The winners of the MG ALBA Scots Trad Music Awards emerged last night (7th December) at Aberdeen Music Hall in a live-broadcast ceremony honouring the year’s most exceptional traditional musical talent.
Produced by Hands Up for Trad, the evening celebrated Scotland’s rich cultural heritage and flourishing folk scene. Hosted by world-renowned Gaelic singer, Mary Ann Kennedy and award-winning musician, Kim Carnie; guests enjoyed stellar live performances by trad music heroes’ including Skerryvore, Session A9, Benedict Morris, Heisk and Sian during the sold-out ceremony.
The biggest award, The Belhaven Bursary for Innovation in Scottish Music in association with Showcase Scotland Expo supports the winner to progress unique ideas and empower creation. Financially matched only by the Mercury Prize, the prestigious fund of £25,000 was awarded to Kinnaris Quintet, making them the first all-female band to win the prize.
Breabach were presented with the Album of the Year Award for their sixth album, Frenzy of the Meeting.
Presenter on the night Mary Ann Kennedy scooped up Gaelic Singer of the Year sponsored by The Highland Society of London.
Adding to her list of Trad Award accolades Jenna Reid won Composer of the Year battling against an all-female shortlist. Jenna’s group Blazin’ Fiddles were also awarded Folk Band of the Year. In 2005 Jenna won best up and coming artist and two years later she was nominated for best instrumentalist.
Following ten consecutive sell outs, Tiree Music Festival picked up the award for Event of the Year. The popular and deserving winner has contributed £6.4 million to the small island economy.
Dubbed by Rolling Stone as ‘forward-thinking folk music’ Man of the Minch took home The Up and Coming Artist of The Year award, which recognises fresh and promising talent.
After a whirlwind year of wowing crowds at Belladrum and preparing to kick off 2020 with sold-out shows across the UK, trio PEAT & DIESEL picked up the award for Live Act of the Year.
Club of the Year went to Sutherland Sessions, a newly formed organisation who provide opportunities for young local musicians to play live music and bring local, national & international musicians to Sutherland.
The sought-after Citty Finlayson Scots Singer of the Year sponsored by Traditional Music and Song Association went to Steve Byrne.
The evening was broadcast live on BBC ALBA and is repeated Sunday 8th December at 8.55pm with unseen footage shown on a special highlight show on 27th December at 9pm.
Event founder and promoter, Simon Thoumire, said: “It has been another fabulous year at the MG ALBA Scots Trad Music Awards. Another great set of winners which include all the new Scots Trad Music Industry Award winners as well! Our scene is in good shape!”
Communications Manager for MG ALBA, Murdo MacSween, said: “It’s been another wonderful year for Scottish traditional music, and we’re delighted that MG ALBA was yet again at the heart of this celebration of our world-class talent. BBC ALBA is an amazing platform for the fantastic acts recognised tonight and we look forward to continuing to showcase them on our screens in the years to come.”
Alan Morrison, Head of Music, Creative Scotland said: “Yet again Na Trads prove that Scotland has an age-old music which lives and breathes in the 21st century. This year’s winners include grassroots heroes and international stars, acts who have blazed a trail for decades and others who are just starting out on a promising career. Congratulations to them all – and to every one of the nominees who make our music the envy of the world.
Congratulations too to Iain Ruari Finlayson, winner of the Youth Music Initiative’s Music Tutor of the Year award, whose work with Skye Youth Pipe Band takes Scotland’s most distinctive instrument to the next generation of players.”
Gordon Muir, Marketing Controller at Belhaven Brewery said: “We are thrilled to award this year’s Belhaven Bursary for Innovation in Scottish Music to Kinnaris Quintet. Their musical range, innovative arrangements and vibrant stage presence stood out among an amazingly talented shortlist. Since coming together in 2017, Kinnaris Quintet have brought a fresh energy to the trad scene and we look forward to the Bursary helping them spring to the next level.
It has been inspiring once again to see the depth and breadth of innovation in the Scottish folk music scene, with an array of brilliant artists weaving in inspiration from all sorts of genres and cultures to create exciting new sounds.
