Island Voices compilation

A new Island Voices/Guthan nan Eilean video kicks off a spring and summer public engagement programme to mark the 21st anniversary of the community project in September, and the planned completion of a permanent UHI archive of the recorded materials created over that period.

As the Island Voices/Guthan nan Eilean language capture and curation project approaches its 21st anniversary in September this year, a short compilation video has been created and released. This is a first step in promoting a wide-ranging programme of public events and exhibitions over coming months to remind followers of the full scope of the over 500 videos in the collection, and introduce the project to new audiences too. The Island Voices blog summarises the content of the film and lists the sources from which it has been compiled.

The multilingual Island Voices/Guthan nan Eilean community project captures and curates “Slices of Life in and beyond the 21st Century Hebrides” in Gaelic, English and many other heritage languages. Leading up to its 21st anniversary, the University of the Highlands and Islands will permanently secure this digital heritage of 500+ videos, co-created with the active participation of community members and groups within the Western Isles, across Scotland, and internationally, using state of the art archiving technology. This collected linguistic heritage will thus be safeguarded against digital loss or damage, and made freely available for access by the general public.

The Island Voices project offers a model of community-based action in the maintenance of linguistic diversity and heritage in a world in which minoritised languages are under unprecedented threat. The archive will stand out through its platforming of the voices of the people in the sharing of their unique cultural heritage.

This project is supported by The National Lottery Heritage Fund.