NEW STAFF TO BOOST COLLEGE’S LONG-TERM DEVELOPMENT
Two new members of staff at the Gaelic college Sabhal Mòr Ostaig will serve as a further boost to the long-term development of the college according to college director Norman Gillies, and the expansion in the corporate team is seen as another indication of the continued progress that has been seen at the college and to which the new centre Fàs will contribute.
Dòmhnall Angaidh MacLennan from North Uist is the college’s new Commercial Director, and Marlene MacDonald from Borve in Skye join’s the college’s corporate team as the new Marketing Officer at Sabhal Mòr.
Professor Gillies commented: “We are delighted that Dòmhnall Angaidh and Marlene are starting in these two key posts at such an exciting time for the college – at a time which is full of new opportunities. With the opening of the new centre, Fàs, next year, the college will provide a range of facilities which will help to develop Gaelic culture, the Gaelic arts, Gaelic heritage and industry. I am certain that Fàs will contribute, not only to the growth of the college, but to the continued development of Gaelic and the community in Sleat.
“Tha college is very fortunate to have attracted two such skilled new members of staff and whose knowledge and experience will contribute significantly to the success of the college over the coming years. Dòmhnall Angaidh did marvellous work at Ionad Chaluim Chille Ìle in developing Gaelic culture and education in Islay, and Marlene has acquired a wide range of corporate and language skills from her time with Cànan where she worked on a variety of projects connected to Gaelic.”
Mr MacLennan has a depth of experience across a range of areas, including working for many years in Gaelic development projects, working for various private companies and working with communities. He has previously worked for the Skye-based whisky company Praban na Linne, for Cànan, for the Columba Initiative as their first Scottish Project Officer, and latterly as the Director of the Columba Centre at Gart na Tra in Islay where he oversaw three and a half years of continued progress at the education and cultural centre.
Speaking of his new appointment Mr MacLennan said: “I am delighted to be back at Sabhal Mòr and to be involved with the wonderful new facility Fàs, and the possibilities that this will present. The building will serve as an excellent example of how new job opportunities and cultural developments in Gaelic can go hand in hand with the expansion of education provision at the college. The childcare facility Fàs Mòr will be part of the new centre, which will also include a state-of-the-art television studio, a learning centre, and which will provide new work spaces and offices as well as exhibition spaces. Although I will miss the people of Islay and Ionad Chaluim Chille Ìle, I am sure that there will be the potential for the two facilities to work together as part of my new post.”
Marlene MacDonald was a student on the Diploma in Gaelic Media at Sabhal Mòr Ostaig before joining Cànan where she spent four and a half years as the editor for the Gaelic teenager’s website, Sgleog, as well as being involved in a number of other projects for the design, multi-media and language solutions company.
Mrs MacDonald said: “I am looking forward very much to the challenges of my new post and I hope and intend to further raise the strong profile that the college already enjoys. Marketing is a key element of the college’s success, indeed it is not only vital for the college but for Gaelic in general.”
The two new employees are joining the corporate team at a very important time with the opening of the new centre Fàs on the horizon. The centre, currently being constructed by UBC Group Ltd, will provide for the development of a critical mass of activity in the Gaelic Arts, Culture and Heritage and will act as an ‘incubator’ for new businesses which seek to satisfy the growing demand for new products and services with cultural content and, in particular, for complimentary activity across a wide range of new media.
Notes to Editors:
- Sabhal Mòr Ostaig is Scotland’s Gaelic College (situated in Sleat on the Isle of Skye) and has received numerous awards for the quality of education that it provides. The college offers courses at CertHE, Diploma, Degree and Postgraduate level as well as distance learning courses, all through the medium of Gaelic.
- The full-time courses that Sabhal Mòr delivers include: Cùrsa Comais, Gaelic and Communication, BA and BA (hons) Gaelic Language and Culture, BA and BA (hons) Gaelic and North Atlantic Studies, BA (hons) Gaelic and Media Studies, BA Gaelic and Traditional Music, Diploma in Gaelic Media and an MA course in Material Culture and the Environment. In addition to the full-time courses the two supported distance-learning courses for beginners and intermediate learners are available and a series of short courses are run through the easter and summer holidays.