A fortnight of folklore-inspired drama was enjoyed by participants at this year’s Gaelic Drama Summer School which took place in Portree between the 3rd and 15th of July.
The residential school, supported by Bòrd na Gàidhlig, Creative Scotland, Highlands and Islands Enterprise and Highland Council, is aimed at fluent Gaelic speakers aged 13-18 years.
A talented team of Gaelic-speaking tutors led the 14 participants, directed by David Walker who is well known for his acting work on stage and in BBC Alba’s Gaelic drama series Bannan.
Specialist workshops in creative writing and puppetry were delivered by Catriona Lexy Campbell from Theatre Galore and Glasgow-based puppeteer Gavin Glover from Potato Room Productions.
Fèisean nan Gàidheal’s Drama Officer Angus Macleod, who co-ordinates the project, commented:
“Folklore and superstition were this year’s inspiration for the School’s performance, which was devised and scripted during the fortnight. Both participants and tutors worked hard to produce a showcase of their work entitled ‘Tradition’. This was performed in Plockton as part of Fèis Alba’s Family Ceilidh on Thursday 13th July and again at a well-attended performance the following evening at Kilmuir Hall in the north of Skye.
These public performances comprised a reinterpretation of the famous Seal Wife legend, a dramatisation of Anne Frater’s Gaelic poem Ar Cànan ‘s ar Clò (Our Tongue and our Tweed) and a Gaelic translation of a soliloquy from Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream.”
Angus continued: “Giving young Gaelic speakers the platform to develop their confidence in using the language in a drama context is the main motivation behind the School. It’s very encouraging to see young Gaelic speakers from throughout the country showing their commitment and enthusiasm for the School with several returning for the second or third year.”
In addition to the stage performances, award-winning filmmaker Dòl Eoin MacKinnon helped participants to film and edit a short piece based on an original ghost story. This will be submitted to FilmG, MG Alba’s Gaelic short film competition which this year is based on the theme of ‘Truth’.
SSD2018 Dates
The Gaelic Drama Summer School will return to Portree next year and will take place between the 2rd and 14th of July. More information about the School and an online application form are available on the Fèisean nan Gàidheal website at www.feisean.org/ssd
Fionn-sgeòil fo na Solais aig Sgoil Shamhraidh Dràma 2017
Bha ceala-deug de dhràma freumhaichte ann am fionn-sgeòil na thlachd do chom-pàirtichean Sgoil Shamhraidh Dràma na bliadhnasa, a ghabh àite ann am am Port Rìgh eadar 3-15 den Iuchair.
Tha an sgoil-chòmhnaidh, maoinichte le Bòrd na Gàidhlig, Alba Chruthachail, Iomairt na Gàidhealtachd ‘s nan Eilean agus Comhairle na Gàidhealtachd, ag amas air daoine òga a tha fileanta sa Ghàidhlig aois 13-18.
Bha sgioba tàlantach de luchd-oide le Gàidhlig aig na 14 com-pàirtichean, a bh’air an stiùireadh le Daibhidh Walker, a tha aithnichte mar chleasaiche air an àrd-ùrlar agus san t-sreath dràma Bannan a th’air BBC Alba.
Chaidh bùthan-obrach le eòlaichean ann sgrìobhadh cruthachail agus pupaidearachd a lìbhreagadh le Catrìona Lexy Chaimbeul bho Theatre Gu Leòr agus Gavin Glover a tha na phupaidear stèidhte ann an Glaschu le PotatoRoom Productions.
Thuirt Aonghas MacLeòid, Oifigear Dhràma Fhèisean nan Gàidheal a cho-òrdanaich a’ phròiseict:
“B’iad fionn-sgeòil ‘s geasalanachdan a bhrosnaich na beachdan a bh’aca airson an taisbeanaidh am bliadhna a chaidh a leasachadh ‘s sgrìobhadh rè na ceala-deug. B’ e ‘Seanchas’ tiotal an taisbeanaidh ‘s dh’obraich na com-pàirtichean ‘s oidean gu math cruaidh ga deasachadh. Chaidh a thaisbeanadh sa Phloc mar phàirt de Chèilidh Teaghlaich a bh’aig Fèis Alba air Diardaoin 13 den Iuchair agus an ath-oidhche aig Talla Chille Mhoire.
Anns na taisbenaidhean poblach seo chaidh ath-innse a dhèanamh air an fhionn-sgeul MacCodruim nan Ròn, chaidh a’ bhàrdachd aig Anne Frater, Ar Cànan ‘s ar Clò a bheòthachadh airson an àrd-ùrlair agus chunnacas tionndadh Gàidhlig de fèin-òraid bho A Midsummer Night’s Dream le Uilleam Shakespeare.
Lean Aonghas air: “ ‘S e prìomh bun-stèidh na Sgoile òigridh a mhisneachadh gu bhith cleachadh na Gaidhlig ann an co-theacsa dràma. Tha e toirt togail dhomhsa a bhith faicinn daoine òga le Gàidhlig a’ tighinn còmhla as gach ceàrnaidh den dùthaich ‘s tha an luach a tha iad a’ cur san Sgoil gu math follaiseach le grunn dhiubh sin air a thilleadh son an dàrna no an treas uair.”
A bharrachd air a bhith ag ullachadh pìosan dràma airson an àrd-ùrlair thug an fhilmeadair chliùiteach Dòmhnall Eòghainn MacFhionnghain taic dhaibh sgeul ùr mu thaibhse fhilmadh ‘s a ghearradh. Thèid an fhilm a chur a-steach gu FilmG, co-fharpais nam filmaichean goirid aig MG Alba, a tha am bliadhnasa stèidhte air a chuspair ‘Firinn’.
Cinn latha SSD2018
Bidh Sgoil Shamhaidh Dràma 2018 a’ tilleadh a Phort Rìgh an ath bhliadhna ‘s i gabhail aite eadar 3 agus 14 den Iuchar. Gheibhear tuilleadh fiosrachaidh mu deidhinn agus foirm-iarrtais air loidhne air làrach-lìn Fèisean nan Gàidheal aig www.feisean.org/ssd
