1

Appendix 1

Overview of Application of Language Policies

Background

Language Profile of the Derry City & Strabane Council Area

The Derry City and Strabane District Council area is home to a diverse range of languages including English – the majority language; Irish and Ulster-Scots – our regional minority indigenous languages; minority ethnic languages such as Polish and Chinese, and British and Irish sign languages.

Demographics

Indigenous Languages – Irish and Ulster-ScotsIn the Derry City and Strabane District Council area 13.92% (19,704) of the population has knowledge of Irish and 5.13% (7,266) of the population has knowledge of Ulster-Scots.

Minority Ethnic Languages in the Derry-Strabane LGDThe following table provides data in relation to speakers of minority ethnic languages in the Derry City and Strabane Local Government District (LGD). The most widely spoken minority ethnic languages in the area are Polish, Chinese and Malayalam.

Main Language No. of speakers Percentage Polish 712 0.50%Lithuanian 71 0.05%Portuguese 22 0.02%Slovak 15 0.01%Chinese 100 0.07%Tagalog/Filipino 74 0.05%Latvian 20 0.01%Russian 43 0.03%Malayalam 103 0.07%Hungarian 69 0.05%Other 771 0.54% (Source: Census Figures 2011)

2

Legislation

Derry City and Strabane District Council has developed a suite of language policies which are designed to meet the needs of language communities and to aid the Council to meet its legislative obligations in respect of language.

There are three key instruments of legislation which apply to language in the context of local government are as follows:

1. The European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages; 2. The Good Friday Agreement;3. The St Andrew’s Agreement.

The relevant sections upon which Councils are required to base their policies are summarised below.

The European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages (2001)

The European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages is a European Treaty adopted under the auspices of the Council of Europe (which is separate from the European Union) to protect and promote the regional languages of Europe. The Charter outlines a range of protections which governments can adopt in favour of languages. The UK Government has adopted Part II and Part III protections for Irish and Part II protections for Ulster-Scots.

Part II and Part III Protections

Part II protections are based on eight broad principles:

Recognition of regional or minority languages as an expression of cultural wealth;

Respect for the geographical area of each regional or minority language; The need for resolute action to promote such languages; The facilitation and/or encouragement of the use of such languages, in

speech and writing, in public and private life; The provision of appropriate forms and means for the teaching and study of

such languages at all appropriate stages; The promotion of relevant transnational exchanges; The prohibition of all forms of unjustified distinction, exclusion, restriction or

preference relating to the use of a regional or minority language and intended to discourage or endanger its maintenance or development;

The promotion by states of mutual understanding between all the country’s linguistic groups.

3

Part III of the Charter, which applies to Irish, requires specific undertakings and tangible interventions in the following areas:

Education; Judicial authorities; Administrative authorities and public services (Article 10) Media; Cultural activities and facilities; Economic and social life; Transfrontier exchanges.

The section of the Charter which has most relevance for local Councils is Article 10 – Administrative Authorities and Public Services which is detailed below:

Article 10 – Administrative authorities and public services

Within the administrative districts of the State in which the number of residents who are users of regional or minority languages justifies the measures specified below and according to the situation of each language, the Parties undertake, as far as this is reasonably possible:

to ensure that the administrative authorities use the regional or minority languages; or

to ensure that such of their officers as are in contact with the public use the regional or minority languages in their relations with persons applying to them in these languages; or

to ensure that users of regional or minority languages may submit oral or written applications and receive a reply in these languages; or

to ensure that users of regional or minority languages may submit oral or written applications in these languages; or

to ensure that users of regional or minority languages may validly submit a document in these languages;

to make available widely used administrative texts and forms for the population in the regional or minority languages or in bilingual versions;

to allow the administrative authorities to draft documents in a regional or minority language.

