Summer Fèis Week (360G-BNG-TFC-2023-00615)

The aim of Fèis Chataibh is to offer access to, and participation by young people, in top-quality Gaelic arts tuition and performance throughout Sutherland and Caithness but particularly East Sutherland. This is mainly through a programme of community-based traditional music tuition, with Gaelic language and culture at the heart of activities. We are seeking funding for our Summer Fèis week to take place in July 2023. Our Fèis week will deliver bilingual arts, drama, games and music sessions to children from Primary 1 to Primary 3, and bilingual or Gaelic Medium music tuition, group work sessions, Gaelic games, and Gaelic song to children from Primary 4 to S6.   Fèis Chataibh is a small, but formerly very well supported Fèis normally held in Golspie.  Unfortunately the pressures of the Corona Virus epidemic and subsequent recovery have meant that the Fèis has not now been run for the past three years. The recently re-established organising committee has been working hard since Autumn 2022 to re-establish the Fèis as it is recognised it provides an important and unique opportunity for children and young people in the East Sutherland area to take part in cultural activities and learn or develop Gaelic language skills.   The Fèis plans to attract children and young people from across the local area, and give them an opportunity to learn about their Gaelic heritage and culture, particularly that unique to the East Sutherland area, learn or develop their skills in singing or playing traditional instruments, develop their Gaelic language skills through participation in Gaelic Medium or bilingual music and drama classes appropriate to the level of Gaelic they currently have, and through participation in Gaelic for All games and language sessions.   For children fluent in Gaelic we will support opportunities to use their Gaelic in an informal, social and fun environment with other children and young people from across the area.  Although there is no current GM Education provision in the area, we are aware that many previous and prospective attendees from East Sutherland attend or have attended GM Education provision in Tain, and that others have Gaelic aquired within their family home. We feel strongly that these children and young people should have opportunities to engage with their language and culture, and are committed to the delivery of our programme in Gaelic wherever possible, and bilingually where Gaelic provision is not appropriate.