Enterprising Culture 2017: Entrepreneurship, Endorsement and Engagement of Minority Language in Europe’s Remote Rural and Small Island Communities.

Dates: Tuesday 21st – Wednesday 22rd February 2017

Venue: SAMS (Scottish Marine Institute), Oban

Arts and humanities students and supervisors are invited to participate in this two day co-hosted (COST and SGSAH) inter- disciplinary event that will provide an opportunity to examine the interface between new minority language speakers, cultural entrepreneurship and research good practice in island and remote rural communities. The event seeks to build networks and share knowledge at all levels of research enquiry. With a focus on sharing examples of arts and humanities doctoral research and community policy case studies, participants will experience Scotland’s west coast community of Oban and participate in a range of ‘walking and talking’ research activity as well as key presentations, site visits and round table discussions.

Key themes for the two day event include:

• Sharing good practice on minority language community research engagement and brokerage with particular emphasis on doctoral experiences;
• Inviting a better understanding of the minority language and culture issues facing communities, entrepreneurs, host communities and new minority language speakers and the research potential this offers;
• Drawing on multi-disciplinary and multi-lingual contexts to inform discussions regarding (i) the commodification of minority language and new speakers, (ii) the role of language and cultural enterprise in local and national policy, (iii) ‘futureproofing’ minority language cultures in ‘fragile’ and remote places;

• Realising the value of place/language as fluid/living cultural practice and enterprise with key community contributions including poet and writer Norrie Bissell, Isle of Luing, Scotland, and James Harrison representing CultureVannin, Isle of Man;
• Developing a pivoting perspective by which both research undertaken, challenges presented and new questions yet to emerge can be brought forth and offered for review and critique by both new and experienced researchers togethe

Event organisers:

Dr Kathryn A Burnett, University of the West of Scotland         Kathryn.Burnett@uws.ac.uk

Professor Mike Danson, Heriot Watt University      M.Danson@hw.ac.uk

Professor Bernadette 0’ Rourke, Chair of COST Action IS1306 New Speakers in a Multilingual Europe: Opportunities and Challenges:  http://www.cost.eu/domains_actions/isch/Actions/IS1306   b.m.a.o’rourke@hw.ac.uk

Mr Michael Rayner, University of the Highlands and Islands     Michael.Rayner@uhi.ac.uk

For expressions of interest please contact:  Professor Mike Danson                                                                   M.Danson@hw.ac.uk    or Dr Kathryn A Burnett Kathryn.burnett@uws.ac.uk. Timetable for Event:

Please note participants must make own arrangements for travel and accommodation.

Programme for event:

Enterprising Culture: Entrepreneurship, Endorsement and Engagement of Minority Language in Europe’s Remote Rural and Small Island Communities.

Day One: Tuesday 21st February 2017 SAMS @UHI (Scottish Marine Institute), by Oban

13:30 -14:00           Welcome and Networking Introduction Session: Dr Kathryn Burnett

14:00 -14:30            Thematic Focus 1: Past Research & Key Policy Issues

Researching new minority language, culture and entrepreneurship

Context Setting: Professor Mike Danson, Heriot Watt University on Gaelic

Context Setting: Mr James Harrison, CultureVannin, Isle of Man on Manx

14:30-15:00           Carousel/Brainstorming/ Rotating Review – led by doctoral students

15:00-15:15             Break

15:15-16:00           Sharing doctoral experience on research challenges, good practice andopportunities

Doctoral Researcher – Sara Brennan, Heriot Watt University

Doctoral Researcher – Emma Hill, Heriot Watt University

Doctoral Researcher – Fañch Bihan-Gallic, University of Aberdeen

16:00-16:15             Break

16:15-17:00             New Speakers: a learning context for research training and practice

Doctoral Researcher – Nicola Black, University of the West of Scotland

Doctoral Researcher – Ben Ó Ceallaigh, University of Edinburgh

17:00-17:15             Close and arrangements for Day 2: Community Field Site visit

Day Two:                Wednesday 22^nd February 2017 SAMS @UHI (Scottish Marine Institute), or alternative venue Oban

09:30-10:30             Meet 9:30 at Corran Halls – Networking Walking Session: Oban  with Norman Bissell

10:30-11:00             New Speakers and Minority language: Argyll & Bute Gaelic focus talk: Duncan MacNeil, Furan, Gaelic Centre

11:00-11:30             Break

11:30-12:30             Talk: Norman Bissell, Poet, Writer, Educator and Director of the  Scottish Centre for Geopoetics ,  Isle of Luing. Followed by Q & A

12:30-13:30             Lunch

13:30-14:30             Thematic Focus 2: New Research & Key Policy Questions

Context Setting: Professor Bernie O’Rourke Carousel Brainstorming/ Rotating Review led by doctoral students

14:30-15:00             Network focus event multiplier – Outputs capture – Future Research and Training Collaboration Possibilities

Facilitator: Dr Kathryn A Burnett

15:00-15:30             Close