In respect of the local and regional authorities on whose territory the number of residents who are users of regional or minority languages is such as to justify the measures specified below, the Parties undertake to allow and/or encourage:

4

the use of regional or minority languages within the framework of the regional or local authority;

the possibility for users of regional or minority languages to submit oral or written applications in these languages;

the publication by regional authorities of their official documents also in the relevant regional or minority languages;

the publication by local authorities of their official documents also in the relevant regional or minority languages;

the use by regional authorities of regional or minority languages in debates in their assemblies, without excluding, however, the use of the official language(s) of the State;

the use by local authorities of regional or minority languages in debates in their assemblies, without excluding, however, the use of the official language(s) of the State;

the use or adoption, if necessary in conjunction with the name in the official language(s), of traditional and correct forms of place-names in regional or minority languages.

With regard to public services provided by the administrative authorities or other persons acting on their behalf, the Parties undertake, within the territory in which regional or minority languages are used, in accordance with the situation of each language and as far as this is reasonably possible:

to ensure that the regional or minority languages are used in the provision of the service; or

to allow users of regional or minority languages to submit a request and receive a reply in these languages; or

to allow users of regional or minority languages to submit a request in these languages.

With a view to putting into effect those provisions of paragraphs 1, 2 and 3 accepted by them, the Parties undertake to take one or more of the following measures:

translation or interpretation as may be required; recruitment and, where necessary, training of the officials and other

public service employees required; compliance as far as possible with requests from public service

employees having a knowledge of a regional or minority language to be appointed in the territory in which that language is used.

5

The Parties undertake to allow the use or adoption of family names in the regional or minority languages, at the request of those concerned.

The European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages is based on the premise of non-discrimination, i.e. the majority language group (English) is not discriminated against by the implementation of actions designed to promote and protect the minority language group (Irish or Ulster-Scots). In practical terms, this means that policies designed to promote Irish or Ulster-Scots do not constitute an act of discrimination against those who speak English or other languages. Equally important is the distinction made in the Charter that policies must be based on the specific situation of each language i.e. a Council may have a different approach to the promotion of Irish and Ulster-Scots as the needs and situation of each language is unique. It is because of this distinction that the Council has developed two distinct policies for Irish and Ulster-Scots, reflecting on the unique situation and needs of each.

The Good Friday Agreement (1998)

The Good Friday Agreement makes specific reference to language and draws heavily on the language of the European Charter. The full text of the relevant sections are provided below:

“All participants recognise the importance of respect, understanding and tolerance in relation to linguistic diversity, including in Northern Ireland, the Irish language, Ulster-Scots and the languages of the various ethnic communities, all of which are part of the cultural wealth of the island of Ireland.

In the context of active consideration currently being given to the UK signing the Council of Europe Charter for Regional or Minority Languages, the British Government will in particular in relation to the Irish language, where appropriate and where people so desire it:

take resolute action to promote the language; facilitate and encourage the use of the language in speech and writing

in public and private life where there is appropriate demand; seek to remove, where possible, restrictions which would discourage or

work against the maintenance or development of the language; make provision for liaising with the Irish language community,

representing their views to public authorities and investigating complaints;

6

place a statutory duty on the Department of Education to encourage and facilitate Irish medium education in line with current provision for integrated education;

explore urgently with the relevant British authorities, and in co-operation with the Irish broadcasting authorities, the scope for achieving more widespread availability of Teilifís na Gaeilge in Northern Ireland;

seek more effective ways to encourage and provide financial support for Irish language film and television production in Northern Ireland; and

encourage the parties to secure agreement that this commitment will be sustained by a new Assembly in a way which takes account of the desires and sensitivities of the community.

Northern Ireland Act (St Andrews Agreement) 2006

In 2006 the St. Andrew’s Agreement - Annex B, outlined the following commitment:

‘The Government will introduce an Irish Language Act reflecting on the experience of Wales and Ireland and work with the incoming Executive to enhance and protect the development of the Irish language’.

To date, an Irish Language Act has not been introduced, but the Department for Culture, Arts and Leisure did undertake a public consultation in relation to the introduction of a bill in 2015.

Sign LanguagesBoth British Sign Language (BSL) and Irish Sign Language (ISL) were embraced within the Good Friday Agreement and both are recognised as languages in their own right following similar recognition of BSL in Britain. BSL is used by 3,500 members of the deaf population of Northern Ireland while approximately 1,500 use ISL.

