Royal National Mod News

Mòd Roadshows

Published: 02 Feb 2016

With the Royal National Mòd returning to the Western Isles in October this year, February will see An Comunn Gàidhealach hit the road with their Mòd Roadshows visiting schools throughout the Isle of Lewis. A week of Mòd roadshows will take place in schools throughout the Isle of Lewis to raise awareness about the upcoming Royal National Mòd in October 2016. The roadshow team will be led by An Comunn Gàidhealach manager, James Graham, Mòd Administrator Seonag Anderson andinclude local musicians Andy Yearly, Louisa Barron and Stephen Drummond who will entertain the pupils with their lively music. There will be a strong emphasis on story-telling during this year’s Roadshows also with An Comunn Gàidhealach having recently received funding from Bòrd na Gàidhlig to promote the traditional art-form.

The Roadshows were launched last year in Oban and Lorn visiting 12 schools in the area. The visits proved extremely successful and helped to reinvigorate interest and boost competitor numbers in the festival among young competitors.

The Mòd returns to the Western Isles for the 6th time in its history this year and organisers at local and national level are attempting to make sure the Western Isles are well represented.

Mòd administrator Seonag Anderson said, “The Mòd Roadshows is an initiative that we hope to run annually throughout different parts of the country in order to promote provincial Mòds as well as the Royal National Mòd in a fun and engaging way. We want children to be aware of how the Mòd can act as a spring board for potential future musical careers and we’re very much looking forward to the visits. It would be really good to have a strong representation from the Western Isles at this year’s event because there is so much talent on the islands.”

An Comunn Gàidhealach also hope to visit the other Western Isles later in the year. Seonag said, “Unfortunately, we won’t manage to get round every school in the Western Isles in one week in February, however, we do hope to visit schools in Harris, Uist and Barra in the coming months.”

Upward of 10,000 people attended last year’s Royal National Mòd, which saw competitors from across Scotland, Gaelic choirs from Germany and Canada and Australia take part. The Mòd fringe festival will see concerts, story-telling sessions and talks in various venues throughout the nine-day festival.

The Royal National Mòd 2016 will be held in the Western Isles from 14-22 October. For any further information please visit www.ancomunn.co.uk.

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