Belhaven Brewery are proud of our links with this wonderful scene with which we see so much in common – inspired by our traditions and roots, which we use to spur our imagination to create new beers and new music that bring people together for great times. We are very excited about working with Kinnaris Quintet in 2020 and can’t wait to see where the journey takes us.”
Stuart Fleming, PRS for Music Senior Membership Manager, Scotland & Northern Ireland, said: “Congratulations to all of the nominees and worthy winners. It’s great to see such diverse talent recognised at the MG ALBA Scots Trad Music Awards which continue to showcase the incredible writing and creative talent within the Scottish traditional music community. PRS for Music is proud to once again support the Composer of the Year Award – especially this year with all the nominees being exciting female composers.”
The evening also included a number of exclusive recognitions including The Hamish Henderson Services to Traditional Music Award Sponsored by Edinburgh Folk Club where Dr. Peter Cooke was praised.
The Services to Gaelic Award, Sponsored by Bòrd na Gàidhlig, was presented to Anne Soutar.
The Janet Paisley Services to Scots Language Sponsored by Scots Radio was presented to Sheena Blackhall, well known for her poetry.
The evening continued through to the early hours with Ceilidh Minogue and The House of Song led by Doris Rougvie.
Full winners list is as follows:
Album of the Year sponsored by Birnam CD
Frenzy of the Meeting by Breabach
The Belhaven Bursary for Innovation in Scottish Music in association with Showcase Scotland Expo
Kinnaris Quintet
Club of the Year sponsored by Traditional Arts and Culture Scotland
Sutherland Sessions
Composer of the Year sponsored by PRS for Music
Jenna Reid
Community Project of the Year sponsored by SKIPINNISH
SEALL Festival of Small Halls
Event of the Year sponsored by VisitScotland
Tiree Music Festival
Gaelic Singer of the Year sponsored by The Highland Society of London
Mary Ann Kennedy
Musician of the Year sponsored by The University of the Highlands and Islands
Jenn Butterworth
Live Act of the Year sponsored by Greentrax Recordings
Peat and Diesel
Citty Finlayson Scots Singer of the Year sponsored by Traditional Music and Song Association
Steve Byrne
Scottish Dance Band of the Year sponsored by National Association of Accordion and Fiddle Clubs
The Cruickshank Family Band
Scottish Folk Band of the Year sponsored by Threads of Sound
Blazin’ Fiddles
Scottish Pipe Band of the Year sponsored by Gordon Duncan Memorial Trust
Inverary and District Pipe Band
Trad Video of the Year Sponsored by Ceòlas Uibhist
Heroes by Tide Lines
Music Tutor of the Year sponsored by Creative Scotland’s Youth Music Initiative
Iain Ruari Finlayson, Skye Schools
Up and Coming Artist of the Year sponsored by Royal Conservatoire of Scotland
Man of the Minch
Venue of the Year Award sponsored by Musicians’ Union
An Tobar (Mull)
The Hamish Henderson Services to Traditional Music Award Sponsored by Edinburgh Folk Club
Dr. Peter Cooke
Services to Gaelic Sponsored by Bòrd na Gàidhlig
Anne Soutar
The Janet Paisley Services to Scots Language Sponsored by Scots Radio
Sheena Blackhall
BBC ALBA this week hosted broadcasters from around the world as part of a European Broadcasting Union (EBU) event screening new children’s drama and documentaries.
The BBC, which operates BBC ALBA in partnership with MG ALBA, has been a long-time partner with the EBU, which brought the 11 different nations to the BBC in Glasgow.
Within the scheme, broadcasters are required to make 15-minute programmes all set to a common theme and which are directed specifically for ease of international versioning. The partners are then freely allowed to broadcast the other nations’ selection on their own platforms.
The drama programmes all followed the common theme of “Tell me a Secret”, whilst the documentary programmes were inspired by the phrase “I can do it”.
Broadcasters visited from Spain, Germany, Japan, Finland, Serbia, Portugal, Czech Republic, Slovenia, Bulgaria, Croatia and Ireland.
MG ALBA’s Commissioning Editor, Bill MacLeod, chaired the proceedings over the two days. Bill said:
“It’s been great having our international partners here at our Glasgow base, exchanging ideas and perspectives. It’s a really creative forum that produces the very best international films for children, something which is hugely important for BBC ALBA and for children who want excellent Gaelic programming.