Policy Context

Derry City and Strabane District Council has developed a range of policies in order to safeguard and promote cultural and linguistic diversity within the Council area.

These policies are summarised as follows:

7

Linguistic Diversity Policy

The purpose of this policy is to recognise the right of individuals to use their language of choice, and to allow Council to address any disparity of opportunity which may exist for those who speak languages other than English, or who belong to minority linguistic communities. The policy is general and overarching in its approach and it includes references to all languages in the broadest sense including indigenous languages – Irish and Ulster-Scots, minority ethnic languages (i.e. Polish, Chinese, Malayalam etc.) and Sign Languages e.g. British Sign Language (BSL) and Irish Sign Language (ISL).

The policy outlines the following commitments:

To promote an appreciation of linguistic diversity in the Council area; To allow individuals to use their language of choice; To endeavour to achieve equality of opportunity for minority language

communities; To give special consideration to facilitating communication with people

with disabilities (i.e. users with sensory impairments or learning disabilities); To allow minority language communities to request information in their

own language; To make information available in a range of alternative formats; To provide training to staff to enhance cultural and linguistic sensitivity; To promote good relations between different minority language groups; To support different language communities with grant aid opportunities; To consult with language communities to identify communication needs.

Irish Language Policy

This policy sets out Council’s commitments to facilitate and encourage the use and promotion of the Irish language in public life. This policy builds on Council’s wider commitments to celebrate linguistic diversity and to deliver equality of opportunity for all who avail of Council services. It also sets out the specific legislative obligations placed on local government service providers. The policy also includes a number of appendices to support staff, which include a Courtesy Code for dealing with members of the public seeking services and information in Irish, and Translation and Interpretation Guidelines.

The objectives of the policy are:

To comply with relevant legislative obligations; To encourage the use of Irish in public life;

8

To improve access to Council services and information in the Irish language;

To produce information in Irish and handle requests for translation and interpretation;

To incorporate the Irish language into the Council’s corporate identity; To liaise with the Irish language media across a range of platforms; To encourage the use of Irish at civic events and festivals; To enhance the public visibility of the Irish language i.e. on signage; To facilitate the Irish language community to access grant aid

opportunities.

Ulster-Scots Policy

This policy sets out Council’s commitments to facilitate and encourage the use and promotion of Ulster-Scots in public life. This policy builds on Council’s commitments to celebrate linguistic diversity and to deliver equality of opportunity for all who avail of Council services. It also sets out Derry City and Strabane District Council’s legislative obligations along with details of procedures to be implemented. This policy is also includes a Courtesy Code for staff dealing with members of the public seeking to access services and information in Ulster-Scots.

The objectives of the policy are:

To encourage the use of Ulster-Scots in public life; To incorporate Ulster-Scots into the corporate identity; To accept and reply to written correspondence in Ulster-Scots; To produce information in Ulster-Scots upon request; To support the promotion of Ulster-Scots heritage and culture; To enhance the visibility of Ulster-Scots; To facilitate the Ulster-Scots community to access grant aid opportunities.

In addition to the three language policies detailed above, the Council has also adopted a ‘Code of Practice on Producing Information’, the purpose of which is outlined below:

Code of Practice on Producing Information

The Code of Practice on Producing Information provides guidance in relation to producing information in alternative formats and languages other than English. The phrase ‘alternative formats’ is wide-ranging and not only includes Braille, Large Print, and audio formats (CD, MP3, Daisy), but also extends to the use of style, size and formatting within documents and publications to aid accessibility. The document also provides guidance on the correct and appropriate use of images, the use of Plain

9

English and information in relation to best practice for printing/binding, and Web accessibility.

Summary of Actions contained within Council’s Language Policies

Derry City and Strabane District Council has developed its language policies in line with relevant legislation and each policy contains a range of actions which are designed to assist the Council to meet its legislative obligations and to improve equality of opportunity for those members of the community who use languages other than English.

