopefully 360 spurs things on for women’s sport in Scotland so that it gets the platform it deserves. Change is definitely happening now and it’s wonderful to be part of it.”
360 will celebrate the extraordinary talent within Scotland and beyond, and highlight key issues of the day.
It will include interviews with the biggest names in Scottish women’s sport, exclusive highlights and unique behind-the-scenes features.
The first edition of 360 includes a focus on Glasgow City FC and their upcoming fixture against Wolfsburg in the UEFA Women’s Champions League quarter final. That match will be shown live on BBC ALBA on Friday 21st – the day following 360’s first edition.
Viewers will also hear from Angel City, the newly formed National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) team in Los Angeles, and South African Captain Janine Van Wyk.
Closer to home, Iona will find out how SWPL clubs have been preparing for getting back to football and she will be joined in the studio by Gemma Fay, former Scotland goalkeeper and Head of Women and Girls Rugby at Scottish Rugby.
Iseabail Mactaggart, Director of Multiplatform Content at channel partner, MG ALBA, said: “We are proud to be strengthening our coverage of women’s sport in Scotland even further with 360.
“The show will add a further rich dimension to complement our extensive live game coverage, and we are ambitious for it to become an appointment to view.
“Increasing numbers of viewers are consuming on digital platforms, including YouTube, and we are proud to pioneer the creation of even more women’s sports content in this format.
“360 creates an opportunity for us to increase the profile of women’s sport and ensure that BBC ALBA output is on digital platforms, with high quality, relevant output.”
360 is available on YouTube (YouTube.com/bbcalba) and on the BBC website at bbc.co.uk/alba360.
MG ALBA and the BBC have announced that BBC ALBA will offer a collection of unsubtitled programmes on the BBC iPlayer following successful pilots.
The acclaimed drama series Bannan was made available in its entirety in 2019 in this form, and throughout Covid-19 the channel’s Educational resources have been available in this way. The partnership will now build on this to include more unsubtitled programming.
This offers BBC ALBA viewers more choice while the partnership also takes steps to enable the optional selection of subtitles through technical options, including the BBC iPlayer.
MG ALBA’s Director of Multiplatform Content Iseabail Mactaggart said: “We are seeking solutions on the iPlayer so that viewers have the choice of putting subtitles off there. In the meantime, we can use the BBC iPlayer to offer a collection of unsubtitled programmes, and therefore enable more choice for viewers. At the moment that is being used for Education materials to support families through Covid-19, but we will be offering other unsubtitled programmes as soon as we can, in the same way that we did for the entirety of the Bannan series in 2019.”
We might not be packing our tents and choosing our festival outfits but BBC ALBA has made sure that viewers won’t miss out on music this summer.
With festivals and gigs off-limits, BBC ALBA’s offering a fantastic selection of new music programmes for those long summer nights.
As well as exclusive performances, the programmes will also show highlights from previous festivals and other festival related features.
BBC ALBA has been at the forefront of adapting to these unusual circumstances and acted quickly to organise ‘virtual’ music performances from the homes of not just Scottish musicians, but musicians from around the world.
Margaret Cameron, Channel Editor at MG ALBA, said: “When we knew we weren’t going to be able to broadcast live from music festivals and gigs, we moved fast to think of creative ways to continue to bring festival fun and music to our audience.
“We wanted to create music programmes that people can watch from the comfort of their own homes while still maintaining that sense of community and shared experience that you get from attending live events.”
BBC ALBA’s regular festival presenters, Fiona Mackenzie and Niall Iain MacDonald, will recreate the festival vibe from the comfort of Fiona’s garden.
Belladrum 2020 : Air Chuairt will showcase a mix of new performance and archive music with a special programme earlier in the evening looking at what makes the Belladrum festival special.
With recordings of Edwyn Collins, Julie Fowlis, Rachel Sermanni, Peat & Diesel, The East Pointers and KT Tunstall, plus top headliners from the Belladrum Festival over the years.
Tiree Music Festival 2020: Air Chuairt features new music from Skerryvore, Be Charlotte and Callum Beattie, alongside classic archive performances, Tiree-based artists and festival features.
Fiona and Niall Iain will also host a special Tide Lines festival experience, including a no-audience ‘gig’ at SWG3 and exclusive socially distant performances from their own homes.
The Glasgow folk-rock-pop quartet Tide Lines have been enjoying success recently with their second album storming into the UK album charts and reaching Number 1 in the Official Scottish Album Chart.
Rounding-up the summer of music on BBC ALBA are a collection of music-based programmes with wide appeal.
Ceòlas| A’ Chèilidh Mhòr takes viewers on a trip to Uist for a dip into a virtual ceilidh with some of the main performers and tutors at the South Uist music and culture festival.
