Weel duin tae Braw Clan wha hae bin nominatit in Scots Community Project o the Year in the Scots Language Awards. Vote now!
The Scots Language Awards are in the Cumnock Toon Ha, Cumnock in pairtnership wi East Ayrshire Cooncil on 14th September at 7pm. Tickets fir the ceremony are available tae buy here: https://eastayrshireleisure.com/events/scots-language-awards/.
We askit Clare Yuille o Braw Clan thae speirins.
Tell us aboot yersel or yer ootfit.
Braw Clan maks new Scots langage theatre fir fowk wha bide in Clydesdale an sooth Scotland, bringin pouerfu stories an warld-cless performers tae veelage haws.
Oor theatre tickets ir priced on a Pey Whit Ye Decide model whit means thare's nae up front costs. Efter ye'v see'd the shaw, ye mak yer ain mind up aboot whit yer wantin tae pey. We dae hings this wey acause hit teckles risk and whit fowk cin affuird – twa ae the maist muckle blocks tae fowk takkin pairt in the arts. Pey Whit Ye Decide haes buin a barrie success fir Braw Clan. We hae fand hit helps fowk say "aye" tae comin tae oor plays, an wanst thay'r in the room hit gits thaim bletherin aboot the experience.
Anither heid pairt ae whit we dae is Q+As. Efter ilka performance, muckle ir wee, we bring the creative team an audience thegither fir a blether. Fowk cin skare thair thochts aboot the play, mindins, stories frae thair communities an whit hit's like tae hear Scots spak on stage. We ayeweys benefit frae thair insichts an feel jammy tae hae this time wi fowk wha see oor shaws.
Braw Clan rins Soup And A Story an aw, oor community wirk in pairtnery wi lunch clubs fir aulder fowk whaur we gie awbody a bite tae eat an a live performance ae a Scots story bi a perfaisional actor. Oor third saison ae Soup And A Story is aboot tae stairt in Biggar an Roberton, an we'll be wirkin in Forth frae October.
Whit wis it got ye involvit wi the Scots leid?
A owerwhalmin luve ae the leed haes pusht Braw Clan tae mak new wirk in Scots. We ir wantin tae waux an impruive the canon ae Scots langage plays oot thare fir modren audiences.
Wrat Scots is haurd fir fowk tae unnerstaund tae stert wi acause we’r no taucht eneuch ae hit it schuil. But we ken whan a actor performs Scots on stage, oor precious leed is alloued tae sing, gurr an bruind. Hit connects deep doun wi fowk (an no juist Scots speakers) in the maument. Hit alloues fowk tae be sweepit up in hit’s bonnie daurkness an gies thaim the chance access hit’s fou pouer. That’s hou we dae whit we dae.
Why dae ye feel it is important tae use Scots in everyday life?
We hink hit’s gey important tae feel ye cin uise Scots in iveryday life wioot fowk or society hinkin yer dirt puir, daft ir ignorant.
Mony ae us uise Scots an English. Whit’s no tae luve aboot kennin twa leeds? We’r wantin tae help gie fowk the fettle tae haiver the Scots wirds whit ir in thair heids ‘ithoot fear ae tash an geckin.
A appen an unnerstaundin environ is necessar gaun forrit – an Braw Clan ir gaun tae dae aw we cin tae nurtur a cultur ae gallas confidence in uisin Scots in wir day-tae-day leevin.
Dae ye hae a favourite Scots phrase or saying?
That’s lik askin a body whit’s thay’r fauvourite diamant in a diamant mine. We luve thaim aw. But a wird mony fowk luved frae oor first play, "Secret Wrapped In Lead", is misglim. Hit means tae neglect ir forget.
Is there a Scots speaker who inspires you?
Ilka Scots uiser inspires us. We luve hearin oor langage spak bi young fowk frae oor local heich schuil, aulder fowk it Soup And A Story an ilkabody in atween.
Do you hear Scots spoken regularly in your local area? Have you noticed any changes over time?
We dae hear a lot ae Scots in Clydesdale. Maistly frae aulder fowk. Bit we ken that thare’s a thirst fir mair Scots in the young fowk we work wi. An that’s dead excitin.
Ony particlar career heighlichts
Ilka single ticket fir the tour ae oor first shaw, "Secret Wrapped In Lead", whit tourt Clydesdale last simmer, wis taen.
Near 600 fowk cam tae see a new play, in Scots, bi a brand new theatre company, pit on in haws whit irnae uised fir perfaisional theatre, in backaboot veelages ae Clydesdale whit hae nae wey tae tak pairt in the arts. We'r prood ae that.
Wha’s yer plans fir the days aheid?
Our seicont fou-scale play, !So Long, Wee Moon", is gaun tae be tourin tae seiven haws across Clydesdale frae the 18th-28th September, Hit's a grippin faimily drama set in Crawfordjohn in the 1920s. Bloomsbury ir gaun tae publish the script ae the play in time fir the production gaun oot.
Efter that, thare's "Unlocking Scots," oor 18-month development programme fundit bi Creative Scotland. Atween nou an neist November, we'll wirk up a Christmas shaw, a play fir wee bairns, a fowk music shaw hauntit bi ghaists, an a new drama aboot Scots speakers in the American Civil War. We'll train 28 theatre makkers tae perform plays in Scots an aw.
Read more about Braw Clan
https://brawclan.com/
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The Scots Language Awards are in the Cumnock Toon Ha, Cumnock on 14th September at 7pm. Tickets are available to buy here: https://eastayrshireleisure.com/events/scots-language-awards/ There wull be some grand entertainmint oan the nicht tae, includin a recital fae Billy Kay, Susie Briggs, alang wi musical performances fae Claire Hastings an Sèan Gray.
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