Wild Woods Of Tyrone: July 2012

Wednesday 25 July 2012

School children 'could study Ulster-Scots for GCSE'

25 July 2012 Last updated at 11:36

School children 'could study Ulster-Scots for GCSE'

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-18983567

By Robbie Meredith

BBC News

School children in Northern Ireland could be given the opportunity to study Ulster-Scots to GCSE or A Level.

The proposal is included in a strategy produced by the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure (DCAL).

The areas for action include promotion of Ulster Scots language and culture in education and the media.

DCAL have also produced a similar strategy for developing the Irish language.

The Strategy for Ulster Scots language, heritage and culture is currently out for public consultation.

It includes a number of proposals aimed at children in primary and secondary education.

These include developing a "an A-Level in Ulster Scots language, heritage and culture".

There are also plans to develop a GCSE level qualification, and to establish a unit in the Council for Curriculum, Examinations and assessment (CCEA) to provide learning and exam materials on Ulster-Scots.

The strategy also includes plans to increase the number of Ulster Scots programmes on television and the development of a "dedicated Ulster Scots language, heritage and culture radio station".

The strategy has been welcomed by leading Ulster-Scots activist Lord Laird who said that Ulster Scots had stamped its culture on other parts of the world particularly America.

"Seventeen presidents of the United States came from Ulster. Twelve men stood on the moon and two of them were Ulster men - people whose ancestors a few generations before came from Ulster," he said.

"I had no part in the writing of the Belfast Agreement. But in the Belfast Agreement it says that the Ulster Scots language, culture and heritage has equal status to that of Irish.

"A lot of people voted for it. We have found over the years we have not been able to cash in that cheque, for want of a better word, but we are slowly beginning to do this."

Consultation for the proposals ends on 27 November.

Posted via email from Kilsally's Ulster

Tuesday 24 July 2012

University of Ulster Exhibition Tells Story of Ulster-Scots Poetry

http://www.ballymoneytimes.co.uk/lifestyle/entertainment/university-of-ulster-exhibition-tells-story-of-ulster-scots-poetry-1-4085985

Published on Tuesday 24 July 2012 09:03

A touring exhibition on the influences that have shaped Ulster-Scots poetry has been launched by the University of Ulster.

Entitled ‘Every Townland Earned its Name in Song: John Hewitt’s Ulster-Scots Tradition’ is one of the centrepiece attractions at this year’s John Hewitt Summer School.

It will run at the Marketplace Theatre, Armagh, until 20 August, before touring theprovince and finishing at the Magee Campus in November 2013, as part of theUniversity of Ulster’s City of Culture activities.

Consisting of a state-of-the art series of panels that tell the story of John Hewitt’s fascination for the poetry of the Rhyming Weavers, the exhibition traces the history of the Scots language in Ulster and how it became an integral part of the poetry of local poets.

The narrative also follows the history of printing and the linen industry in the north of Ireland and how it had an impact on Ulster literature. There is a map showing where Ulster-Scots poets lived and wrote. Visitors can also nominate other poets to be included as the exhibition evolves and moves from venue to venue.

The centrepiece in Armagh will be a bronze bust of John Hewitt, which has been generously lent to the project by the Linen Hall Library. Later venues will include sound and filmrecordings and examples of Hewitt’s personal Ulster-Scots library.

The project is co-ordinated by Dr Frank Ferguson and Dr Kathryn White from the School of English and History and is designed by Professor John McMillan of the School of Art and Design.

Dr Ferguson said: “We are delighted to announce the launch of this exhibition. At the University of Ulster, we are particularly fortunate to have John Hewitt’s personal library of Ulster poetry books, and it is marvellous to get the opportunity to communicate the significance of Hewitt’s work to the general public.

“We are particularly happy to have the support of the Ulster Scots Agency in such amajor exhibition and outreach project and to have John McMillan, who workedwith Hewitt, as our designer has been a fantastic experience.”

Dr White added: “We are very excited about this project as it develops work that the University has already carried out on Ulster and Ulster-Scots poetry and opens up many new opportunities for our research to be heard.”

The exhibition has been made possible by a project partnership agreement with the Ulster-Scots Agency and by grant funding from the University’s Arts and Humanities Research Institute.

As part of the project, the co-ordinators will be organising a series of talks, schools workshops and other activities to explore John Hewitt’s enthusiasm for Ulster-Scots literature.

‘Every Townland Earned its Name in Song: John Hewitt’s Ulster-Scots Tradition’ is at the Marketplace Theatre, Armagh, until 20 August 2012. For information about the project, future exhibition venues, talks and workshops, email either Dr Frank Ferguson (f.ferguson@ulster.ac.uk) or Dr Kathryn White (k.white@ulster.ac.uk), or call: +44 (0)28 70123577.

Posted via email from Kilsally's Ulster