Donnie Munro, Sabhal Mòr Ostaig

Gaelic

Tha Donaidh na neach-ealain lèirsinneach a th’ air a bhith an sàs anns a’ cheangal a nì Sabhal Mòr Ostaig ri luchd-ealain tro na prògraman-ealain ainmeil aca, Prògram nan Creative Futures agus Muinntireas Ealain Lèirsinneach Eadar-nàiseanta nam measg. Tha na tionnsgnaidhean seo, ann an com-pàirteachas ris an RSA, air luchd-ealain barraichte a thoirt a dh’obair ann an suidheachadh beothail na Gàidhlig. Ged a chaidh an cur dheth car tamaill ri linn glasadh an t-sluaigh, tha Donaidh a’ dèanamh fiughair ris na greisean air mhuinntireas a thoirt air ais ann an 2025-26, a’ tairgse cothrom fa leth do luchd-ealain a bhith a’ co-obrachadh agus gam bogadh fhèin ann an cànan is cultar na Gàidhealtachd. 

“Tha sinne aig Sabhal Mòr Ostaig an sàs an-dràsta ann an oidhirp gus Oifigear-leasachaidh ùr Ealain a chur an dreuchd, agus gu goirid an dèidh sin a’ cumail oirnn le Prògram an Luchd-ealain air Mhuinntireas againn, a tha air a bhith na chuid de dh’ullachadh an t-Sabhal thar iomadh bliadhna.

O chionn ghoirid, bha ceithir raointean sa phrògram seo, Ceòl, Dràma, Litreachas agus Ealain Lèirsinneach, agus chaidh a chur air adhart mar cho-phrògram seach gun do chuir e air chomas cothroman a bhith ag obair còmhla thar raointean far an robh e iomchaidh, gun a bhith a’ sparradh ann an dòigh sam bith agus bha am prògram gu ìre mhòir ag amas air cur air chomas do luchd-ealain fa leth an cleachdadh cruthachail aca a leasachadh ann an suidheachadh cànain taiceil le cothrom air raon farsaing ghoireasan, teicneòlais agus dhaoine. Shoirbhich gu math leis tron chom-pàirteachas againn ri Alba Chruthachail, agus bha an Sabhal a’ chiad ionad a chùm Prògram Creative Futures Alba Chruthachail. 

Tha sinn cuideachd a’ cumail Muinntireas eadar-nàiseanta Ealain Lèirsinneach Jon Schueler, tron chom-pàirteachas againn le Urras Jon Schueler ann an New York, le stiùireadh is taic bho bhanntrach an neach-ealain agus i a’ gleidheadh oighreachd an neach-ealain nach maireann. Dh’èirich à seo gun tàinig cuid de luchd-ealain gu math beothail bho air feadh an t-saoghail chun an t-Sabhail Mhòir gus saothair a chruthachadh san àrainneachd a dheachd a leithid sin den t-saothair as cliùitiche le Schueler. Bho nochd e, tha e air còrr is 1,500 de dh’iarrtasan a thàladh bho luchd-ealain ag obair aig an ìre as àirde de chleachdadh cruthachail, le luchd-ealain a’ tighinn à Astràilia, bhon Ghearmailt, bho Fhraing, à Èirinn, bhon RA, à Alba, às an t-Seapan agus à Èirinn a Tuath. Tha e san amharc againn am prògram seo air mhuinntireas a shanasachadh am-bliadhna airson Muinntireas ann an 2026. 

Tha Prògram an Luchd-ealain air Mhuinntireas air a bhith aig cridhe leasachadh nan Ealain Gàidhlig leis an t-Sabhal, agus nì sinn fiughair gu mòr ri bhith ga fhaicinn air ais ann an 2026.” – An Giblean 2025, Sabhal Mòr Ostaig

English

Donnie is a visual artist involved in Sabhal Mòr Ostaig’s history of engaging with visual arts practitioners through its renowned residency programmes, including the Creative Futures Programme and the Jon Schueler International Visual Arts Residency. These initiatives, in partnership with the RSA, have brought top-tier artists to work in the vibrant Gaelic-language environment. Although temporarily postponed due to the pandemic, Donnie looks forward to relaunching the residencies in 2025-26, offering artists the unique opportunity to collaborate and immerse themselves in the language and culture of the Highlands.

"We at Sabhal Mor Ostaig are currently in the process of seeking to appoint a new Arts Development Officer, followed shortly thereafter with the resumption of our Artists in Residence Programme, which has been a feature of SMO provision over many years.

Latterly, this programme, which included four art forms, Music, Drama, Literature and Visual Arts in what was promoted as a joint programme in that it facilitated opportunities for cross discipline collaborations , where appropriate although this was not prescriptive in any way what so ever and the programme was very much focussed on enabling the individual artists to develop their professional practise in a supported and immersed language setting with access to a wide range of resource , technology and human resource. It had worked very successfully latterly through our partnership with Creative Scotland, with SMO being the first host centre for the Creative Futures Programme.

We also host the international Visual Arts Residency, The Jon Schueler Residency, through our partnership with the Jon Schueler Trust in New York under the guidance and patronage of the artist's widow and curator of the late artist's estate. This has led to some very exciting artists from across the world coming to Sabhal Mor to create work in the environment which inspired so many of Schueler's most celebrated works. Since its inception, it has attracted over 1500 applications from artists working at the highest level of professional practice, with artists coming from Australia, Germany, France, Ireland, the UK, Scotland, Japan and Northern Ireland. We plan to advertise this residency programme later this year for the 2026 residency.

The Artist in Residence Programme has been central to SMO's development of the Gaelic Arts, and we very much look forward to its reinstatement in 2026." - April 2025, Sabhal Mòr Ostaig

Image: Sabhal Mòr Ostaig