Tha sinn air ar doigh tosgaire eile ainmeachadh airson Seachdain na Gàidhlig –  cuideigin air am bi sibh uabhasach eòlach ma bhios sibh a’ cleachdadh na meadhanan sòisealta!

’S e neach-ealain ioma-chuspaireil is neach-cruthachaidh susbaint a th’ ann an  Choirstaidh Iona NicArtair (@choirstaidhiona.jpeg). ’S ann à Grianaig a tha i, is i nise a’ fuireach is ag obair ann an Glaschu. Bha NicArtair ann am Foghlam tro Mheadhan na Gàidhlig bho aois 2-18, an toiseach aig Sgoil-àraich is bun-sgoil Acadamaidh nan Gàidheal is an uair sin Àrd-sgoil Ghàidhlig Ghlaschu. Ann an 2018, cheumnaich NicArtair bho Sgoil Ealain Ghlaschu le BA le Urram anns na h-Ealainean Saora. ’S e cultair is cànan na Gàidhlig, beul-aithris na h-Alba is Èirinn, bròn, gaol, is leanabas na priomh chuspairean anns an obair ealain aice. 

Ann an 2021, chaidh Choirstaidh ainmeachadh mar Thosgaire Òg na Bliadhna aig Duaisean Gàidhlig na h-Alba son an obair aice air na meadhanan soisealta, an-dèidh a bhith ann an prògram ealain do chloinn air BBC ALBA leis an t-ainm “A’ Chùil” san aon bhliadhna. Ann an 2022, chaidh pos tèatar didseatach a  choimiseanadh le Theatre Gu Leòr mar pàirt de ‘Ceangal/Cwlwm’, leis an t-ainm  “NicFiona”. Ann an NicFiona, bidh Choirstaidh ag innse na sgeulachdan aig ceathrar bhoireannach san teaghlach aice, aig an aon àm ag innse eachdraidh sòisealta  nam ban bho’n chlas-obrach ann an Inbhir Chluaidh.

Aig deireadh na bliadhna sa chaidh, còmhla ri Billy McArtair, a bràthair, rinn  Choirstaidh film goirid sa Ghàidhlig leis an t-ainm “Priob”, a chaidh a mholadh airson 4 duaisean FilmG am-bliadhna sa. 

Mu dheidhinn a bhith na tosgaire airson Seachdain na Gàidhlig, thuirt Choirstaidh: ‘Mar sgoilear FtMG a thainig gu Gàidhlig an-dèidh dhi bàsachadh linntean air ais nam theaghlach, bhean e gu mòr ri mo chridhe a bhith ainmichte mar thosgaire son Seachdain na Gàidhlig! Nuair bha mi na b’ òige, cha robh mi tric a’ faireachdainn mar an seòrsa Gaidheal “ceart” gu tòrr dhaoine, mar sin tha mi nise moiteil gu bheil an cothrom agam gu tric a bhith ag innse dhan a h-uile neach aig a bheil Gàidhlig, no fiù ‘s gaol airson na Gàidhlig, gum buin iad do choimhearsnachd na Gàidhlig gu bràth!’

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We are delighted to announce our second ambassador for Seachdain na Gàidhlig – someone you will be very familiar with if you’re active on social media!

Choirstaidh Iona NicArtair (@choirstaidhiona.jpeg) is a Gaelic-speaking  multidisciplinary artist and content creator from Greenock, living and working in Glasgow. NicArtair attended Gaelic Medium Education from 2-18, first at Highlanders’ Academy Nursery and Primary School in Greenock, then Glasgow Gaelic High School. In 2018, NicArtair graduated from the Glasgow School of Art with a BA (Hons) in Painting and Printmaking. Her artwork mainly centres around Gaelic language and culture, Scottish and Irish folklore, grief, love, and childhood. 

In 2021 she was named the Young Gaelic Ambassador of the Year by Bòrd na  Gàidhlig at the Gaelic Awards for her work on her social media platforms, after starring in BBC ALBA’s “A’ Chùil”, a children’s art series in the same year. In 2022, Choirstaidh was commissioned by Theatre Gu Leòr to produce a piece of digital theatre for the ‘Ceangal/Cwlwm’ project, entitled ‘NicFiona’. ‘NicFiona’ follows four generations of women from NicArtair’s family while documenting the social history of the working class women of Inverclyde.

Towards the end of last year, in collaboration with her brother, musician Billy  McArthur, Choirstaidh produced an animated short film called ‘Priob’ in Scottish Gaelic, which is up for four awards at this year’s FilmG Awards.

About being named ambassador for Seachdain na Gàidhlig, Choirstaidh said: ‘As someone who learned Gaelic in school after it died out in our family generations ago, being recognised as an ambassador for Seachdain na Gàidhlig is really touching! I often felt growing up that I wasn’t the right kind of Gael for many people, so every chance I get now, I want to show everyone who loves and  shares our language and culture that they belong, whoever they are and whatever brought them here!’