“Creating children’s content like this can be so universally relatable and appealing. Whether in Gaelic, German or Japanese, children will understand and appreciate the themes and messages in each of these stories.”
BBC ALBA have taken part in the drama scheme for the past three years and last year’s selection Buidheagain, by Sorbier Productions, won Best Children’s Programme at the RTS Scotland awards.
Rùn / Private Pet, this year’s Gaelic drama, is a quirky comedy about listening and learning, in which a mischievous deaf boy’s world is transformed thanks to a four-legged friend who becomes the “ears” he never had.
This year, BBC ALBA are newly entering the children’s documentary scheme with Balach aig a’ Mhullach / Boy at the Top, a breath-taking documentary charting a boy’s attempt to climb the equivalent of Everest – mountain by mountain!
Glasgow-based production company Sorbier Productions were successful with both these commissions and recently announced extra funding from the BFI’s Young Audience Content Fund.
Patsi MacKenzie, director of Sorbier Productions, said:
“Working with partners across Europe has been a hugely enriching experience as a producer as well as for Sorbier and our freelance colleagues. The whole process is collaborative throughout, and we’re thrilled to be at the heart of such a diverse, multi-lingual film scheme.”
Phillis Fermer, Executive Producer on the children’s documentary series of the EBU said:
“It was a fabulous year working with our colleagues from all around Europe and Japan on the documentaries and we’ve delivered 10 very strong yet different films. The protagonists of our documentaries are from different countries, cultures and social backgrounds, but what they all have in common is that they are children around the same age all facing their own personal challenges and fighting to manage them. The films are emotional and informative and show the audience in each broadcasting country that we are one world.”
Beryl Richards, Executive Producer on the children’s drama series of the EBU, said:
“It’s wonderful to see the coming together of different nationalities at our drama series meetings, and it makes me realise that we all speak and understand the same creative language. And with this shared understanding we make better and better films.
MG ALBA, the Gaelic Media Service, has today (Tuesday, 3rd December 2019) announced Iseabail Mactaggart as its Director of Multiplatform Content, as part of changes designed to further increase the organisation’s focus on delivering high impact content in a rapidly changing media environment, and to build on successful collaboration and innovations undertaken to date.
Iseabail Mactaggart was previously Director of Strategy and Partnership and leads the commissioning and strategic development of Gaelic content for BBC ALBA and its digital platforms, as well as on FilmG and LearnGaelic. The changes will also see the promotion of Fiona MacKenzie to the role of Assistant Commissioner, Digital. The objective of this new brief is to grow BBC ALBA’s short-form content provision and social media engagement, building on the successful work of MG ALBA’s Digital Hub over the past two years. The changes are designed to ensure a multiplatform outlook informs all content decision-making.
Donald Campbell, MG ALBA Chief Executive said: “The new designations signify MG ALBA’s commitment to the development and growth of Gaelic media content in all its forms. The successes already enjoyed by Iseabail, Fiona and colleagues, alongside the BBC ALBA creative community, will be built on – including BBC ALBA’s historically high appreciation levels, record number of awards and fast-growing digital media viewership. This year also saw MG ALBA enter into its highest ever levels of international collaborations, delivering significant value to Gaelic audiences – an achievement the MG ALBA team will seek to grow further.
“These new roles will ensure MG ALBA is positioned to stake the place of Gaelic media in a fast-changing media environment as best we can, to take full advantage of the opportunities to collaborate and to innovate, and to face the future with confidence.”
BBC ALBA has today (29th November) announced a collaboration with Korean partners to co-produce a new series of documentaries.
MG ALBA, which operates BBC ALBA in partnership with the BBC, signed a memorandum of agreement in Amsterdam with broadcasters and producers from four different countries – including JTV (Jeonju Television).
Irish broadcaster TG4 and Welsh production company Cwmni Da completed the line-up for the international co-production, currently titled Rain Stories.
Rain Stories will be co-produced with Stornoway based producer MacTV and Belfast based producer Below the Radar, with production planned for spring 2020 and broadcast on BBC ALBA in 2021.
