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The Herald Scotland
10 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Herald Scotland
BBC Alba to expand into Gaelic feature film production
A new feature film development fund is being created months after the Scottish Government agreed to put an additional £1.8 million into MG Alba, which operates the Gaelic channel in partnership with the BBC, to 'build on the success' of An t-Eilean (The Island) since the launch of the murder mystery series in January. Read more: MG Alba also wants to emulate the success of Cine4, a groundbreaking Irish language film development scheme, which has produced eight feature films since it was launched in 2017 by broadcaster TG4, Screen Ireland and the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland. The Herald can reveal that a second series of An t-Eilean, which starred Sorcha Groundsell, Sagar Radia, Iain Macrae and Meredith Brook, is already in development. The four-part drama, which was commissioned by BBC Alba, was snapped up by international distributors All3Media International before filming had even started in Lewis and Harris, and had a budget of more than £1 million per episode. Sorcha Groundsell starred in the Gaelic drama series An t-Eilean, which was launched in January. The show, which followed an investigation into the murder of the wife of a wealthy islander at their historic mansion, was later acquired by BBC Four and was described as the UK's first major Gaelic language drama when it premiered. An t-Eilean, which was described as a 'game-changer' by BBC Alba when it was commissioned, went on to win two major honours at the European broadcasting awards, Prix CIRCOM, in Barcelona in May. Meredith Brook and Sorcha Groundsell starred in the BBC Alba series An t-Eilean. At the time, Screen Scotland hailed its popularity and recognition as "an incredible vote of confidence in the strength of Gaelic language drama.' The collaboration between BBC Alba and BBC Scotland on the new short-form dramas, which is expected to see successful projects go into production this year, was announced last November. Kate Forbes met BBC Alba staff at the BBC's Pacific Quay headquarters in February when she announced additional funding of £1.8m for Gaelic broadcasting. (Image: BBC Alba) The Scottish Government subsequently approved an additional £1.8m for MG Alba, which was announced weeks after the launch of An t-Eilean. At the time, Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes said the show's success "demonstrates how supporting a thriving Gaelic broadcasting sector can bring international interest to Scotland." She added: "This extra funding will enable Gaelic broadcasters to build on existing high-quality content and attract new audiences." The BBC's recently-published annual plan states that BBC Alba will be working with BBC Film to develop feature film ideas. Margaret Cameron, director of content at MG Alba, told The Herald: "We have had really positive discussions so far with BBC Film and Screen Scotland. Everybody is very keen to make it happen. "Off the back of An t-Eilean, this is the next natural step for BBC Alba. It punched through at a level that was just amazing for us and the BBC really got behind it. "We would be crazy if we weren't already considering how to take the next natural step forward from An t-Eilean. "Films can travel even more than TV, they are economic generators and they are also a sign of confidence." Read more: The BBC Alba feature film initiative, which is expected to be backed by BBC Film and the government agency Screen Scotland, will also be promoted at the Edinburgh TV Festival in August. It has been developed after BBC Alba and BBC Scotland joined forces to launch a new two-year partnership worth £800,000 to make new 'digital first' short-form Gaelic dramas aimed at younger viewers. Ms Cameron said: "We are hugely encouraged by what our Irish cousins are doing with the Cine4 feature film development scheme. "It's all about drawing together different partners these days - no-one can do feature film production on their own these days. Everybody has to work in partnership with someone else. "From an absolute zero start, developing a script, getting a film funded and made, and then released you are talking about at least a three-year cycle. "The first stage when we launch this will be a call-out for feature film development ideas. "We will be looking for ideas that are relatable, but also sellable. The thing that we're really keen on is that Gaelic talent is at the heart of it. "The writer must have Gaelic and we will want the majority of the script to be in Gaelic. "If we are very lucky and we have sufficient funding from our partners then we may find we are able to develop more than one film. It would be fantastic to have more than one horse on the field." Glasgow-based Black Camel Pictures, producers of the marine crime drama Annika and queer romance series Float, secured the BBC Alba commission for An t-Eilean, which was written by Nicholas Osborne and Patsi Mackenzie. Ms Cameron said: 'A second series of An t-Eilean is in development. It's looking very positive and we are very confident that something will come from it. "We would love to have another series of An t-Eilean and we have plans for some other new dramas as well."
