Fàilte dhan a' Cholaisde Ghàidhlig. Thigibh a-staigh! (Welcome to the Gaelic College. Come on in!) Click arrow icon for audio translation.
Situated in the heart of Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, Canada, the Gaelic College of Celtic Arts and Crafts
was founded in 1938 as a school devoted to the study and preservation
of the Gaelic language, arts and culture. Students of all ages and
abilities from around the world take courses at our Cape Breton campus and online.
Our world-class instructors offer programs in Scottish traditional
disciplines including Gaelic language and song, music, dance and crafts.
We look forward to welcoming you to the tranquil setting, the
camaraderie, the wide range of study and other activities that await
you here at the Gaelic College.
Last Updated ( Friday, 20 March 2009 )
Caught on a historic thread
Aspiring kilt-maker not fazed by years of apprenticeship
ST. ANNS — Christine Cann could become a doctor about as quickly as she could a kilt-maker.
The Baddeck Bay woman has worked under kilt-maker Ann Cantwell for two years and will spend the next five stitching, pleating and learning about the tartans she’ll use once she becomes a full-fledged artisan
Not many people realize how much time goes into learning the trade, Ms. Cann said while showing a reporter around her sunlit studio at the Gaelic College of Celtic Arts and Crafts.
"When I accepted the position, I knew it would be a commitment," she said. "It was going to be a career choice and not just another job. It’s kind of a more offbeat career path, but . . . I wanted to stay in Cape Breton (instead of) going out west, so it’s nice to have an opportunity to do something I love here."
Ms. Cann, 30, grew up in Cape Breton but says she never really connected to her Celtic roots until she started listening to the Rankin Family singing on the radio in her teen years.
Gaelic College puts masters together with students
THE
BOW is a blur against the fiddle as tiny fingers move on the strings
and the boy’s small, freckled face pinches in concentration.
His instructor plays along, using his feet to keep time, nodding and
smiling as the young fiddler slides through a difficult passage in the
music.
"That’s it, you’ve got it. Now we’ll try it again a little bit
faster," says Ed Rodgers, a teacher of Cape Breton-style fiddling at
the Gaelic College of Arts and Crafts on the shores of St. Anns Bay,
Victoria County.
Just about everything at this 70-year-old institution seems to be a
little bit faster, whether it’s fiddling, step-dancing, piping or
bodhran drumming.
Our Mission Statement: To promote, preserve and perpetuate through
studies in all related areas - the culture, music, language, arts,
crafts, customs and traditions of immigrants from the highlands of
Scotland.