The table below outlines some of the key commitments contained within each of the Council’s language policies:

Linguistic Diversity Policy Right of staff and members of the public to use their preferred language and to request services and information in that language;

Promotion of a dedicated Language Line to allow members of the public to communicate with Council in their preferred language;

Application of Code of Practice to ensure that Council can provide information and services in other languages and in alternative formats;

Ensure that Council communicates well with people with sensory and learning disabilities and with members of ethnic minorities, whose first language is not English;

Translation and Interpretation Services (i.e. ISL and BSL interpreters at events);

Promotion of good relations between different language communities;

Grant Aid opportunities for minority ethnic and indigenous language communities;

Irish Language Policy Right of staff and members of the public to use Irish without restriction;

Use of Irish in public life; Irish Language Services Programme; Courtesy Guidelines for Staff; Dedicated Irish Language Line; Irish language customer feedback email; Irish language web-page;

10

Commitment to reply to written correspondence in Irish;

Translation and Interpretation Services; Publications, Newsletter, Press Releases,

Media Engagement; Streetnames and Roadnames; Encouragement for use of Irish in

presentations, public speaking, and at Festivals and Events;

Grant Aid opportunities; Training – Weekly Irish Language Skills

Programme for Council Staff, Quarterly Language Awareness Sessions;

Fáinne Accreditation Scheme for Staff; Promotion of language to enhance the

appeal of the region as a visitor destination; Use of language within any bids for special

status of city and region i.e. as World Class heritage destination.

Ulster-Scots Policy Right of staff and members of the public to use Ulster-Scots in public life without restriction;

Use of Ulster-Scots on corporate brand and on trilingual corporate signage;

Courtesy Guidelines for Staff; Commitment to reply to written

correspondence in Ulster-Scots where possible;

Ulster-Scots web-page; Translation Services; Publications in Ulster-Scots; Streetnames and Roadnames; Encouragement for use of Ulster-Scots in

presentations, public speaking, and at Festivals and Events;

Grant Aid opportunities; Training – Quarterly Language Awareness

Sessions, Ulster-Scots Awareness Events; Promotion of language to enhance the

appeal of the region as a visitor destination; Use of language within any bids for special

status of city and region i.e. as World Class

11

heritage destination.

Application of Language Policies

The application of Council’s language policies can be seen in the following areas:

Corporate Brand

The Council has adopted the following current policy position in relation to the corporate brand:

Derry City and Strabane District Council will adopt an official corporate identity which includes the Council name in English, Irish and Ulster-Scots. The trilingual version of the logo will supersede all previous versions of the logo and will be reinforced through use on all Council correspondence and publications.

The Council’s Marketing and Communications section has recently published a toolkit entitled ‘DCSDC Application of the Corporate Brand’ which details how the trilingual brand should be applied to Marketing, Branding and Promotional materials. The brand is currently applied across a range of platforms including on customer service information, letterheads, stationery, web and digital platforms, email and signature templates, press advertisements, name badges, livery, high visibility garments, event publications, city dressing and on vehicles. The full document is attached an appendix to this report.

Signage and Visibility

The current Council policy in relation to signage is as follows:

Upon scheduled replacement, internal and external signs on Derry City and Strabane District Council owned buildings, offices, internal directional signs and vehicles will include Irish and Ulster-Scots. All of the abovementioned

12

signs will be required to present all three languages in equal size, typesetting and format and will place English, Irish and Ulster-Scots in that order.

Examples of how this policy is applied are provided by way of a number of images which show visitor sign posting from the Guildhall and the Foyle Arena which use English, Irish and Ulster-Scots (and Braille on signs which are within reach of users).

Welcome Signage, Guildhall

13

Foyle Arena Wayfinding Signage

Foyle Arena – External Directional Signage

14

Welcome Signage and Site Specific SignageThe Council has also approved the use of a trilingual welcome on all public signs, including signs placed at Council offices (A). Signs which include additional way-finding information include both a trilingual welcome and directional information in English, Irish and Ulster-Scots (B). Signs located at Council-owned public spaces i.e. Brooke Park, Culmore Park contain the trilingual welcome text only but the name of the space/venue is presented in English only.

