More about GUIR!
In recent years Glasgow Life has played an important role in creating and developing work for diverse artists interested in experimental approaches to Gaelic artforms. The incubator programme GUIR!, which was started in 2018, incorporates a collaborative and learning model to develop new Gaelic work across all disciplines.
Every year we invite artists to submit proposals to participate in the scheme. On this page, read about artists and projects that have been supported in recent years.
GUIR 2024
The following artists were supported to develop work which was presented at a live scratch performance in May 2024, at Tramway.
The Gaelic language has a rich tradition of storytelling and expression, and as a queer artist, Josie contributed to this tradition by creating new Gaelic songs that reflect her experiences and journey as a member of the LGBTQIA+ community. They celebrate diversity, inclusion, and the unique intersection of queer identity and Gaelic culture.
Gaelic song has been used as a form of protest for centuries, raising awareness of injustice and subjugation of the Gaels. How is the cultural knowledge in these songs relevant to the climate emergency? Mairi created new songs exploring other minority languages, melodies and a wealth of old and new poetry, to continue the tradition of bearing witness and evidencing the current context for Gaels.
Caitlin developed an experimental audio-visual live set using personal and archival footage, field recordings, puirt-a-beul (mouth music) and live music. She explored the relationship between folklore and ecology, and how Gaels in Glasgow, past and present, have responded, adapted to and influenced the city.
Using the recorded phone conversations they have with their mother each Sunday, Babs Nic Griogair weaved the themes of maintaining connections with Gaelic, and ageing parents, into an interactive soundscape, installation and suite of poems. The work highlights themes of connection and disconnection; urban diaspora and rural roots; mothers and daughters, fragility, resilience, mortality and vitality.
As a non-binary gay artist, they find certain topics may be taboo in some Gaelic spaces. The phone call home is not two-way, and can be like listening to a soliloquy; listening intently but feeling unheard. How truthful are we in expressing our innermost feelings to a parent?
This project was supported bysupported by Susannah Stark