The announcement demonstrates MG ALBA’s strategic commitment to international co-production partnerships for the creation of distinctive, world class content.
This approach has already delivered success. Previous co-production An Làn / Tide secured BBC ALBA’s first Chinese awards recognition with a Silver Dragon prize at the China International Conference of Science and Education Producers (CICSEP) in October.
The series, which aired on BBC ALBA earlier this year, showcased the strength and impact of tides and was made in partnership with S4C, TG4, BBC NI, LiC China, Skyvision and MG ALBA with the production companies MacTV and Cwmni Da filming across Europe, Canada and China as well as in Scotland, Ireland, Northern Ireland and Wales.
Another BBC ALBA international project, Power of Yoik recently won a Documentary Film Prize at the Nordische Filmtage awards, in Lübeck, Germany. Initially produced in Gaelic by TrixPix Media in South Uist, the international version has been screened around the world.
Margaret Cameron, MG ALBA Channel Editor, said:
“International co-productions are vital for BBC ALBA and showcasing content from Gaelic communities alongside Chinese, Canadian and European stories confirms the universality of our broadcasting. Agreements like this bring huge investment to the world of BBC ALBA both in terms of content but also for our independent production sector.”
Seumas Mactaggart, Head of Production & Development at MacTV said
“We are delighted to see An Làn / Tide being recognised with an international award. This is one of a number of international co-productions we’ve been involved in over recent years, and we’ve embraced the opportunity to connect with other ambitious companies in Northern Ireland, Wales, Ireland, Canada and Iceland.
“As storytellers, we are creating programmes that can resonate with people the world over, and it’s important that with support from MG ALBA, that we are able to get our stories to the international market.”
Filmmaker Beatrix Wood said:
“Finding ways to tell a story so that it resonates for both a local and an international audience is at the heart of what TrixPixMedia does. The different versions of “Power of Yoik” enabled the film to honour the Gaelic audience and reach different audiences worldwide. The film will be screened at Anchorage International Film Festival in Alaska in December.”
BBC ALBA is one of six UK broadcasters to reveal it has secured funding from the new Young Audiences Content Fund (YACF), which is managed by the BFI and made possible with up to £57m Government funding.
Funding is in place for two live action specials for 8-11 year-olds in Scottish Gaelic, helping to ensure this key cultural community is celebrated in young people’s programming and young Gaelic-speaking children are reflected on screen.
This comes as the YACF announces its first slate of production and development awards, indicating the significant positive impact it is having on the sector. In just six months, the Fund is co-funding a mix of nine series and specials, across six broadcasters: Channel 5, ITV, BBC ALBA, S4C, TG4 and Sky.
This exciting initial slate embraces all techniques, genres and audiences, from factual entertainment for preschoolers to gripping drama for teens. It is also contributing to the Fund’s 5% target for indigenous language content.
Sorbier Productions will make two programmes for BBC ALBA:
Additionally, Paper Owl Films Ltd will make SOL, a co-commission from BBC ALBA, S4C and TG4:
The wider slate includes: factual live action shows Meet the Experts (Channel 5’s Milkshake!) and How! (CITV), plus FYI News Specials (Fresh News TV, Sky News, Sky Kids), alongside live action dramas, Person/A (S4C) and Y Gyfrinach/The Secret (S4C). Also funded are preschool mixed media drama such as Mimi’s World (Channel 5’s Milkshake!).
BBC ALBA – which is operated by MG ALBA in partnership with the BBC – is benefiting from an increasingly innovative approach to funding new content.
Culture Secretary Nicky Morgan said:
“I am delighted with the positive impact of the Young Audiences Content Fund in its first six months. We need to continue to produce home-grown and original content that inspires our younger generation and is representative of the world they live in.
“It’s fantastic to see the Fund is helping really creative and inspiring projects happen and I encourage broadcasters to continue in their positive engagement with it.”
Jackie Edwards, Head of the Young Audiences Content Fund, said:
“We have been thrilled by the quality of the applications, but it is the commitment and level of partnership from the Broadcasters that is helping ensure the positive impact of the Fund. By them seizing the opportunities the Fund offers, and opening up their schedules and their budgets, we are bringing brilliant new content to children and young people. I am truly excited by what we can achieve together, and having awarded almost £3.8m in the first months of the Fund, I am confident we can do so much more!”