A B

B

15

C

Public Information Signs and Public Notice SignsInformation signs and Public Notice signs are required to present the title of the sign i.e. Public Information in English, Irish and Ulster-Scots as depicted in the example provided below:

City Dressing and Special CampaignsThe Corporate Branding document provides examples of exceptional signage which use the trilingual logo along with, for example, the word welcome in another language (Irish, Ulster-Scots, French, German etc.) Examples of this usage can be seen on the lamp-post banner scheme which was first launched in the peak visitor season in 2016 in both Derry and Strabane. There is nothing within Council policy to prohibit the use of one language on promotional material of this type i.e. the Council has produced promotional banners for Irish language events with Irish only and Ulster-Scots events with Ulster-Scots only. Examples of this usage are included overleaf (Examples D & E).

16

A number of other unique campaigns have made use of exclusively Irish or Ulster-Scots brands as part of a full suite of brands designed to appeal to a range of audiences. For example, the City of Culture suite of brands included standalone Irish language branding, standalone Ulster-Scots branding detailed in the examples below:

City of Culture Brands (Irish Version and Ulster-Scots)

D. Irish Language Events E. Ulster-Scots Events

17

Irish Language and Ulster-Scots Publications

Derry City and Strabane District Council and the legacy council Derry City Council has created a number of publications in Irish and Ulster-Scots. A small range of examples provided below:

Quarterly Irish Language Newsletter (Irish)

18

Irish language Services Brochure (Dual Language) (English-Irish)

Story of Irish – Dual Language Exhibition and Companion Book (Irish & English)

19

Dual Language Street and RoadnamesThe Council policy for Streetnaming and Property Numbering states that Council has at its discretion the right to erect a street or road nameplate showing the name of a street in a language other than English, providing that the name of the street in English is included (NI Local Government Order 1995). The Council can decide to erect a dual language sign of its own volition, or an occupier of premises in a given street may initiate procedures for the erection of the nameplate.

The initiation procedure requires the occupier to write to the Council requesting the sign, after which the Council undertakes a plebiscite of opinion among occupiers of dwellings on the street or road in question. The Council attaches considerable weight to the views expressed by two-thirds of the occupiers on the street. To date a total of 87 dual language signs have been erected by Council, all of which were Irish English signs.

The NI Local Government Order upon which this policy is based requires that the names of the street or road to be presented in English first with the

Early Christian Heritage Guide (Ulster-Scots)

Connect 3 – Online Language Awareness Resource for Post-Primary Learners (English,

Irish and Ulster-Scots)

20

second language beneath (A). The Council policy for road names is slightly different, in that it requires the inclusion of the townland name in English and in Irish (B).

A. Dual Language Street Name

B. Dual Language Road Name including Townland Name

21

Between 2008 and 2016 the Council was in receipt of match funding from Foras na Gaeilge to deliver an Irish Language Action Plan. Details of projects and initiatives carried out during the lifetime of the plan are detailed below and include. The list contains a range of projects which feature Irish, Ulster-Scots and minority ethnic languages.

Overview of Projects undertaken as part of Irish Language Action Plan (2008-2016)

The following table outlines a range of projects, programmes and initiatives which were delivered as part of the Irish Language Action Plan 2008-2016, which was jointly funded by Derry City and Strabane District Council and Foras na Gaeilge.

Year Projects initiated within Irish Language Action Plan

2008-Present

Language Awareness Programme A dedicated Language Awareness module was developed to help Council staff to better understand the legislative and policy framework governing languages at local government level. Language Awareness sessions have been offered to Council staff on a rolling basis from 2008 to the present and cover a range of areas including; Irish, Ulster-Scots, ethnic minority languages and sign languages. The Language Awareness programme equips staff with the necessary knowledge and skills to meet the range of obligations assigned to local authorities under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages.

22

2008-Present

Language Learning ProgrammeA Language Learning Programme has been developed to support staff members keen to improve their proficiency in the Irish language, the ultimate aim of which is to support staff to deliver both services and information in the Irish language. The course makes use of the fluency milestones outlined in the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages guidelines, which allows achievable fluency outcomes to be set for staff members progressing through the various levels of the course; Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced. Staff are also entitled to apply to undertake qualifications in the Irish language with external course providers under the Council’s Post Entry Training Programme.

