Funding awarded to researchers for Research and Development Strategy for the Irish language based arts

A research team from the University of Limerick and Mary Immaculate College has been awarded €35,000 in funding by the Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht and Creative Ireland to research and develop a Research and Development Strategy for the Irish language based arts (Straitéis d’Ealaíona Teangabhunaithe na Gaeilge).

The researchers from the University of Limerick are Dr Sandra Joyce and Dr Eamonn Costello from the Irish World Academy of Music and Dance; and Dr Sorcha de Brún from Léann na Gaeilge in the School of English, Irish and Communication. The Researchers from Léann na Gaeilge in Mary Immaculate College are Dr Róisín Ní Ghairbhí and Mr Shane Grant.

“This is a great opportunity to research the social, cultural and financial impact of the Irish language arts,” Dr. Sandra Joyce explains. “Although research has been carried out previously on various art forms which use the Irish language, this is the first research strategy which involves researching a number of different art forms.”

In addition to examining opportunities fordevelopment, barriers, challenges, funding sources, access and participation,the primary focus of the research is the impact of the Irish language basedarts. The first strategy of its kind, it follows the publication of the2018-2022 Irish Language Action Plan and encompasses the Irish language basedarts in both Irish language speaking areas (Gaeltacht) and English languagespeaking areas.

The Research Group are supported by a workinggroup, drawn from TG4, The Arts Council, Foras na Gaeilge, Ealaín naGaeltachta, Creative Ireland, Udarás na Gaeltachta and the Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht.

“We are delighted to be supported in our research by the working group,” says Dr. Éamonn Costello. “In addition, the extent of the interest shown by the public, Irish language organizations and public bodies in the strategy is a testament to the potential it has in shaping public policy going forward.”

A promotional video has been made by TG4 for to advertise the research strategy, and is currently being shown on TG4.

The Irish language arts that form the basis of theresearch project are Irish language theatre and drama, amateur andprofessional, traditional and contemporary; singing, traditional, contemporaryand choral; storytelling;  lúibíní (a form of traditional song)and agallaimh bheirte (a form of poetic dialogue); andspoken word poetry.

The published research strategy will include specific actions points and recommendations for policy makers. In the course of the development of the strategy, the team will consult with stakeholders comprising practitioners, the public and a variety of organisations. 

Members of the public, organizations and artspractitioners are welcome to make submissions and recommendations for the Irishlanguage based arts through the Strategy’s website ealaionateangabhunaithe.ie.

“Our research to date shows that some cohorts who take part in Irish language based arts are not Irish speakers,” says Dr. Sorcha de Brún. “Our research aims to capture those nuances in language use and to examine the issues in further detail. For this reason, we invite submissions in English as well as in Irish in order to gather data from those involved in Irish language arts who may not speak Irish.”

For further information, please contact any member of the team, or follow the research strategy on Twitter @ealaiona and Facebook (Straitéis d’Ealaíona Teangabhunaithe na Gaeilge).

Tá maoiniú taighde ar luach €35,000 é buaite ag foireann taighde as Ollscoil Luimnigh agus Coláiste Mhuire gan Smál. An Straitéis d’Ealaíona Teangabhunaithe na Gaeilge is teideal don togra, agus is í an Roinn Cultúir, Oidhreachta agus Gaeltachta agus Éire Ildánach atá á maoiniú.

Is iad taighdeoirí Ollscoil Luimnigh ná an Dr. Sandra Joyce agus an Dr. Eamonn Costello ó Dhámh ChruinneÉireann; agus an Dr. Sorcha de Brún ó Léann na Gaeilge i Scoil na Gaeilge, anBhéarla agus na Cumarsáide. Na taighdeoirí ó Léann na Gaeilge Choláiste MhuireGan Smál ná an Dr. Róisín Ní Ghairbhí agus an tUasal Shane Grant. 