Iseabail Mactaggart, Director of Strategy and Partnerships at MG ALBA, which operates BBC ALBA in partnership with the BBC said:
“We’re delighted that BBC ALBA and Gaelic-speaking children have been able to benefit from the Young Audiences Content Fund. The specific funding for non-English UK languages like Gaelic and Welsh is hugely supportive and it’s inspiring that one of our suppliers has been so successful during the early stages of the fund. Sorbier has been creating award-winning children’s programming for a number of years and access to UK and international funds are what brings these projects to fruition. Gaelic medium education is growing in Scotland and having live-action children’s programming like this is vital for those children, their families and the education system.”
YACF has also made 15 Development Awards for a number of ambitious projects signalling this is just a taste of things to come from UK talent working in this space. The YACF was devised to reinvigorate the sector and is set to be a game changer in the creation of high-quality new original programming for children and young people on free-to-access, Ofcom regulated services.
Addressing a historic lack of investment in content creation for this age group, the Fund is backing projects that entertain, inform and reflect young audiences’ experiences of growing up across the UK today, driving plurality in the sector by stimulating public service broadcasters to invest into this content for young audiences.
Since the Fund launched in April 2019, it has been embraced by the UK production community, with over 120 applications and counting. Enthusiasm from producers and broadcasters alike has led to greenlighting these initial nine shows, and signals a very positive start to the three-year pilot.
The slate is successfully responding to the areas of concern outlined by Ofcom’s Children’s Content Review, with the majority of awards going to programmes specifically made for older children, content to help young people understand the world around them and a chance to see their UK children’s lives, in all its diversity, reflected on screen.
To find out more about the Young Audiences Content Fund, please visit: www.bfi.org.uk/yacf
Hands Up for Trad, organising body of MG ALBA Scots Trad Music Awards, has announced the artists and bands shortlisted for 2019’s prestigious awards, with voting opening 10am on Monday 4th November.
A staple in the traditional music calendar, the ceremony will this year take place in Aberdeen Music Hall on Saturday 7th December at 7pm and with tickets flying fast the awards will be broadcast live on BBC ALBA and streamed worldwide at bbc.co.uk/alba.
Presented by Mary Ann Kennedy and Kim Carnie, the high impact evening of awards decided by industry experts will include exciting live music performances by Skerryvore, the current BBC Radio Scotland Young Musician of the year, Benedict Morris, Heisk, Aberdeenshire Youth Band, Kris Drever, Sian and Robyn Stapleton.
Also punctuating the renowned annual Awards ceremony which famously has the audience up on its feet will be Session A9, Mairi Campbell and the Pendulum Band (of Sex and the City’s Auld Lang Syne fame), and Susan MacFadyen Scottish Dance Band.
Event founder and promoter, Simon Thoumire, said: “As always, the Trad Awards amaze me. It shows the strength of the scene, breadth of talent and sheer scale of the industry. We are really excited to announce two new awards this year, each with important recognition; The Trad Video of The Year and Musician of The Year.”
Among the seventeen Awards up for grabs is the mighty Belhaven Bursary for Innovation. The largest cash prize in Scottish music, financially matched only by the Mercury Prize, it rewards innovative musicians with a career-changing investment of £25,000 to support the winning act to progress unique ideas and empower creation. Previous winners were Elephant Sessions in 2017, and Talisk in 2018. On top of this, the award is also accompanied by the brewing of a collaboration ale with the winner’s name, alongside an appearance at the legendary Belhaven Brewery Post Parade Party in New York during Tartan Week. The Belhaven fund is supported by Showcase Scotland Expo, an organisation backing the international development of Scottish-based artists, in association with Creative Scotland, and the bursary is awarded to bands or artists chosen through a panel of industry experts.
Tickets are priced £25 (+ Booking Fee), and Concessions are available via Aberdeen Music Hall Box Office on 01224 641122, or visit their website.
Communications Manager for MG ALBA, Murdo MacSween, said: “It’s a really exciting time for trad music in Scotland and MG ALBA are delighted to support this world-class talent. These acts are all fantastic ambassadors for Scotland, our indigenous languages and our strong cultural identities and it’s fantastic that we can champion them like this.”