The National
15-06-2025
- Politics
- The National
We can't wait until every other problem is solved to protect Gaelic
The Daily Mail treated us to: 'The ultra woke remote Highlands towns that want more migrants to move in ... despite fighting a housing crisis.' Apparently, the fact the Highlands are welcoming to refugees is something to be affronted about. I read the article but couldn't summon the strength to comment, because I was already reeling from something arguably worse – a letter in The Herald where a reader grandly declared that 'Gaelic culture and education aren't essential at the moment'. The writer argued that the £2 million allocated to support another Gaelic primary school in Glasgow, along with the additional £5.7m for other Gaelic initiatives, was effectively taking food from the mouths of children in poverty. I quote: 'Taken in isolation, any increased investment in education may seem a desirable thing to achieve. But in the context of a serious national child poverty crisis, it must be considered as a very dubious allocation of public funds.' READ MORE: 'Naked and Unashamed' cements Nan Shepherd's place in Scotland's literary canon Warming to his theme, he added: 'The allocation of large amounts of scarce funds to the sole benefit of Gaelic language is a crucial diversion away from other sectors with potentially greater social benefits. Gaelic language and culture can be seen as something 'nice to have when we have available funds' rather than 'absolutely essential to have right now'.' He finished with a flourish. 'Gaelic should become a secondary priority, while the generous funding it now receives is re-directed to overcoming the more severe challenges of our child poverty crisis.' All this, helpfully, landed in the same week as the 20th anniversary of the passing of the Gaelic Language Act was celebrated. I say 'celebrated' – but while it was covered extensively in Gaelic media, it didn't register so much as a blip in the English-language press. BBC Alba ran an excellent and in-depth interview with the man who chaired the Government's Gaelic advisory group (MAGOG), which first lobbied for and designed a Gaelic Bill back in 2000 and fought to get it into law at every stage. I'm biased, because that man is my father. He's given more than most in the fight to keep Gaelic alive. His family, and perhaps he himself, sometimes wonder if he gave too much. He certainly paid for it in the following years with his health. So to sit and read a comment as ignorant and crass as 'Gaelic language and culture can be seen as something 'nice to have when we have available funds'', while simultaneously watching my dad – 20 years on – carefully explain how hard it was to secure even basic rights for one of Scotland's indigenous languages, was, to put it mildly, infuriating. Gaelic is not a 'nice to have'. It's a language, a culture, a heritage. It's identity. It's part of thousands of us. It's part of Scotland – and it's dying. If we wait until every other problem has been solved and the coffers are overflowing, it will simply be too late. Not 'nice to have', but 'where did that go?' The road to any legal recognition or public support for Gaelic has been long, painful – and still isn't finished. Even the creation of the Gaelic Language (Scotland) Act 2005, which many now take for granted, was anything but simple. READ MORE: Can fiction free a nation? A Scottish writer looks to James Joyce for answers In 2000, the Scottish Government set up MAGOG to explore legislation. My dad's first inkling about the group was when he heard an item on the radio news about his appointment as chair. The group's aims were clear. They wanted a statutory Gaelic board to strengthen the language, proper funding for Gaelic organisations, and an Act that would give Gaelic secure status and protection. The government, however, was wary. Ministers seemed to view MAGOG as a way to contain Gaelic demands, not strengthen them. MAGOG had other ideas – they wanted Gaelic's position embedded firmly across Scotland. By 2003, a shift in political mood – partly thanks to a Labour manifesto promise – finally opened the door. But even then, progress was cautious. My dad and MAGOG looked to the 1993 Welsh Language Act, which had given Welsh equal validity with English. That was their gold standard. But Scottish politicians got cold feet. Instead of 'equal validity', they offered 'equal respect' – a legally vague phrase which carries no enforceable rights. Underlying much of this, I'm told, was fear. Fear that stronger legal rights would lead to spiralling costs or administrative burdens. Debates became heated, with some officials even raising concerns about whether Scotland might end up printing every phone book in Gaelic. One of the biggest losses was the legal right to Gaelic-medium education, which had been included in MAGOG's early drafts. That too was watered down. My dad wryly comments that you could have warmed your feet on the heat from some of the letters it generated, particularly around education and parental rights. Even the Act's final passage in 2005 was bittersweet. MAGOG had been wound up, and the job was done, but my father wasn't even formally invited to Holyrood for the vote. He only found out almost by accident. 