Creative Scotland publishes Gaelic Language Plan for 2023-2028

Read this story in Gaelic

The Gaelic Language Plan further develops existing support for Gaelic language and culture through Creative Scotland itself, its people and the organisations it supports.  Together, these deliver the aims set out by the National Gaelic Language Plan to increase the use and learning of Gaelic.

The core commitments laid out in our plan are:

1. Creative Scotland will ensure that, where Gaelic is included as part of our operations and services, they are of an equal standard and quality of those we provide in English.
2. We will make an active offer of our Gaelic services to our employees and the public.  This will ensure that where Gaelic services are made available by us, Gaelic users are made aware of their existence and are actively encouraged to use them.
3. We will ensure that our Gaelic language services are as accessible as our English services.  We will ensure that opportunities for the public and our staff to use Gaelic are normalised, in support of the National Gaelic Language Plan’s aims.

These will be delivered through four main routes of culture and creativity in Scotland: funding and development, advocacy and influence, operations and communications.

Kenneth Fowler, Director of Communications and External Relations at Creative Scotland, said:

“Gaelic language is an intrinsic part of Scotland’s heritage and national identity, intertwined as both a language and a cultural force with our culture and creativity.

“With the support of Gaelic-speaking specialist staff, we’re supporting the work of organisations and individuals in the Gaelic Arts across all artforms, through our funding programmes and advocacy work.

“In September 2023, we held the inaugural Gaelic Arts gathering, Buain, a celebratory and informative event of open discussion around the outstanding Gaelic activity being delivered on the ground across Scotland.  The success of this day demonstrates the hunger for this type of forum and opportunities for the future.”

Ealasaid MacDonald, Ceannard (CEO), Bòrd na Gàidhlig said:

“We’re very happy to see this third edition of Creative Scotland’s Gaelic language plan being published.  The commitments outlined in the plan will build on the positive work done by Creative Scotland to incorporate Gaelic into their service delivery and embed the language across their operations.  Gaelic is an intrinsic element of Scottish arts and culture, and it is important that the body responsible for the arts, screen and creative industries is at the forefront of ensuring access and promoting its visibility.”

Read Creative Scotland’s third edition of its Gaelic Language Plan, detailing commitments for support of Gaelic language and culture across the arts, screen and creative industries over the next four years.