Can The Gaelic Blas Festival survive As Funding Cuts Bite

29th March 2024

The Gaelic committee of Highland council met on 28th March 2024 and one of the papers for discussion was the Blas 2023 Festival Report.

Cuts have already reduced the scale of the festival compared to previous years and future years will be no easier for the organisers unless it can become more commercial and run in the face of ever diminishing council and government funding.

The Festival took place between Friday 1st and Saturday 9th September 2003. It was agreed at the December 2023 Gaelic Committee that a further Blas Festival report would be submitted to the Committee, which would focus on the impact of the Festival on the area.

People who attended festival events were very supportive in comments.

Although the report recognised that the festival is heavily dependent on council funding little was said on how to make it more independent of such funds in the future.

[url=https://www.highland.gov.uk/download/meetings/id/83115/item_5_blas_festival_2023Read the committee paper HERE[/url]

Watch a recoding of the discussion held in Gaelic and English HERE

https://www.highland.gov.uk/meetings/meeting/4959/gaelic_committee_comataidh_na_gaidhlig
The full agenda HERE

PHOTO
Councillor Raymond Bremner speaking in the debate on the Blas Festival on 28 march 2024. Councillor Bremner a gaelic speakar represents Caithness East.