Alan Morrison, Head of Music, Creative Scotland said: “I never cease to be amazed by the sheer breadth of talent in every category of the MG ALBA Scots Trad Music Awards. These are the people who keep Scotland’s musical heritage alive at a grassroots level by kindling the community spirit, the people who put Scotland on the global map by taking our most distinctive music out around the world. Creative Scotland is proud to sponsor the Music Tutor of the Year Award on behalf of the Youth Music Initiative – there’s nothing more exciting than passing our traditions on to the next generation and seeing how they make our age-old music their own.”
Gordon Muir, Marketing Controller at Belhaven Brewery said: “Belhaven are delighted to be supporting the Scottish traditional music scene with the third edition of the Belhaven Bursary. This scene is full of exciting talent and we’re thrilled to be able to help encourage its continued innovation through this prize, which will give another great act a chance to grow their profile and invest in taking new creative risks. The standard of artists on the shortlist is outstanding and we’re really looking forward to working with the winners over the year ahead.”
Stuart Fleming, PRS for Music Senior Membership Manager, Scotland & Northern Ireland, said: “We’re delighted to be partnering the MG ALBA Scots Trad Music Awards once again. In particular, it’s fantastic that four of our most exciting female composers have been shortlisted for the PRS for Music Composer of the Year Award and I wish them all the best of luck”.
The Shortlist is:
Album of the Year sponsored by Birnam CD
Belhaven Bursary for Innovation
Club of the Year, sponsored by Traditional Arts and Culture Scotland (TRACS)
Composer of the Year, sponsored by PRS for Music
Community Project of the Year
Event of the Year, sponsored by VisitScotland
Gaelic Singer of the Year, sponsored by The Highland Society of London
Musician of the Year, sponsored by The University of the Highlands and Islands
Live Act of the Year, sponsored by Greentrax Recordings
Citty Finlayson Scots Singer of the Year, sponsored by Traditional Music and Song Association Award
Scottish Dance Band of the Year, sponsored by National Association of Accordion and Fiddle Clubs
Scottish Folk Band of the Year, sponsored by Threads of Sound
Scottish Pipe Band of the Year, sponsored by the Gordon Duncan Memorial Trust
Trad Video of the Year
Music Tutor of the Year, sponsored by Creative Scotland’s Youth Music Initiative
Up and Coming Artist of the Year, sponsored by Royal Conservatoire of Scotland
Venue of the Year, sponsored by Musicians’ Union
Ahead of an ambitious project to attract more people to Gaelic, LearnGaelic has today (Thursday 10th October) launched a redesigned website at the University of Glasgow as part of the Embracing change: The Future of Gaelic in a Global & Digital Age seminar for the Royal National Mod.
Created in 2011, LearnGaelic has become a constant companion for Gaelic learners, with tools and resources useful to all levels of Gaelic proficiency.
With 30,000 unique users currently visiting the site every month, this is expected to grow as a result of developments specifically designed to improve the learning experience.
Users will soon be able to quickly assess their own level of fluency to find the most suitable resources.
All levels of Gaelic learner are catered for, from absolute beginner to advanced fluency, and users can quickly and easily continue their learning journey straight from the website homepage.
LearnGaelic follows the new CLAG proficiency scale which will formally launch in early 2020. Developed by the University of Glasgow as part of the Soillse network and with support from Aberdeen University, the scale will help assess Gaelic speaking abilities for both learners and tutors and will help aid structured learning.
New videos have been produced for the website to aid pronunciation and also to inspire prospective learners to begin their own Gaelic learning adventure.
The site includes videos featuring learners who highlight different learning pathways, providing a roadmap for others who are beginning their journey into Gaelic.
LearnGaelic is a partnership of MG ALBA, Bòrd na Gàidhlig, Sabhal Mòr Ostaig, Bòrd na Ceiltis (Alba) as represented by Glasgow University, the BBC and other organisations with a role in promoting the use and learning of Gaelic. The site is operated by MG ALBA.
For more information visit: LearnGaelic.Scot and give Gaelic a go!