'No limousine came to the door, or even a horse and cart,' as he puts it. Looking back now, he's frank. The Act was 'quite weak', weakened further by civil servants as the drafts progressed. But, he says, it was as much as could be secured in the political climate of the time. 'It wasn't strong enough, without any doubt – but it was as strong as we could get.' More sobering still is that it took another 20 years before any serious attempt was made to strengthen it. He had hoped for a review within five years. Instead, it was 2023 before a new Scottish Languages Bill, with overdue provision for Scots as well as Gaelic, was introduced – but even now, progress remains fragile. Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes recently admitted that, while progress has been made, the government must go 'further and faster' if Gaelic is to survive. Listening to my dad's interview this week reminded me not only how thankless the task was then – but how thankless it remains. READ MORE: Fourth Gaelic primary school to open in Scottish city after £2.4m investment In 2000, there were those who worried that giving Gaelic status might force them to translate the telephone directory. In 2024, we've reached the stage where Gaelic funding is branded as some kind of 'ultra woke' indulgence, as though supporting an indigenous Scottish language is a radical political statement, rather than basic cultural stewardship. And just for the sake of perspective: the Scottish Government's budget for child poverty interventions, including the Scottish Child Payment uplift and associated measures, stands at around £600 million a year. The entire Gaelic Development Officers scheme – the scheme that tries to support Gaelic across all of Scotland's communities – operates on £600,000. MG ALBA, which produces Gaelic broadcasting for the whole country, receives around £13 million annually, roughly the cost of building two or three average primary schools. The total Scottish Government funding for Gaelic language development, education, community activity and media sits somewhere in the £30 million range. In other words, it's no more than a rounding error in the national budget. Yet somehow, every time even a modest sum is allocated to Gaelic, someone shows up to argue that it's an outrageous extravagance. As though the existence of a language spoken in this country for over a thousand years is an optional luxury. Maybe the Highlands and Islands are welcoming to strangers from foreign lands because we know all too well what it's like to be treated badly. Our contexts and cultures are different, but the concept of being othered is universal
The National
02-06-2025
- Sport
- The National
Ex-Rangers striker sparks wild celebrations with cup-winning penalty
The Northern Irish striker smashed home the winning penalty for Johnstone Burgh to beat Tranent in the final at Broadwood Stadium. Lafferty, who has three top-flight Scottish titles, a Scottish Cup and two League Cups as well as a Serie B title and a Championship winners' medal made no mistake from the spot as he lashed home the crucial spot-kick. The 37-year-old climbed off the bench to play a decisive role in the victory after Ciaran Diver equalised, following Tranent taking the lead through a Harry Girdwood header in the first half. Tranent were reduced to ten men with 13 minutes left to play as Scott Gray was shown a second yellow card. Read more: With the scores tied after 90 minutes, the final would go to penalties with Burgh perfect from the spot. Dean Brett fired his penalty over the bar with Luke Scullion saving Tranent's third penalty from Euan Bauld. Diver, Fraser Mullen, Ross Davidson and Lafferty were on target for Burgh to win the cup, and spark wild celebrations as supporters raced onto the Broadwood pitch. Lafferty said on BBC Alba after the cup victory: "You always want to get to finals, no matter what standard you are in. "When I first signed for the club, that was the first thing they said to me: 'We need to win the Scottish Cup, that is the cup we want'. "It's been a long, long time since they've been to the final, never mind winning it."