2009 The Language of Places‘The Language of Places’ project was jointly funded by Derry City Council and OFMDFM’s Community Relations Unit and brought together fifty children drawn from two schools in the Co. Derry area to avail of five full-day workshops during which time the group worked collaboratively on creating a handmade book featuring place-names in Irish and Ulster-Scots (The Book of Places). The project also saw the creation of an Irish/Ulster-Scots Language Activity Pack and DVD. The project was invited to feature at a place-names exhibition organised by OFMDFM at Stormont and was a finalist project in the 2010 APSE awards in the ‘Best Service Team’ category.

2010-Present

2010-Present

Scáthán - Council Newsletter The Council launched its Irish Language Newsletter ‘Scáthán’ in January 2010 to publicise Irish Language Services offered by the Council and to provide coverage of events and Irish language initiatives in the local area. The newsletter facilitates increased uptake of Irish language services and acts as a centralised resource by which individuals and groups within the Irish language sector can share information with the community network.

Fáinne SchemeThe Council launched its Fáinne Scheme in 2010 offering employees who are learning Irish as part of the Council’s Irish Language Skills Training Programme to undergo an oral examination in the language and compete for the silver and gold fáinne accreditation. To date a total of 33 employees have been awarded fáinne after undertaking the Council’s Language Learning programme.

2011-Present

Irish Language Community Network ForumDerry City Council established the Irish Language Community Network Forum in January 2011 to co-ordinate regular meetings between individuals

23

2011

2011-Present

2011

and organisations in the Irish language community and the Council. The forum meets quarterly and has enabled the Council and all constituent groups to gain a better understanding of current Irish language provision within the Council area and to encourage increased partnership working. Since the establishment of the forum the Council has created an online presence in the social media to encourage uptake of services and share information about events and activities preventing duplication of services and events and

Connect 3 – Online Educational ResourceConnect 3 was jointly designed and developed by Derry City Council and The Verbal Arts Centre and is an online resource aimed at helping learners in post-primary education learn more about the languages of English, Irish and Ulster-Scots. The website is the first of its kind and is unique because the data on the site was surveyed locally. Young people from a range of backgrounds in the Council area were surveyed to establish their level of awareness of the languages of English, Irish and Ulster-Scots and to ascertain what role social influences play in young people’s different attitudes to languages. Survey data from these workshops was subsequently analysed and used to form the basis of the CONNECT 3 website. The site includes curriculum-linked teachers’ resources, a language timeline and worksheets for learners to use in the classroom - www.connect-3.co.uk

Island VoicesThe ‘Island Voices’ Autumn Lecture Series runs each year at the Tower Museum and features talks which explore the shared heritage of our Irish and Ulster-Scots traditions. Each lunchtime talks series features lectures by three different guest speakers each presenting their interpretation of the series theme. Previous talks have included themes such as ‘The lost Gaeltacht of County Derry’, ‘Concepts of place in English writing from the North of Ireland’ and ‘The Ulster-Scots Literary Tradition in the North West of Ulster’.

Early Christian Heritage TrailDerry City Council’s Irish Language Officer and Education Officer jointly delivered the Early Christian Heritage Trail: a trail-guide in English, Irish and Ulster-Scots exploring key heritage sites within the Council area that are associated with the Gaelic-speaking Early Christian period. The project was funded by the ARC Rural Development Programme and featured a combination or urban and rural heritage sites.

2012 The Book of Days Project

24

Derry City Council worked with the Verbal Arts Centre and Blue Eagle Productions to develop and stage a 25-minute, one-act play with associated language awareness and good relations workshops which addressed the historical and contemporary relationships between the languages of English, Irish and Ulster-Scots. The play, which is set against the backdrop of the Ulster Plantation, seeks to promote appreciation of language in the context of our shared cultural heritage and versions of the drama will be tailored for schools audiences and for adult audiences. Both Foras na Gaeilge and The Ulster-Scots Agency committed to jointly endorse the project and to rolling the programme out in border counties.

