Sean Nós Nua
An Tionscadal Sean-nós Nua
Cúlra
Le linn 2006/07 bhí Ceardlann na gCroisbhealaí ag obair ar thionscadal cruthaitheach for-rochtain leis an trí scoláire dhéag atá ag freastal ar Phobalscoil Cholm Cille ar Oileán Thoraí. Ní gá a rá nach mbíonn fáil ach go fíorannamh ag na scoláirí seo ar dheiseanna den tseort agus iad scoite amach mar atá i lár na farraige móire. ‘Ag brú teorainneacha na cruthaíochta ón lár amach’ agus ‘ag tionscnamh na nuálaíochta’ dhá shluaghairm Cheardlann na gCroisbhealaí sa réimse oibre seo, agus Sean-nós Nua an beartas is deanaí acu. Ealaín na Gaeltachta agus An Chomhairle Ealaíon a chuir an maoiniú ar fáil, agus Ceardlann na gCroisbhealaí a rinne é a láimhseáil. Dhírigh an tionscadal Sean-Nós Nua ar anáil nua-aimseartha a shéideadh isteach i dtraidisiúin sheanbhunaithe an tsean-nóis, ag baint leasa as na teicneolaíochtaí cruthaitheacha. Ach san am céanna rinne Ceardlann na gCroisbhealaí cinnte de nach gcuirfeadh an togra isteach ar bhealach dochrach ar bith, ar dhóigheanna, thraidisiúin ná ar oidhreacht an oileáin.
Éiteas an tionscadail Sean-nós Nua
Tá stór luachmhar seanchais, agus oidhreacht uathúil dá cuid fhéin ag Oileán Thoraí a bhfuil bunadh an oileáin bródúil as. Chruthaigh Ceardlann na gCroisbhealaí an tionscadal seo sa dóigh is go bhféadfaí inniúchadh a dhéanamh, ar bhealach comhaimseartha, ar an fhéith fhíorshaibhir úd atá taobh istigh den chultúr seo, féith ar a dtugtar an sean-nós.
Ciallaíonn ‘sean-nós’ seandóigheanna nó seanstíleanna agus muid ag trácht ar chúrsaí ceoil/ amhránaíochta, agus baineann a shainghnéithe féin le ceantracha éagsúla cosúil le Conamara, Toraigh srl. Tá tábhacht ar leith ag rith leis an seachadadh a dhéantar ar an bhéaloideas seo; déantar é a chur ar aghaidh go páistí agus iad ag tabhairt na seanchleachtóirí faoi deara ag ócáidí sóisialta - ‘ag glúin an tseandreama’ más mian leat. Tá tábhacht ar leith ag baint leis an suíomh, an lucht éisteachta agus leis an ócáid féin. Seoid mhínshnoite, leochaileach chultúrtha atá ann. Tá an fhoirm spéisiúil ealaíne seo beo beathaíoch go fóill ar Thoraigh agus thig é a bhlaiseadh ag an fhéile bhliantúil sean-nóis. É sin ráite is daoine measartha óga nó daoine anonn sna blianta iad formhór na n-amhránaithe; is cosúil nach bhfuil sé faiseanta go leor do na déagóirí, go háirithe do na gasraí atá ina gcuid déaga, ach chan ionann é seo is a rá nach bpillfidh siad air níos faide anonn.
Tá dlúthbhaint le fada an lá ag Lillis Ó Laoire – fear atá ina shaoi ar an seanchas agus a scríobh Ar Chreag i Lár na Farraige – Amhráin agus Amhránaithe i dToraigh – le Toraigh. Ó 1987 i leith tá amhráin shéan-nóis Thoraí á dtaifeadadh agus á bhfoghlaim aige, agus déantar mionphlé air seo ina leabhar. Thar thréimhse bliana – 2005-06 – thug sé cuairt ar an bhunscoil, an iar-bhunscoil agus ar bhaill an phobail ar mhaithe le doiciméadú a dhéanamh ar amhráin a raibh nasc nach beag acu leis an oileán, agus fosta le hamhránaithe óga Thoraí a chothú. Lean beartas an Sean-Nós Nua as an obair seo, agus bhí sé mar cheann de na spriocanna ann deis a thabhairt do dhéagóirí éisteacht arís leis an sean-nós.
