Culture Vannin’sRuth Keggin Gell has been in Belgium promoting the Manx language. .
During her talk at the Minority Language Regeneration event she highlighted the work being done on the island to regenerate the language.
Ruth said: “It was a fantastic opportunity to connect with other people working to promote and protect minority languages, and share innovative ideas for language revitalisation.
“Nine minority languages were represented and, alongside learning from one another, we were also able to provide insight into the importance of our indigenous languages for our culture and identity to a European audience that may know little about us.”
Manx to Brussels
The key focus of the event explored how digitisation and the creative arts can be used to enhance the revitalisation of minority languages such as Manx.
Alongside an in-depth discussion and knowledge sharing session between representatives from different countries, there were a series of short public presentations.
Ruth was joined by speakers from Northern Ireland, Scotland, Guernsey, Jersey, Monaco, the Basque Country, Norway and Wales.
Mike Vercnocke, Head of the Isle of Man Government’s Brussels Office, added: “This is the second language event we’ve held in collaboration with the Channel Islands. It allows us to reach a wider audience within the European Commission, Parliament, and beyond.
“Ruth’s talk was well attended, and the feedback was overwhelmingly positive. A range of Manx produced drinks were also showcased at the event.”
The Isle of Man’s native language has seen a revival in recent years and nearly 2,000 children are now taught it in schools, as well as increasing numbers of adults taking it up locally and further afield.
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