2013-2016

2013

2013

2013

European Council of Experts Monitoring VisitsThe Council of Experts which monitors implementation of the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages made an official visit to Belfast in 2013. The visit provided an opportunity for the representatives of the Committee of Experts to meet government officials within respective ministries responsible for implementing the Charter, as well as to consult with bodies and associations which further the protection of the regional or minority languages spoken in their jurisdiction. The Council’s Irish Language Officer met with the visiting experts to advise them in relation to the Council’s progress in terms of complying with the Charter. A follow-up visit is due to take place in January 2016.

City of CultureThe Irish Language Officer worked in partnership with the Irish Language Community Network Forum to develop a programme of Irish language events to celebrate the City of Culture designation in the city.

Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireannThe Council’s Irish Language Officer worked with a range of partners within the Irish language sector to develop a Languages Programme as part of the Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann celebrations. The Fleadh was widely regarded as one of the most successful events organised during the city’s year as City of Culture 2013.

Féile Bheag na Leabhar (Little Festival of Books)Derry City Council worked in partnership with Dog Ears – a children’s media company based in Derry to deliver an Irish language books and reading festival as part of the wider Humdinger! programme which took place from 7th - 9th March 2013 as part of the City of Culture celebrations. Féile Bheag na Leabhar was the first children’s book festival of its kind in the city and included an Irish language Book Fair and a range of Irish language reading events for children.

25

2013 ParallelThe Council’s Irish Language Officer worked with The University of Ulster to develop a project to explore language heritage in rural communities, concentrating on the languages of English, Irish and Ulster-Scots and the relationships that exist between them. The project –‘ Parallel’ - engaged with communities from a range of backgrounds to explore the social, cultural and historic context of the three languages in their community and examined the influence of language on cultural identity. The project culminated in the creation of a resource telling the story of the people and events which have shaped the cultural character of the area.

2014

2014

The Story of IrishDerry City Council secured £10,000 from the Big Lottery Fund and the Arts Council of Northern Ireland to develop the Story of Irish project. The project worked directly with the Irish language community in the Derry City Council area to research and develop the story of the language in the area which formed the basis of a new interpretative exhibition and companion guide to help develop awareness of the language and its community among new audiences. The Council partnered with the BT Portrait of a City team to research the story and to collate archive materials. A nomadic pop-up interpretative exhibition and companion guide were developed to tour schools, community groups and other relevant venues.

Pan Celtic FestivalThe Council’s Irish Language Officer developed a programme of language events to support the Pan-Celtic Festival which was held in the city on 2014 and 2015. The events included a range of lectures exploring the relationships which exist between the Celtic language families and included language learning workshops for the local community.

2015

2015/16

RPA: New Irish Language PolicyUnder the Review of Public Administration local Councils were tasked with reviewing all of their policies to ensure that newly-devised policies drew on best practice examples from merging Councils. In April 2015 new language policies were agreed for Derry City and Strabane District Council which included an Irish language policy, an Ulster-Scots policy and a Linguistic Diversity Policy.

Community PlanningThe Irish Language Officer worked with local Irish language partners to help facilitate participation in the Community Planning workshops with a view to

26

ensuring that the needs of the community are adequately represented within the forthcoming Strategic Community Plan.

2016

2016/17

RSPB – Schools Biodiversity ProjectDerry City and Strabane District Council partnered with the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds to deliver a unique biodiversity project developed from the Big Garden Birdwatch campaign, which was designed specifically in a dual language format to encourage participation from the Irish medium education sector in the charity’s Schools Education Programme. This project represented the first formal engagement between the Council and the well-established environmental charity and has provided a model upon which other Councils and schools can develop programmes for their own local areas.

Decade of Centenaries: 1916~2016 Schools Education ProgrammeThe 2016 Island Voices programme included a series of interactive Digital Design workshops designed specifically for schools within the local Irish medium sector created to help younger learners understand the history and heritage of this pivotal year in our shared history.