There will be also be another chance to see the superb Peat & Diesel programmes broadcast earlier this year and a new programme will show previously unseen footage of Colin MacLeod recorded over a year highlighting his experiences supporting Robert Plant at the O2 to the SXSW Music festival in Texas. And BBC ALBA’s summer of music has already begun with an eight-part series starting last Friday, Ceòl Dùthchasach/Ken Burns’s Country Music, chronicling the history of country music in America, featuring Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Dolly Parton, Emmylou Harris and Garth Brooks, amongst many others.
Ceòl Dùthchasach/Ken Burns’s Country Music – started Friday, July 3, 9pm for 8 weeks
Tiree Music Festival 2020: Air Chuairt – Saturday, July 11, 9pm
Ceòlas| A’ Chèilidh Mhòr – Friday, July 17, 8pm
Colin MacLeod Music – Thursday, July 16, 10pm
Peat & Diesel: That’s the Way we do it! – Saturday, July 18, 9pm
Peat & Diesel: From the Barrow to the Barrowlands – Saturday, July 18, 10.30pm
Tide Lines: Air Chuairt – Saturday, July 25, 9pm
Belladrum 2020: Air Chuairt– starts Saturday, August 1, 9pm
The Chair of MG ALBA has announced that a series of strategic discussions have been taking place with a focus on the aims and expectations for the future of Gaelic broadcasting.The Scottish Government is facilitating these discussions which also involve the UK Government, Ofcom and the BBC.
Writing in the organisation’s Annual Report 2019-20, released today, chair Allan MacDonald sets out MG ALBA’s bold vision to build a clear way forward, based on ‘partnership and collaboration’ whilst being mindful of the enormous challenges that the media sector is likely to face in the next decade.
Today’s report also reveals that MG ALBA’s strategy to build a network of international co-production partnerships has delivered a significant return on investment. For an investment of £635,000, BBC ALBA has been able to broadcast an additional £3.1m of original content.
These relationships have also given the channel a platform on the world stage including MG ALBA’s announcement last week of nine countries sharing BBC ALBA content this summer.
Despite the success of this global approach, the combined contributions of MG ALBA and the BBC enabled 1.8 hours of original programme per day, versus 1.9 hours the previous year.
BBC ALBA’s Gaelic audience appreciation figures have risen year on year (8.5/10 versus 8.4/10) as did national audience figures (7.7/10 versus 7.4/10). Gaelic audience linear reach fell slightly to 56.9% (59.4%) and national audience reach also slipped marginally to 9.7% (10.3%).
Importantly, though, MG ALBA continues to build a multi-platform approach, which is reaping dividends. The appointment of Iseabail Mactaggart as the organisation’s first Director of Multi-platform Content consolidated an approach which has seen a rise in BBC iPlayer viewing (5%) and 79% growth across social and digital platforms.
Live programming has been a huge part of MG ALBA’s approach for BBC ALBA. Original music has featured prominently, with Belladrum, Na Trads, Cèilidh na Bliadhna Ùire, Còisir Eurovision, TRNSMT and BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician of The Year, the 2019 Royal National Mòd, Gradam Ceoil music awards, Celtic Connections and Seirm all entertaining audiences.
The channel also consolidated its position as the home of Scottish women’s sport, broadcasting Scotland’s matches at the FIFA Women’s World Cup, European women’s club ties and covering domestic women’s football as well as international and domestic rugby and curling.
LearnGaelic, which launched a new website earlier in the year, saw a stunning 43% rise in its users.
MG ALBA Chair Allan MacDonald comments:
“This year’s Annual Report underlines the significant challenges that MG ALBA faces, particularly when it comes to delivering our partnership with BBC ALBA. The reality is that as budgets tighten in real terms, we are having to be ever more inventive in how we create original programming.
“That we are delivering exceptional multi-platform content, building digital audiences, increasing audience appreciation, and encouraging more people than ever to engage with Gaelic is exciting.
“I welcome direct engagement with the Scottish Government, UK Government, Ofcom and the BBC which gives us hope that we can find a path which helps deliver the transformational change in model that is required to help secure the brightest possible future for Gaelic Media.
“Our aim is to ensure that there is a well-resourced and clear directional pathway based on partnership and collaboration, robust enough to deal with the challenges and opportunities that will lie ahead in the next decade in a very volatile media climate.”
Donald Campbell, Chief Executive at MG ALBA says:
“The discussions on Public Service Broadcasting are important for the future of Gaelic media for many reasons, including the future funding of the BBC and the policy provisions that are required for Gaelic broadcasting.
“In the coming year, we will dedicate a significant portion of our energies to clarifying and strengthening the policy foundations of Gaelic media in this increasingly fragmented and competitive multi-platform media environment.
“We will continue to seek certainty of funding to deliver a future multiplatform Gaelic media service, building on current high levels of content satisfaction in order to increase audience, language, cultural, social and economic impacts.”