Quotes
Donald Campbell, CEO of MG ALBA and chair of the LearnGaelic steering group, said: “LearnGaelic is already a valuable tool for users of Gaelic but now learners at every level will be able to call upon a wealth of resources in a structured and guided manner. Every single learner will have a fantastic opportunity to find resources for them. This relaunch is a huge step in the right direction for the growth of Gaelic.”
Shona MacLennan, Chief Executive of Bòrd na Gàidhlig, said, “We are delighted that LearnGaelic.Scot will follow the CLAG framework as a basis, giving clear guidance to people aiming to strengthen their Gaelic skills and to tutors. Ultimately, we aim to increase the number of people using Gaelic language and in a wider range of settings and LearnGaelic.Scot, with CLAG as a foundation will help to achieve this aim. Bòrd na Gàidhlig, in partnership with the Scottish Funding Council and the University of Glasgow, provided funding to develop the CLAG project. We would like to thank the entire team at Glasgow and Aberdeen Universities for delivering this resource.”
Margaret Mary Murray, Head of Gaelic Services at the BBC, said: “LearnGaelic is a fabulous resource for learners of all ages and stages and this refresh offers a systematic approach to learning and optimal convenience within a very attractive site. As users of LearnGaelic grow in fluency, competency and confidence we will welcome and value contributions to, and interaction with, our broadcast services, BBC Radio nan Gaidheal and BBC ALBA.”
Professor Rob Ó Maolalaigh, Vice Principal and Head of the College of Arts, Professor of Gaelic and PI of the CLAG project said: “My colleague Dr Nicola Carty and I have been delighted to work on this exciting project helping to encourage more people to learn Gaelic. We look forward to releasing new resources in the New Year through LearnGaelic to further support speakers, learners and teachers of Gaelic. By increasing levels of Gaelic proficiency, we will hopefully see more speakers using Gaelic in a wider range of contexts in their daily lives. As well as supporting the development of existing Gaelic skills, we hope that this in turn will encourage others to take up Gaelic and help increase the numbers of speakers.”
Five companies have been selected to receive business development support through a unique partnership between FOCUS and MG ALBA.
FOCUS announced the partnership with MG ALBA in July this year and BBC ALBA suppliers were invited to apply to receive free business support by submitting an application on the FOCUS website.
Following a competitive process, the five final companies selected to take part are Bees Nees Media, Caledonia TV Productions, Corcadal Productions, MacTV and Mast-Ard Studio.
A total of £10k has been allocated to provide fully-funded access to specialist commercial affairs support and mentoring. This will mean an opportunity for the companies to review their company’s contracts or intellectual property, and may involve setting up effective processes and workflows.
FOCUS is a two-year pilot project that provides expert sector specific business support to screen production companies working in Scotland. By investing in targeted, sector specific business support the project aims to create a stronger, more resilient screen sector, with companies well equipped to take advantage of the evolving opportunities for content creators in a changing market. FOCUS is delivered by Film City Futures in partnership with Scottish Documentary Institute, and supported by Screen Scotland partners Creative Scotland and Scottish Enterprise.
In recent years, MG ALBA has negotiated new content for BBC ALBA through innovative international deals led by its suppliers. A series of agreements created £5.2m worth of high-quality programmes for Scotland’s Gaelic-language television channel.
Broadcast consultancy collective The Televators, run by Kirstie McLure and Nikki Tilley, have been contracted to deliver business affairs support to the participating companies. The Televators will now start work with the five companies to help them take advantage of the evolving opportunities for content creators in an ever-changing market. The result may mean growing international networks and the possibilities of further business in other territories, as well as the domestic market.
Iseabail Mactaggart, MG ALBA’s Director of Strategy and Partnership, said: “Working closely with our suppliers and FOCUS means that we can further strengthen the internationalisation of the BBC ALBA supply sector. This strategy gives BBC ALBA access to great content but also enables our suppliers to build networks in other other markets that could benefit our sector economically. These co-production and co-finance agreements are crucial for stimulating growth and expanding our creative horizons.”
For more information, visit: https://www.filmcityfutures.com/mgalba
A BBC ALBA documentary was last night screened at FIN Atlantic Film Festival in Canada.
