Weel duin tae Hamish MacDonald wha hae bin nominatit in Scots Performer o the Year sponsored by Tracs in the Scots Language Awards. Vote now!
We askit Hamish MacDonald o Hamish MacDonald thae speirins. Vote now!
Tell us aboot yersel or yer ootfit.
A’m Hamish an A’ve scrieved comedy sketches, plays, poetry, sangs, stories, novellas, radio braidcasts an online content in Scots. A wis Scots Scriever at the National Library frae 2015-17 an the Robert Burns Writing Fellow frae 2003-06. As a performer A’m intae storytellin, singin, slam poetry, plays, monologs, weans poetry an huv shared Scots wi audiences frae the schuilroom tae theatre an at local an international festivals. In 2020 A became the Bankies Bard, official poet o Clydebank Fitba Club wi the publication o ‘Kilbowie Dreams’ an daein video poems/sangs via the club’s social media.
Whit wis it got ye involvit wi the Scots leid?
Growin up wi the Glesga tongue rattlin in ma lugs, learnin aboot Burns frae ma faither an stertin oot scrievin a few verses in poetry an sang, maistly jist fir mates, guys at wurk or fur a laugh at pairties tae begin wi. A while eftir that A got intae scrievin an performin wi a tourin theatre company an foond Scots gied me baith a natural wey o expression an guid connection wi audiences. It wis maistly through performin that gied me a bit o belief an got me intae scrievin Scots in mair extendit forms like full length plays an fiction.
Ony particlar career heighlichts
The Burns Fellowship in Dumfries an Gallowa, bein Scots Scriever at the National Library an throughoot Scotland, scrievin stuff fur Itchy Coo, gettin ‘Wilson’s Ornithology & Burds in Scots’ imprentit bi Scotland Street Press an gettin distribution tae America, rinnin the Verb Garden spoken wurd venue at Belladrum Festival, playin at Belladrum Festival ower the years, scrievin an presentin documentaries fur BBC Radio Scotland, scrievin an performin plays fir Dogstar Theatre Company, takkin Factor 9 – a play aboot the contaminatit bluid scandal – tae premier as pairt o the 2014 European Capital of Culture programme at Umea in Sweden, takkin Factor 9 tae the Edinburgh Fringe in the same year, Roving Poet at Nairn Book & Arts Festival in 2018 and 2019. Becomin the Bankies Bard.
Wha’s yer plans fir the days aheid?
Needless tae say Covid has pit the tin bunnet oan a load ae things so we look aheid cannily. Thankfully A’ve a few things in the days aheid as A write this; performances at the Pop Out Festival in Perth, Under Canvas at Eden Court Theatre an Roving Poet at Nairn Book & Arts Festival. Nae doot like ither folk A developed online content a fair bit durin the pandemic an wis commissioned tae dae some historical videos an alsae some sangs, poems and stories fur the wee yins. A enjoyed this an wid like tae develop this side o things a bit mair. A’ve also a wee notion tae dae mair o the historical stories but in a live context. A’m hopeful Belladrum Festival will resume in 2022 an we can fire aheid wi that an aw, an hopefully dae a bit mair creative writin an performance stuff wi the young yins tae. (But no oan Zoom!) Tae tak pairt in poetry slams. Tae dae mair poems an videos wi Clydebank FC, chartin the history an fortunes o the club an the toon itsel.
Read more about Hamish MacDonald
http://hamishmacd.com/
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The Scots Language Awards are in the Gardyne Theatre, Dundee on 25th September at 7pm. Tickets are available to buy here: https://www.gardynetheatre.org.uk/show/the-scots-language-awards/ Performing on Saturday 25th September include Ellie Beaton, Anna Stewart, Gemma Johnson and more to be announced.
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