An Taigh Cèilidh - Stornoway's Gaelic Hub

SUMMARY:

The video above gives a taste of who we are and what we do: We are a non-profit social enterprise developing a Gaelic centre in Stornoway - the largest urban area in the language's traditional heartland. There will be three shops integrated into the centre: a coffee shop, a bookshop, and a cultural workshop (with daily events). The centre will be a window into a world where Gaelic is not a minority language, just like you'd use French and see French everywhere in a French café, or Italian in an Italian café.

 

We will use incentives to encourage the use of Gaelic, such as 10% discount on drinks if you order in Gaelic, and a meal deal if you turn up to one of our daily conversation circles. We will also host social clubs (e.g. a book club), special events (e.g. singing workshops), and welcome anyone and everyone whatever their level of Gaelic. We will sell greetings cards, calendars, art and decor, and other items in Gaelic or made by Gaelic speakers. We are currently working with Scrabble to bring you an official Gaelic version of the world-famous board game. And we will pride ourselves in being the only bookshop in Scotland that sells no English publications!

BUT we need help to renovate the building we've purchased for the centre. We need to make sure that the building is (1) safe; and (2) fit for purpose.

 

See below for (1) images of the building as it currently is, (2) floorplans and image of renovated exterior, and (3) more detailed information in Gaelic and English about who we are and why we're doing this.

Ceud mìle taing (a hundred thousand thank yous) for your support!





Scroll down for English

 

’S e iomairt shòisealta a th’ annainn a tha airson a’ Ghàidhlig a bhrosnachadh ann an Steòrnabhagh. ’S e ar n-amas gum fosgail sinn ionad Gàidhlig ann an Steòrnabhagh far am bith cafaidh, bùth, agus àite airson tachartasan. Bidh na trì pàirtean dhen ionad (cafaidh, bùth, agus àite-thachartasan) am measg a chèile los gum bi cothrom aig ‘cèilichean’ air strùpag agus biadh a ghabhail fhad ’s a tha iad a’ coimhead air na rudan ri reic agus air na tachartasan.

 

Chuir Dr Teàrlach Wilson An Taigh Cèilidh air chois. Tha teaghlach aige ann an Leòdhas agus rinn e PhD ann an Gàidhlig. A-nis, tha e a’ feuchainn ri cothroman cleachdaidh a thogail dha luchd-labhairt agus luchd-ionnsachaidh na Gàidhlig. Tha cafaidh aig a mhàthair Chuimreach, Maighread Wilson. Còmhla ri chèile, tha iad ag obair air gnìomhachas teaghlaich agus a’ cur an eòlasan ri chèile airson ionad Gàidhlig fhosgladh ann an Leòdhas. Bidh cafaidh, bùth, agus àite thachartasan ann.

 

Anns a’ bhùth, bidh sinn ag rèic rudan a bhios dèanta air an eilean le luchd-labhairt na Gàidhlig, leithid ealan, dealbhan, coinnlean, siabann, An Clò Hearach, agus briosgaidean. Bidh leabhraichean Gàidhlig agus cèol Gàidhlig ri rèic, cuideachd.

 

Bidh Gàidhlig air a h-uile càil anns an ionad: na soidhnichean, an clàr-bìdh, agus na docamaidean a’ ghnìomhachais. Bidh Beurla ri taobh na Gàidhlig no fon Ghàidhlig far am bi feum, leithid na soidhnichean air na dorsan-èiginn agus docamaidean laghail. Bidh Gàidhlig aig na luchd-obrach, agus tòisichidh iad a h-uile còmhradh ann an Gàidhlig.

 

Bidh tachartasan Gàidhlig againn, leithid ceòl tradaiseanta, bàrdachd, òraidean air an eachdraidh ionadail no air an àrainneachd, feasgaran-teatha, agus leughaidhean leabhraichean (dha cloinn agus dha na h-inbhich). Bidh sinn a’ ruith clubaichean sòisealta cuideachd, leithid diofar chearcallan còmhraidh (dha luchd aig diofar ìrean comais-labhairt), clubaichean phàrant agus phàiste, agus clubaichean leughaidh.

 

Mar sin, bidh rudeigin ann dha: (1) luchd-labhairt fhileanta na Gàidhlig a tha a’ sireadh beatha sòisealta anns a’ Ghàidhlig; (2) luchd-ionnsachaidh a tha a’ sireadh chothroman cleachdaidh agus air a bhith air am bogadh; (3) teaghlaichean a tha a’ sireadh rudan ri dhèanamh còmhla ris a’ chloinn; agus (4) luchd-turais a tha airson cultar an eilein fhaicinn.

 

Tha sinn airson leigeil ris dhan t-saoghal gur e cànan beò a th’ anns a’ Ghàidhlig agus gun dèan an cànan airgead.

