Exploring Events: An Lanntair's 'Seanchas' (Gaelic Week Edition)

An interview with Alex Macdonald, Head of Performing Arts and Cultural Projects at An Lanntair

Communities across Scotland and around the world celebrate World Gaelic Week (21 March – 27 March) to commemorate, revive and continue the legacy of Gaelic language and culture.

In honour of this inaugural celebration, we spoke with Alex Macdonald, Head of Performing Arts and Cultural Projects at An Lanntair, a multi arts venue and organisation situated in the Outer Hebrides, about the upcoming programme Seanchas, which reimagines the modern and ancient histories and stories of the Isles of Lewis and Harris as part of Scotland’s Year of Stories 2022.

2022 marks the first year Scotland is celebrating Gaelic Week across the country. What does Gaelic Week mean to An Lanntair?

Gaelic language and culture are always at the centre of our activities. It is perhaps no surprise that we chose the Gaelic word for storytelling ‘Seanchas’ as the title for our Year of Stories 2022 events because the language already shapes a large part of who we are and what we do.

Throughout World Gaelic Week, we are promoting our most recent Gaelic language resources, such as a series of films where we interview arts practitioners from Lewis about the Gaelic influence in their work.

Our dedicated Gaelic Officer is also sharing a phrase a day via our social media channels to help people from around the world learn and engage with the language.

What are your hopes for the Seanchas programme?

I hope Seanchas will provide locals and visitors an opportunity to engage in Gaelic language and culture in some way, whether it be through the telling of a story at a ceilidh or joining in with the festivities.

I think the programme provides a fantastic opportunity to promote the value of the storytelling tradition and makes us consider the importance of Hebridean authors in a national context, as well as celebrating our talented writers within the programme.

Finally, I hope the legacy of our programme resonates across the community as the work we have commissioned reinvigorates the local histories and stories of the Hebridean people.

How do you plan to promote this programme across the Outer Hebrides and further afield?

An Lanntair has an established network of social media platforms and press contacts, and in recent times we have been placing more content online, which has enabled wider access for both national and international audiences who have an interest in Gaelic culture and heritage.

We work closely with community organisations and encourage locals to take part in our events, to ensure the authenticity of our art and stories remains true to the history of its people.

Some notable organisations we also work with to promote our events and activities include The Hebridean Celtic Festival, Historic Environment Scotland and Youth Scotland. We also work with partners in Orkney and Shetland through our existing Between Islands project, which encourages collaboration between the outer Western and Northern isles.

What are you most looking forward to in the Seanchas programme?

The programme will be split into four categories, so there will be something for everyone to enjoy.

Our organisation has introduced participants in the past who have gone on to create innovative collaborations for all to enjoy. I am particularly looking forward to songwriter, Colin Macleod, and marine sculptor, Sam Macdonald’s modern telling of the Hebridean experience in the face of rapid climate change.

Children will also have the opportunity to share their stories, in Gaelic or English, about their favourite tales and books from the isles or further afield, which will be a delight to hear.

Perhaps our most unique visitors to the Hebrides we will be hosting are the alpacas at our Brilliant and Forever Festival; not something you would see every day in Stornoway!

Why is it important to be part of Scotland’s Year of Stories 2022?

The oral tradition lies at the heart of Gaelic culture, and so the passing of tales and songs from generation to generation is a very natural part of local practice. We view Seanchas as an invaluable part of Scotland’s various cultural programmes but also want to encourage new ways of exploring and telling Hebridean stories.

Literature has played an integral part in our programme, with our annual book festival Faclan, that takes place every October, and the publication of a number of Hebridean books over the years, including Às an Fhearann (From the Land), which explores the clearances and crofting history, and many more.

By hosting Seanchas, we offer the community an opportunity to tell their own stories and histories, revealing hidden tales and surprising revelations.

Visit An Lanntair’s website for more information about their upcoming Seanchas programme.

To read the Gaelic version, visit the link below.