“Deis iontach atá sa straitéis taighde a dhéanamh ar thioncharsóisialta, cultúrtha agus airgeadais na nEalaíon teangabhunaithe”, dar leis anDr. Sandra Joyce. “Cé go bhfuil taighde déanta go n-uige seo ar ealaíona faoileith, is í seo an chéad straitéis dá sort a dhéanann taighde ar ealaíonaéagsúla.”

Chomh maith le hiniúchadh a dhéanamh ar dheiseanna forbartha, ar bhaicagus dhúshláin, ar fhoinsí maoinithe, cheisteanna rochtana agus arrannpháirtíocht, is é is príomhchuspóir don taighde ná staid agus tionchar nanEalaíon Teangabhunaithe.

An chéad stráitéis dá sort, tagann sé sna sála ar Phlean Gníomhaíochtana Gaeilge 2018-2022, agus cuimsíonn sí na healaíona teangabhunaithe snaGaeltachtaí agus lasmuigh de na Gaeltachtaí.

An grúpa oibre ná TG4, An Chomhairle Ealaíon, Foras na Gaeilge, Ealaínna Gaeltachta, Éire Ildánach, Udarás na Gaeltachta agus an Roinn Cultúir,Oidhreachta agus Gaeltachta.

“Is mór againn an tacaíocht atá á cur ar fáil ag an ngrúpa oibre,” dar leis an Dr. Éamonn Costello. “Léiríonn an tsuim atá á cur ag an bpobal sa togra taighde, mar aon leis na heagrais Ghaeilge agus na heagrais phoiblí. a bhfeadfaí a bhaint amach i gcruthú beartas poiblí in ealaíona teangabhunaithe na Gaeilge ag eascairt as an straitéis seo.”

Tá físeán poiblíochta déanta ag TG4 chun an scéal a scaipeadh faoi obairna dtaighdeoirí, agus tá sé sin á thaispeáint faoi láthair ar TG4.

Is iad na healaíona teangabhunaithe atá mar dhlúthchuid den togrataighde seo ná an amharclannaíocht agus an drámaíocht, idir amaitéarach agusphroifisiúnta, idir thraidisiúnta agus chomhaimseartha; an amhránaíochtthraidisiúnta, chomhaimseartha agus chóirúil faoi seach; an scéalaíocht;lúibíní; agallaimh bheirte; agus an fhilíocht bhéil.

Agus í foilsithe, cuimseoidh an straitéis  moltaí sonracha aguspointí gníomhaíochta do lucht beartais agus pleanála. Le linn na tréimhsetaighde, rachaidh an fhoireann taighde i gcomhairle le geallsealbhóirí, anpobal agus eagrais éagsúla san áireamh.

Fearann an fhoireann taighde fáilte roimh aighneachtaí ón bpobal, óeagrais, agus ó chleachtóirí ealaíon ar mhian leo moltaí d’ ealaíonateangabhunaithe na Gaeilge a thabhairt le fios. Is féidir aighneachtaí adhéanamh tríd an suíomh idirlín ealaionateangabhunaithe.ie.

“Léiríonn ár gcuid taighde go dtí seo gur minic daoine bheith rannpháirteach sna healaíona teangabhunaithe Gaeilge ar shlite éagsúla gan a bheith ina gcainteoirí Gaeilge”, a mhíníonn an Dr. Sorcha de Brún.

“Cuireann an mhodheolaíocht taighde atá in úsáid againn na toisí débhríocha sin maidir le húsáid teanga san áireamh. Chuige sin, fearaimid fáilte roimh aighneachtaí i mBéarla agus i nGaeilge araon, cur chuige a thugann deis do Bhéarlóirí a bhíonn rannpháirteach in ealaíona teangabhunaithe na Gaeilge a dtuairimí a thabhairt trí aighneacht a dhéanamh.”

Is féidir tuilleadh eolais a fháil ach dul i dteagmháil le baill den bhfoireann taighde, agus taighde na straitéise a leanúint ar Twitter @ealaiona agus ar Facebook Straitéis d’Ealaíona Teangabhunaithe na Gaeilge.