A University of Aberdeen student has won a place on a professional development programme at a unique Scottish theatre company producing innovative and contemporary theatre in Gaelic.
Rhiannon Ledwell is a third-year student in Gaelic and Archaeology, and is one of three successful applicants for the Lasag scheme run by Theatre gu Leòr.
Lasag is a new scheme that supports the seeds of early ideas. It gives artists working with Gaelic the opportunity to take their first steps with a new project by spending time thinking about, researching and growing their ideas. Rhiannon (@sitarrhiannon) is an internationally accomplished sitarist, composer, arranger, instructor, and music transcriptionist. Now based in Aberdeen, she is exploring a way to bridge her two worlds—Gaelic language and North Indian Classical music—through drama, composition, and short stories. She is particularly interested in the intersections between Indian Classical and Scottish Traditional music, as well as in the role of language in shaping musical expression. Rhiannon has trained extensively under Alam Khan and Arjun Verma at the Ali Akbar College of Music. She graduated from California Institute of the Arts with a BFA in Music Composition before beginning her Gaelic degree at the University of Aberdeen.
Rhiannon said: “I am absolutely delighted that I have this opportunity to develop these ideas. I finally have found a way to bridge my two worlds. I was on two separate paths - on the one hand, I have been immersed in Indian Classical music for over a decade, which is a very serious tradition - as they say, after ten years, you can finally call yourself a beginner. You will have skills, but then you need to discover your own voice. That is very pertinent to me. I wasn't raised with the culture from birth, and because of that, I will always be seen as a bit of an outsider. And on the other hand, I am incredibly passionate about Gaelic. I have recently started working with the Gaelic arts - drama, creative writing, music, and getting involved in language activism. But I wasn't raised with Gaelic from birth either...So, I feel that I am still between two worlds. “Through the medium of drama, music, and short stories, this project is meant to make us think about what connects us, and how we feel when we have different roots, different homes - when we don't feel that we belong to one single place. This project will explore building connections between cultures that feel quite separate at first glance. But, at the same time, how do we protect our languages and traditions?” You can read more about the scheme here: https://www.theatreguleor.com/lasag2025
Bidh oileanach agus neach-ealain aig Oilthigh Obar Dheathain a' faighinn cothrom air an dà shaoghal aice a cheangal ri chèile le cuideachadh bho sgeama leasachaidh proifeiseanta Theatre gu Leòr
Choisinn oileanach aig Oilthigh Obar Dheathain àite air sgeama leasachaidh proifeiseanta aig Theatre gu Leòr. ‘S e companaidh tèatar ùr, co-aimsireil a th’ ann an Theatre Gu Leòr, a’ leasachadh sgrìobhadh agus dràma sa Ghàidhlig aig àrd ìre.
'S e oileanach san treasamh bliadhna a th' ann an Rhiannon a tha a' dèanamh ceum ann an Gàidhlig agus Àrc-eòlas. Is ise tè dhen an triùir tagraichean soirbheachail airson an sgeama. ’S e sgeama ùr a th’ ann an Lasag, a chuireas taic ri beachdan aig fìor thràth-ìre. Bheir e cothrom do luchd-ealain ag obair le Gàidhlig an ciad ceumanan a ghabhail le pròiseact ùr tro bhith a’ cur seachad ùine a’ smaoineachadh, a’ rannsachadh agus toirt fàs air am beachdan.
‘S e cluicheadair sitair agus sgrìobhadair-ciùil soirbheachail eadar-nàiseanta a th’ ann an Rhiannon, a bhios an sàs ann an teagasg agus rèiteachadh- is tar-sgrìobhaidhean ciùil. Tha i a’ rannsachadh dhòighean air an dà shaoghal aice a cheangal ri chèile — Gàidhlig agus ceòl clasaigeach Innseanach — tro mheadhan dràma, ciùil is sgeulachdan goirid. Tha ùidh shònraichte aice anns na ceanglaichean eadar ceòl clasaigeach Innseanach agus ceòl traidiseanta Albannach, a thuilleadh air dòighean a bhios cànan a’ toirt crutha air ceòl. Tha Rhiannon air trèanadh gus a bogadh bho chionn fhada fo stiùir Alam Khan agus Arjun Verma aig Colaiste Ciùil Ali Akbar. Rinn i ceum BFA ann an sgrìobhadh-ciùil bho California Institute of the Arts, mus do thòisich i ceum Gàidhlig aig Oilthigh Obar Dheathain.
Thuirt Rhiannon: “'Tha mi air mo dhòigh glan gu bheil mi a' faighinn cothrom airson mo chuid bheachdan a leasachadh. Mu dheireadh thall, lorg mi dòigh air an dà shaoghal agam a cheangal ri chèile! Bha mi air dà shlighe eadar-dhealaichte – Air an dàrna làimh, tha mi air a bhith air mo bhogadh ann an ceòl Clasaigeach Innseanach bho chionn còrr is deich bliadhna, agus tha an traidisean sin uabhasach trom – Mar a chanas iad, as dèidh deich bliadhna, chan e ach neach-tòiseachaidh a th’ annad. Bidh sgilean agad, ach an uair sin, feumaidh tu an guth agad fhèin a lorg. Tha sin uabhasach buntainneach air mo shon-sa. Chan ann às na h-Innseachan a tha mi. Cha deach mo thogail leis a’ chultar bhon ghlùin, agus thèid m’ fhaicinn mar choigreach a-chaoidh – Agus air an làimh eile, tha mi air mo bheò-ghlacadh leis a’ Ghàidhlig. Tha mi air a bhith an sàs ann an iomairteachd cànain agus na h-ealain – dràma, sgrìobhadh cruthachail, ceòl. Ach cha deach mo thogail leis a’ Ghàidhlig bhon ghlùin nas motha...mar sin, tha mi fhathast a' faireachdainn gu bheil mi eadar an dà shaoghal. “Tro mheadhan dràma, ciùil is sgeulachdan goirid, bheir am pròiseact oirnn smaoineachadh air na rudan a tha eadarainn, agus ciamar a tha sinn a’ faireachdainn nuair a tha freumhan eadar-dhealaichte againn – nuair nach buin sinn do dh'àite sam bith. Bheir sinn sùil air ciamar a thogas sinn ceanglaichean eadar cultaran sgaraichte. Ach, aig an aon àm, ciamar a bhios sinn a’ dìon nan cànanan agus nan traidiseanan againn?'”
Faodar barrachd a leughadh mun sgeama an seo: https://www.theatreguleor.com/lasag2025