 

Ach, tha sinn feumach air bhur cuideachadh. Tha duaisean ri fhaighinn ma bheireas sibh tabhartas dhuinn! Agus, ma tha beachd sam bith agaibh air tachartas nuair a bhios sinn fosgailte, cuir fios thugainn! [email redacted].uk

 

 

 

English here:

 

I'm Charles, though my Leòdhasach family and friends know me as Teàrlach, even in English! I'm part Leòdhasach, part Glaswegian, and part Welsh! In 2016, my Welsh mum, Margaret Wilson, founded Tolgate Coffee in Strood, Kent. It had always been a dream of hers to have a sophisticated coffee shop with the heart of the community at its centre. After hard work and dedication, with some help from family and friends, she now owns one of the nicest coffee shops, with some of the best food and drink, in Kent. Now, expanding on Tolgate, I have joined the team to make Tolgate Coffee a national, family-run business, offering a unique side to coffee shops: local culture. There's plenty to choose from in the UK, but the Outer Hebrides of Scotland have some of the oldest, most traditional ways of life in Europe. Tolgate Coffee is going to use its Kent branch as a foundation for its daughter branches, but each will have their own unique take on the local culture of their locations.

 

And so, An Taigh Cèilidh was born.

 

When I lived in Italy and Poland, I had a genuinely immersive experience in the cultures and languages. This made my languages progress. When I did my PhD in Gaelic, I found that not only were there few (if any) immersive experiences for learners, there were few public spaces for more fluent and native speakers. I was particularly surprised to find no dedicated Gaelic spaces in Stornoway - the so-called "Capital of the Western Isles" - and the Western Isles being the so-called "Traditional Gaelic Heartland". Now that I teach Gaelic, students often ask for recommendations for immersive experiences. This is where Gaelic differs fundamentally from, say, Italian. And, living in Stornoway, my guests often ask me where they can experience local culture. As a Leòdhasach ùr ('New Lewisperson'), I am also concerned about the stability of the local culture, and I truly believe (as do organisations such as Bòrd na Gàidhlig, University of the Highlands and Islands, Visit the Outer Hebrides, and the Scottish Government) that Gaelic is not just of cultural value to Scotland, but also of genuine economic value.

 

So, An Taigh Cèilidh will provide the immersive experience for learners, the social space for speakers, the flavour of the island to visitors, and the economic support to Gaelic arts and traditional industries. The space we intend to buy is on Cromwell Street in the heart of Stornoway, next door to the old Town Hall, the Stornoway Historical Society, and the Story of Harris Tweed exhibition. We are close to the ferry pier, the bus station, free and paid parking, An Lanntair arts centre, and most town centre accommodation. We will be on the pedestrianised section of Cromwell Street, which will allow us to open up onto the street, which will make Stornoway particularly lively on a good day! Therefore, we will be normalising Gaelic that can be used as an everyday language in public spaces, just as you'd find, say, Polish in Poland.

 

All staff will be Gaelic-speaking, and every interaction will start in Gaelic. We will host events and performances in Gaelic, such as talks about local history, singing, poetry recital, book readings, and traditional music. We will house Gaelic social clubs, such as a Gaelic book club for adults, a Gaelic book club for children, a Gaelic club for parents with children in Gaelic schools, a Gaelic knitting club, and a Gaelic dog club. We will have a daily conversation circle for Gaelic learners, and Gaelic-medium lessons for things such as art and French.

 

We will sell Gaelic books, Gaelic greetings cards, Gaelic post cards, Gaelic CDs, and Gaelic DVDs. We will sell gift items, such as soap, candles, tweed items, art, photos, frames, and cups - made by Gaelic speakers and all labelled in Gaelic. This will be good for gift ideas, souvenirs, and supporting Gaelic talent and economy. Some of our profits will go into developing a Gaelic Scrabble and a Gaelic Monopoly board games. The in-house coffee shop will use local products from the island where possible (e.g. Stornoway black pudding), with our baristas trained to make truly artisan coffees. There will be no plastic in the hub, and part of our mission is to highlight and educate on environmental issues, especially those affecting the Outer Hebrides. The walls of the hub will be used as space to showcase gift items (especially art and photography), as well as an exhibition space (especially educational exhibits, such as environmental issues).

 

As well as ethical pay initiatives to support our staff and suppliers, we will also invest in mentorship and internship programmes. We will support our suppliers in taking on mentees to help people - especially young people - to train in arts and traditional industries, such as Tweed making. We will invest in internships in the centre to help learners and young people to develop business skills that will help with a Gaelic and island economy. If the hub does well, this model can be replicated elsewhere, and our interns can go off to develop the other hubs, or develop their projects and ideas.

 

An Taigh Cèilidh will be a Gaelic-focused cultural centre with events and performances in Gaelic, gift items made by Gaelic speakers and labelled in Gaelic, housing Gaelic social activities. We will be investing in Gaelic speakers and the island economy. Above all, it will appeal to everyone, whether they are a native speaker or have no Gaelic at all. Whether you just want to experience local culture, or whether you want to find friends with similar interests, and have a place where you can, well, just use Gaelic.

 

 

We are really excited to launch this concept and we hope you are too. If you love coffee culture and your local culture - we'll help you marry the two! Thank you for taking the time to read our story and we look forward to welcoming you into An Taigh Cèilidh very soon.