Deputy First Minister praises organisers of the Royal National Mòd for going online to the world
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An Comunn Gàidhealach has announced today that the Royal National Mòd 2020 will take place online from October 9–17.
This year’s Royal National Mòd was due to take place in Inverness, however, in response to the Covid-19 epidemic, event organiser’s An Comunn Gàidhealach took the decision to cancel the event and move it online.
The online version of the event will allow people to enjoy and celebrate Gaelic language and culture in spite of the postponement of the Inverness event until 2021.
The event will showcase a range of performances from children and adults that have participated online this year. Compilation programmes showcasing the performances will be broadcasting each day of the Mòd via An Comunn Gàidhealach’s social media channels.
Deputy First Minister John Swinney welcomed the news, he said: “This has been a difficult year and I welcome An Commun Gàidhealach’s forward thinking in moving the Royal National Mod to a virtual platform this year. It is vital that the mod takes place to provide such a significant celebration of Gaelic culture.
"There is a wonderful depth of talent taking part in the annual mod and I am pleased these individuals will get the opportunity to showcase their wide variety of skills to a potentially worldwide audience.”
An Comunn’s chief executive, James Graham, said: “We have been blown away by the effort that participants have made by creating videos and submitting their performances, especially during such a challenging time when schools were closed. To date, we have received well over five hundred entries with a rise in International participants from as far afield as America, South America, Canada, Wales and England.”
In addition to showcasing participant performances, a programme of exciting online events is planned to run alongside the online celebration.
An Comunn Gàidhealach have been working with organisation’s such as Film G, Comhairle nan Leabhraichean, Acair, Fèisean nan Gàidheal, The National Youth Pipe Band and other leading artists and musicians in order to develop a busy programme of events. Further details on a programme of events will be released in due course.
Allan Campbell, president of An Comunn Gàidhealach said: “We are excited to be able to engage with audiences in this way, and celebrate our language and culture despite the current challenges facing the Arts. The current situation in which we find ourselves presents opportunities to be creative and engage with others using a different approach and the online mòd is an example of this.”
An Comunn Gàidhealach are also delighted to announce that BBC ALBA will broadcast special Mòd programmes on the BBC ALBA channel during mòd week. Programmes will be broadcast each evening at 9pm , Monday 12 – Friday 16 October. In keeping with tradition, BBC Radio nan Gàidheal will also deliver radio content throughout the week to create a true mòd spirit.
Andrew Macnair, head of marketing at CalMac, who sponsor the event, said: “It is very exciting to be part of the mod’s first digital showcase. This is an excellent opportunity to be involved in bringing the best of Gaelic music and culture directly into people’s homes across the world.”
