Producers

A note to mainstream and independent television producers in Northern Ireland - here is an example of how a programme on the value, positivity and power of a minority language can be made that provides access to all and a sensible use of celebrity to broaden the audience.  Congrats to BBC Scotland.

The British Library notices

Bloggin fae the burn highlights how three web-based Ulster-Scots projects have been added to the developing digital archive of the British Library.  Perhaps the Ulster Museum could take the hint and manage to do likewise in its actual displays. The Ulster Museum does provide an Ulster-Scots language leaflet but nothing in the displays or their interpretation would give the visitor any further understanding whatsoever.

Right to Buy

The Policy Exchange have produced a new report on social housing and planning policy.  One of its recommendations is to:

"New tenants in social housing should by default be placed on a “Path to Ownership”, which would see their rent instead become mortgage payments. To allow more social housing to built, low-interest government bonds would be issued, with rent/mortgage payments being used to service the debt. This would be cheaper than the current system of subsidies."

If I remember correctly Graham Gudgin was pushing a comparable idea 5-7 years ago for Northern Ireland as a means to ensure the benefits of peace were more shared across the classes.  It is certainly worth exploring as creating mechanisms for asset accumulation is a means of tackling long-term poverty.  Arguably the Irish Land Acts which enabled 1000s to become landowners is a comparable policy.

PS There is a publication from 1872 on the issue of Tenant right that had a very interesting cartoon within it.  It had two pictures - one of a poor tenant paying his rent while taking abuse from the landlord's agent and the second of him paying his mortgage to a courteous agent.  There was a rhyme beneath both.  Under the first Ulster-Scots was used but under the second it was English.

Robin's Readings

The BBC is doing some decent coverage of Ulster-Scots (for once) with its production of Robins' readings.  Ian Parsley provides an excellent introduction and summary of the ongoing series here.

PS Bloggin fae the Burn highlights the ongoing work of Dr Frank Ferguson at the University of Ulster that will provide benefits for Ulster-Scots too.

Honest dear it's an Ulster-Scots concert

Bloggin fae the Burn has provided me with an excuse to go to the Guns and Roses concert.  I too was a teenage metaller (although never even attempted the hair as I find hair any length an annoyance) and Guns and Roses fan. Axl Rose is an Ulster-Scot (Hope no one tells the Ulster-Scots Agency or they'll find another way to waste money and make an hains of something).  Aa thegither tha nou Fair fa ye tae tha jungle:

Hit's aa owre fur Ulster-Scotch - Positive into a negative

It seems I spoke too soon when I said that the new NISRA social attitudes survey into Ulster-Scots represented an overall positive picture.  The papers (in this case the News Letter) know better and it shows a negative picture.

The journalist copy conspiciously ignores the positive elsements I highlighted yesterday.  Instead it focuses on a number of other stats, for example 1% having attended a language or literature class - considering there is next to no provision of such classes I'm surprised the survey managed to find 1%.  The positive of 1 in 5 wanting to learn the language becomes 4 in 5 don't - for a lesser used minority language this is not unusual plus some language revivals would probably break your arm for that level of interest.  As regards attendance and participation of the general public that is not a Ulster-Scots specific issue but common for large swathes of the cultural and arts sector.

Mair haul wi Ulster-Scotch than ye wid ken fae tha papers

Ulster-Scots has become a standard media punching bag over the years that it is a wonder those of us with an interest simply didn't give up the ghost years ago. The actions of certain public bodies, beyond the community's control, have done little to help either. Yet a new survey by NISRA of public attitudes shows that broad public support remains good. It showed:

Forty-three percent of respondents agreed with the statement ‘Ulster-Scots is a valuable part of the culture of Northern Ireland’. Sixteen percent disagreed with this statement

Slightly over two-fifths (41%) of respondents mentioned the reason preventing them from attending more Ulster-Scots events was that they were not really interested. One-fifth (20%) said the reason for not attending more Ulster-Scots events was because they were not publicised enough.

Nearly a half (49%) of respondents agreed with the statement ‘Ulster-Scots plays an important part in the history and heritage of Northern Ireland’. Fifteen percent disagreed with this view.

Almost a half (48%) of respondents agreed with the statement “Learning about Ulster-Scots traditions in the school curriculum has educational value. A little over a fifth (21%) of respondents disagreed with this claim.

Nearly three-fifths (59%) of respondents thought children should have the option to study Ulster-Scots history and 46% believed they should be able to choose to learn about Ulster-Scots culture.

Even on the much attacked language issue just under one in five had an interest:

Eighteen percent of all respondents said that they would like to learn more about the Ulster-Scots language. Of these respondents, 56% indicated they would like to learn more about it through local courses.

With all surveys in Northern Ireland it is unwise to read too much into precise figures but there is a persistence in the answers that those who are accepting of Ulster-Scots significantly outnumber those who are opposed to it.