Comics in Schools - Camanachd Ghrianaig
Paul Bristow • April 23, 2020
Creating a Gaelic language comic with Whinhill Primary Schools, Greenock.
For the last few weeks, Magic Torch Comics have been having a blast working with Whinhill Primary School in Greenock, creating a comic using Gaelic language - no mean feat considering no one from Magic Torch can speak Gaelic. Thankfully however, Gaidhlig Primary 4 - 7 are really good at it, and were able to help us out.
The comic is the first of 3 we will be creating with the support of Inverclyde Council Education Services 1+2 Language Development programme.
The 4 week project has involved the class learning about the language of comics and then researching a Gaelic song with particular relevance to the Greenock Highlanders, Camanachd Ghrianaig by Mairi Mhor Nan Oran - it tells the story of a Shinty match played in Greenock in 1877 between the Greenock and Glasgow Gaels. The class then helped adapt verses from the song into a comic strip for our artist Andy Lee.
The next step was for each member of the class to create their own characters, and tell a story about them getting to the shinty match too. Here are just a few images of some of the wonderful comics created below.
MTC Project Blog
It's Game On for our comic heroes...
The Inverkip Witch Trials
Sharing Accessible Stories 1
One year. One story. Unlimited ideas...
Introducing our new project...
Comics out on the streets...
Going Into The Woods in 2022
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Inverclyde Storytelling
Earlier this month, we were asked to produce some artwork for the Afrowegian Project , imagining an Afro-Futurist version of the story of real world cycling superhero, Marshall 'Major' Taylor. The comic display panels form part of an exhibition by the riverside in Glasgow throughout October. You can read more about the work of the project and how to get involved. We're looking forward to doing some more collaborative work with Afrowegian's Jim Muotone, down in Inverclyde over the next few months.