
Gaelic Open Day a big success at Sabhal Mòr Ostaig
Sabhal Mòr Ostaig held its first Gaelic Open Day on Saturday (21 April). The day was a great success and included a wide variety of events and activities aimed at promoting Gaelic and which involved groups and organisations connected with the college, the community and Gaelic.
The day centred not only on Gaelic but also on the community, and there was plenty on offer for Gaelic speakers and for those without Gaelic who were interested in learning more about it. There were a lot of families in attendance who were able to enjoy a variety of activities which included: a music session, art and drama workshops, Gaelic tasters sessions for beginners, an exhibition of Cailean Maclean’s pictures, a buffet and a ceilidh to finish off the day. There was plenty of entertainment and games also on offer throughout the day, which included a tug o’ war, a bouncy castle, art, face-painting, an art walk, a coconut-shy and much more. There were also a number stalls with groups and organisations from the college, community and further afield.
Donald Angie MacLennan, Head of Estates and Services at SMO, said:’The college has earned a reputation as a popular venue for a variety of events as are held throughout the year and last year over 7,000 people attended conferences, concerts, and film and drama nights staged here. This activity adds considerably to the college’s academic work and to the experience of its students and we were delighted to welcome again so many from the community to our first Gaelic Open Day.’
Janni Diez, Language Development Officer for SMO, said:’We had a great day and everybody had a good time. It is so important to create opportunities like this where people can get together and speak Gaelic. Not everybody has this opportunity, so it’s really important to have fun Gaelic events like this to keep the language alive as a vivid community language and to build up people’s confidence to speak it.’
Sleat resident Una MacLeod from Teangue said:’I went to Cailean Maclean’s photography class which was great. I really enjoyed the day. There was a very nice atmosphere and the whole day was well thought out. I hope it will be repeated again next year.’