Mar neach-ealain, ’s e an rud as cudromaiche mum dheidhinn, ‘s e gur ann à Uibhist a Deas a tha mi, far an do rugadh agus an do thogadh mi air a’ chroit am measg teaghlach làn seanchas, òrain, pìobaireachd agus sgeulachdan. ’S e an ceangal sin, dhan chànan, fearann agus cultar a tha a’ toirt brosnachadh dhan obair agam.
As an Artist the most important thing to know about me is that I come from the island of South Uist where I was raised on the family croft, amongst a family of Gaelic singers, storytellers and pipers. It is that connection to the Gaelic language, land and culture that inspires all my work.
Tha meas mòr agam air faclan agus gnìomhadh beò. Mar riochdaire tha mi air bhith a’ cruthachadh tèatar airson còrr is fichead bliadhna. O Chionn goirid, tha mi air a bhith ag obair air mo chuid sgrìobhadh cruthachail tro bhàrdachd agus a’ togail air Fuaigh, dealbh-chluich a sgrìobh mi, coimisean bho Tèatar Nàiseanta na h-Alba . Nam bheachdsa tha mi a’ faireachdainn gu bheil suidheachadh cèilidh math airson a bhith a dèanamh gnìomhadh agus tha e a’ fosgladh dhòighean ùra airson a bhith a’ dèanamh tèatar agus gnìomhadh.
I love words and the experience of live performance. I have been making theatre as a creative producer for the last 20 years. In recent years I’ve been focusing on my own Gaelic writing through poetry and have recently written and performed Fuaigh, a Ceilidh Play, originally commissioned by the National Theatre of Scotland. I think that the traditional ceilidh is an inspiring platform for performance and offers up opportunities for a new type of theatre.
Tha an obair-còmhnaidh iongantach seo a’ toirt dhomh ùine agus suidheachadh airson a bhith a leasachadh dòighean obrach ùra agus airson cothrom a thoirt dhomh rudan ùra fheuchainn. Tha mi cuideachd air bhioran a bhith ag obair ann an Dun Èideann airson greiseag agus tha mi an dòchas gun dèan mi ceanglaichean ùra leis a’ choimhearsnachd Ghàidhlig a tha an sin agus tha mi gu math cinnteach gum bi na ceanglaichean seo a fighe a-staigh dhan phròiseact.
This amazing residency will allow me the time and space to develop my practise and to try something new. I am also excited to be working in Edinburgh for this project as I hope to make strong connections with the Gaelic community there and I’m sure this will feed into the development of the project.
Thairis air a’ chòmhnaidheachd tha mi an dòchas gun lorg mi seann shlighean agus feadhainn ùra cuideachd agus gun coimhead sinn air imreachd tro ghuthan nan Gàidheal òga. Tha cultar nan Gàidheal, am measg feadhainn eile, a’ toirt sealladh ùr dhuinn air cruthan-tìre agus ciall bhon na sgeulachdan, ìomhaighean, faclan agus dannsa a tha fhathast a’ feitheamh tionndadh ùr a chur orra. Tha tòrr spòrs ri fhaighinn leis an seo agus tha mi a’ coimhead air adhart ris na sgeulachdan aca a lorg agus innse.
Over the course of the residency I hope to explore recent and ancient journeys and migration through the voices of young Gaels. Gaelic culture, amongst others, offers new windows, landscapes and meaning from which new stories, images, words and dances can be uncovered. Young people can have great fun with this and I’m looking forward to discovering their story with them.