Welsh, Cornish, Scottish Gaelic and Irish language speakers have
been part of a pioneering exchange programme celebrating their
shared linguistic heritage.
The Celtic Exchange programme, developed by the British-Irish
Council, brought together young creative professionals to learn
new media skills and co-create multilingual content while
exploring their common cultural roots.
Participants travelled through the Western Isles and met with
filmmakers, content creators and musicians to learn how these
ancient languages are an intrinsic part of their modern creative
work.
They discovered more about the similarities between their
languages and cultures and built a new and fresh network to
develop ideas and multilingual content in the future.
Ifan Prys works at Rondo Media and was part of the exchange. He
said: “The trip was a unique opportunity to meet other Celtic
language content creators, to share ideas and strengthen the
networks between the linguistic communities.
“The programme was full of varied and rich activities. We
had the opportunity to network with MG ALBA and BBC Alba and with
local producers, discussing our opportunities, challenges and
ambitions.
“The opportunity to learn, share and inspire alongside creative
people from diverse linguistic backgrounds was invaluable. It has
really reinforced the importance of continuing to work creatively
in our languages.”
The young creatives gained hands-on experience by producing
multi-lingual content, which premiered at the 2025 Celtic Media
Festival in Newquay, Cornwall.
Bethan Campbell from Boom Cymru also took part in the exchange.
She said: "The trip to Scotland was a very special experience.
The activities were valuable and very diverse.
“I really enjoyed everything while creating treasured memories.
The highlight was spending time with the group of young people
who were with us, and making friends from every corner of Britain
by sharing stories, experiences, and our hopes for the future! It
was inspiring to collaborate with passionate and creative people,
all reinforcing the need to create content in our own languages.
“Thank you from the bottom of my heart to everyone who was part
of organizing it all. Experiences like this don't happen often,
and I feel so lucky."
Welsh Language Secretary said: "The Celtic Exchange
programme celebrates our living languages and supports young
people to build creative careers using their indigenous
languages, wherever they chose to live and work. We're proud to
work with our partners across the nations to grow our languages,
strengthen our cultural connections and help people develop
opportunities and careers in their indigenous languages.”
