TRACS launches GIFTING EVERY CHILD, an introduction to Scotland’s traditional heritage
Whit sangs, tales an dauncin culd we gie ilka bairn in Scotlan fir a richt guid handsel? Tae stert oot wi as a smidgin, a wee seed whilk micht graw intae muckle trees o pleisur an wunner. Here’s a wee mindin tae begin wi fir aabody, reidy tae yaise an free tae aa.
Dè na h-òrain, sgeulachdan, dannsaichean, agus cleachdaidhean tradaiseanta nan ràithean, air am bu chòir do gach leanabh no pàiste ann an Alba a bhith eòlach? Dè tha buntainn leotha as bith cò às a tha iad, no dè an cultar no an cànan a th’ aca?
With less than two weeks to go until Burns Night, where celebrations of our national Bard naturally coincide with a renewed appreciation of the traditional arts, TRACS (Traditional Arts and Culture Scotland) has launched GIFTING EVERY CHILD, a free online resource aimed at introducing children aged 6 to 9, their parents and educators to Scotland’s rich traditional heritage.
What songs, stories, dance steps and seasonal customs should every child in Scotland know? What belongs to them regardless of origin, culture or language? Presented in a simple online format incorporating text, audio, video and helpful guidelines, Gifting Every Child provides a manageable and accessible introduction to the traditional arts that can easily be put to use in the classroom, club, community hall or family sitting room.
The collection was curated with the help of acclaimed singer Christina Stewart, storyteller Bea Ferguson, and traditional dancer Mats Melin who were delighted to contribute, as Christina Stewart explains:
“One of the things that really excited me about the Gifting Every Child project is the opportunity for intergenerational interactions. In order for Scotland to have a robust living tradition, it needs to be something that our young people have that they feel is theirs, and something that they can share with adults and people of other age groups.“
Emphasis was placed on variety, enjoyment and diversity, featuring Gaelic lullabies to Scots playground songs, humorous tales like Lazy Jack to ancient myths such as that of Bride and Angus. The multilingual aspect was equally important – both indigenous languages of Scots and Gaelic are represented throughout the resource.
In the second stage of this project, TRACS plans to develop the Gifting Every Child model across communities through a series of workshops, and by promoting local practitioners able to support creative work with children. The public are warmly invited to add their own local or family favourites to the collection, thus making this a collaborative project in which everyone living in Scotland can tap into our rich creative culture.
