National Shinty Archive Project | |
08 January 2014 The Camanachd Association is preparing ambitious plans for the creation of a National Shinty Archive project, to include a physical archive of significant artefacts, a National Shinty Exhibition and a Shinty Hall of Fame. The plan will be of great benefit to shinty, securing the history of the game and providing an important platform to research and celebrate one of Scotland’s most iconic and indigenous sports. The material held in the collection will make it much easier to access a comprehensive source of accurate information about shinty by an insatiable media and it will offer researchers a credible source of authentic material. It will also make many of the current collections of shinty material held throughout the shinty playing community accessible to a much wider audience. The timing of the proposal could not be more apposite; 2014 will deliver a major series of sporting events and arrangements in Scotland and 2017 has been announced as Scotland’s Year of History, Heritage and Archaeology. The National Shinty Archive should be at the heart of all these events. It is likely that, depending on funding, the National Archive will include some of the following:
The Camanachd Association has already begun one collaboration based on material which will be held in the archive. The Shinty Memories Club, a joint initiative with Alzheimer Scotland, was launched in November 2013 and makes extensive use of shinty images. The Shinty Memories Club has rapidly out-stripped the football equivalent with the response rate three times as active. The purpose of the Hall of Fame is to recognise and celebrate the contribution of key individuals who have brought distinction to themselves, their clubs and wider sport of shinty through their sporting achievements. The Hall of Fame will be in two parts: a semi-permanent home known for now as “An Talla” and an on-line presence as part of the National Shinty Archive. The Hall of Fame will be administered by the Camanachd Association through a Panel along with a Chairman who will report to the Camanachd Association. It is proposed that the first tranche of inductees in 2014 will number twelve players, one for each position, to compose a Dream Team. There could also be five others who can be nominated as substitutes or in other capacities e.g. distinguished administrators. A series of formal financial applications need to be completed and forwarded to funders such as the Heritage Lottery Fund, Museums and Galleries Scotland, Creative Scotland, Event Scotland, European sources and others, including sponsors. Therefore it is clear that much work needs to be done before this project gets off the ground. The Camanachd Association is now seeking views on the detailed form and content of the above proposals and shinty fans can contact them in the usual manner. |