CASE STUDY: Gaelic Communities Fund
Urras Coimhearsnachd Chille Mhòire | Kilmuir Community Trust
Project: Sgeulachdan Ar Sgìre
Gaelic Communities Fund Awarded: £3,050
Background
Although Kilmuir Community Trust (KCT) were established in 2020, their first part-time member of staff started at the beginning of 2022 – just in time to apply for the Gaelic Communities Fund. KCT’s focus is the development of their village hall and re-establishing it at the heart of the community.
Project
The KCT project, Sgeulachdan Ar Sgìre, originally planned to run a range of sessions looking at heritage and cultural subjects. Following these sessions, it was planned that younger members of the community were to create their own films to celebrate key aspects of the vibrant Gaelic speaking community in the area.
Unfortunately, due to a series of tragic events affecting the community, the sessions and therefore the filming was delayed. Due to the summer commitments of the community, the project was scaled back to include a planned community ceilidh and series of Gaelic psalm singing sessions. The singing required the creation of a booklet for the singers to use, opportunities for younger members of the community to learn the traditional presenting skills, and the chance for all to join the group to experience the traditional singing style themselves.
Learning
KCT have highlighted themselves that the timing of the project was far from ideal. In future, any projects of this nature would be planned over the winter months when the members of the community that are vital to the success of a project have the time to commit. The original project plan is now sitting on a shelf ready for the next funding opportunity.