The National
27-05-2025
- Politics
- The National
Only the historically illiterate would think this Union is ‘equal'
To call this a 'union' is akin to a burglar looting the silver and then claiming joint ownership of the house. READ MORE: Here's what's on the agenda at our next independence convention Opponents of Scottish independence – the grim custodians of imperial nostalgia – cling to their myth of 'British unity' with the tenacity of flat-earthers grasping their ancient maps. They wax lyrical about 'shared history' as though history, in this case, were anything other than a record of coerced assimilation – a process in which Scotland's Parliament dissolved itself under duress, its elites bribed and strong-armed into submission, while its people bore witness to their nation being relegated to a provincial outpost of London's ambitions. To deny this is to inhabit a realm of fantasy where the Highland Clearances were merely an invigorating game of musical chairs, and the exploitation of North Sea oil and gas reserves was an act of benevolent Treasury largesse. These Unionist apologists – these parochial zealots swaddled in Union Jacks – would have us believe that sovereignty is a fixed, immutable doctrine, akin to the divine right of kings or the literal truth of Genesis. They quiver at the thought of Scottish self-determination as though it were heresy, a rupture in the cosmic order. Their arguments – when not drowned in syrupy sentimentalism about wartime camaraderie or the Queen's Christmas broadcasts – amount to little more than the petulant wails of a child unwilling to part with a favourite toy. 'But we built the Empire together!' they bleat, as if the moral and economic ruin of that enterprise were not already scrawled in blood across the pages of history. READ MORE: BBC Alba launch search for homegrown talent to play Belladrum festival And what of their vaunted 'United Kingdom', this patchwork of asymmetrical power? It is as contrived and unsustainable as the Ptolemaic model of the universe, requiring ever more elaborate contortions of denial to uphold its fiction. The Unionist's devotion to it is a form of Stockholm syndrome – bizarre loyalty to the machinery of their own cultural diminishment. They are the political equivalent of those who, confronted with Darwin's On the Origin of Species, retreat into murmuring about 'missing links' and the aesthetic perfection of the banana, as if wishful thinking could erase the fossil record. Scotland a colony? The question scarcely requires an answer. Only those afflicted with terminal imperial amnesia – or perhaps the careerist urge to ingratiate themselves with the mandarins of Whitehall – could dismiss the evidence. The sun has long since set on the British Empire; it is high time it ceased to set on the intellect of those who confuse subjugation with solidarity. Alan Hinnrichs Dundee PETER Bell lays out an interesting formula to get us to independence (Letters, May 25). One thing that kept entering my thoughts throughout the piece was: as a colony getting independent status, how would we the people of Scotland and the newly reformed Scottish Parliament get our hands on any of 'our dosh' held at Westminster and how, if at all, would that be calculated? Ken McCartney Hawick
Times
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Times
International prize for Gaelic thriller An t-Eilean
A £4 million crime thriller that was the biggest Gaelic drama series in BBC Alba's history has won a top award. The channel commissioned the four-part series An t-Eilean (The Island) which was filmed in the elemental landscape of Lewis and Harris in the Outer Hebrides and also in Glasgow. The Gaelic noir whodunnit, which gripped audiences and was popular on network TV, has won the drama and entertainment prize at Prix Circom 2025, the international television awards. Judges from 15 European regional public service broadcasters selected the winner. The award will be presented during a ceremony at the Circom annual conference in Barcelona on May 22. • Sorry, Scandis — Gaelic noir is rising and the Skye's the limit John Morrison, the chair