Filmed over 3 years by independent company TrixPixMedia, San Fhuil / It’s in the Blood is an intimate portrait of the crofting calendar on the Hebridean island of South Uist, both past and present.
Film-maker Beatrix Wood has made a name for herself by creating documentaries based on the people, culture and nature of the islands and especially the close harmony with the land.
Beatrix said: “Sculpting stories to work for local, national and international audiences and for interest groups has been at the centre of my work ever since I left film school. We had a hugely enthusiastic response to the original series when it was broadcast on BBC ALBA and are excited to see this film make its way out into the international market.”
In the documentary, the contemporary action is interwoven with archive film and photographs, offering a rare insight that evolves like the layers of memory and life stories that the main characters share.
FIN Atlantic International Film Festival is an eight-day celebration of film and media from around the world. It’s a festival that turns Halifax—a charming and historic coastal city—into an international mecca for the arts, abuzz with film lovers and filmmakers alike.
Only two weeks ago BBC ALBA’s animation Tha thu air Aigeann m’ Inntinn was screened at the Cannes Short Film Festival and the channel saw great success at the recent RTS Scotland awards, winning four prizes.
Iseabail Mactaggart, Director of Strategy and Partnerships at MG ALBA, which operates BBC ALBA in partnership with the BBC, said: “This demonstrates the resonance that BBC ALBA’s content has internationally. We have stories that can only be told in our communities and through the medium of Gaelic. These awards and festival appearances help to spread that message and in turn increase the opportunities for international funding and co-productions.”
A fascinating documentary about President Trump’s Scottish mother is one of several programmes screening this Autumn which demonstrate BBC ALBA’s confident transition into its second decade.
The documentary, Màthair a’ Chinn-suidhe: Trump’s Mother, uncovers the story of Mary Anne MacLeod Trump’s early life, and her emigration from the Hebridean island of Lewis to the ‘land of the free’.
The feature-length documentary includes unprecedented access to correspondence with her childhood pen-pal Agnes Stiven, which reveals the adversity overcome by Gaelic-speaking Mary Anne MacLeod Trump.
The popularity of Gaelic medium education in urban Scotland is seeing a new generation of Gaelic speaking millennials which the mini-series Na Millenni-Gaels has captured.
Across four programmes the channel follows seven next generation Gaels over six months, experiencing life-changing rites of passage like parenthood, learning to drive and even dabbling in a little pole-dancing.
Strong and engaging factual programmes are a hallmark of BBC ALBA’s schedule. The award winning Trusadh series resumes with an exploration the challenges of living in rural and small-town Scotland for the LGBTQ+ community.
BBC ALBA continues to highlight inspirational sporting life stories with an emotionally charged programme on the life of Elena Baltacha, the British No1 tennis star who died from liver cancer in 2014 aged just 30.
The documentary will feature contributions from Elena’s mentor, Judy Murray as well as family and friends.
BBC ALBA’s trail-blazing coverage of Scottish women’s sport will deliver regular coverage of domestic and international women’s football fixtures charting the progress of Scotland’s teams in the Champion’s League and Euro Championship qualifiers.
An impressive array of new Gaelic talent has contributed, on screen and in the production of, the rich mix of BBC ALBA’s autumn programmes.
Actor Màiri MacLennan stars in headline shows Trump’s Mother, and in the eagerly anticipated new series of Bannan, alongside Lana Pheutan, who also appears in the Royal Television Society of Scotland award-winning comedy sketch show FUNC.
The hit comedy FUNC has become must-see TV for the BBC ALBA audience, and with its rambunctious young cast and flourishing writing team, fans can expect the new series to be a runaway success on TV and social media.
Margaret Mary Murray, BBC ALBA’s Head of Service, said: “It is really inspiring to see this next generation of talent in front and behind the camera, creating fabulous content for BBC ALBA. I hope audiences will enjoy the thrilling drama, the landmark documentaries and the continuing brilliance of FUNC, all of which will be on offer this autumn on ALBA.
BBC ALBA’s new autumn programmes start from Monday 16 September and Màthair a’ Chinn-suidhe: Trump’s Mother will broadcast at 9pm on Tuesday 17 September.