An obair ildisciplíneach, an phéintéireacht agus an ceol
Cuireadh tús le Scoil Péintéireachta Thoraí sna 1950aí nuair a thug an t-oileánach Jimí Ó Diothcháin dúshlán an ealaíontóra Derek Hill, a bhí ag péinteáil san oileán ag an am, ag rá leis go bhféadfadh sé “jab níos fearr a dhéanamh é fhéin”. Lean scoil láidir péintéireachta go dtí an lá inniu agus is iad Patsy Dan Mac Ruaidhrí, Antóin Meenan, Ruairí Rodgers agus Michael Finbarr Rodgers atá i mbun na scoile faoi láthair. Reáchtálann siad dánlann ar an oileán agus thar na blianta cuireadh saothair s’acu ar taispeáint go náisiúnta agus go hidirnáisiúnta. De thairbhe go bhfuil béim chomh mór sin ar an amharc-ealaín ar an oileán, chinn Ceardlann na gCroisbhealaí tús a chur leis an tionscadal ansin, agus sa dóigh sin ba mhaith leo cur ar shúile na scoláirí go bhfuil nasc éigin idir achan ghné den ealaín.
Cuireadh tús le Céim 1 den tionscadal i Meán Fómhair 2006 nuair a chuir Ceardlann na gCroisbhealaí ceardlanna ar siúl don 13 scoláire i scoil s’acu féin, ag díriú ar bhunteoiric na healaíne. San áireamh anseo bhí cuairteanna ar Áras Nua-Ealaíne na hÉireann (an IMMA) agus ar Dhánlann Hugh Lane, i mBaile Átha Cliath. An cuspóir a bhí anseo ná blaiseadh a thabhairt do na scoláirí den ealaín chomhaimseartha agus de chleachtais chomhaimseartha ealaíne, cur le taithí s’acu ar an léiriú cruthaitheach, agus gach duine acu a ghríosadh lena léiriú físiúil féin a fhorbairt.
I ndiaidh na Nollag a cuireadh tús le Céim 2 nuair a tugadh cuairt ar áiseanna an Nerve Centre i nDoire, agus chonaic siad fosta eiseamláirí den obair a raibh baint acu siúd léi. Chuir meitheal teagascóirí de chuid an Nerve Centre - a bhfuil inniúlachtaí acu i raon leathan nua-theicneolaíochtaí - oiliúint ar fáil do na hoileánaigh óga i dtaifeadadh fuaime agus sa scannánaíocht dhigiteach. D’fhoghlaim siad scileanna ag úsáid bogearraí casta ilmheán ar nós Garageband agus Protools, agus ina dhiaidh sin thug siad faoi shamplaí de shéan-nós Thoraí a aimsiú agus a thaifeadadh i measc a muintire féin. Rinneadh na taifeadtaí seo a shábháil ina gcuid Apple Mac-anna, rud a lig daofa an t-ábhar a mheascadh de réir mar a ba mhian leofa; agus sa dóigh sin tháinig an ‘Sean-nós Nua’ ar an saol.
Tá cuid mhór tugtha faoi deara, pléite agus scríofa thar na blianta ag antraipeolaithe, eitneolaithe, ceoltóirí, luibheolaithe, béaloideasóirí agus ag gnáthchuairteoirí eile a bhfuil spéis acu in oidhreacht Thoraí, i dtaca le saol an oileáin agus tá rún daingean ag Ceardlann na gCroisbhealaí an cur chuige céanna seo a sheachaint. Leis na scoláirí a ghríosadh chun oibre, d’eagraigh Ceardlann na gCroisbhealaí féile dheireadh seachtaine a rinne ceiliúradh ar thionscadal s’acu, rud a lig do na mic léinn a gcuid nua-shaothar a chur i láthair an phobail ar an chéad oíche faoin teideal Buile Bhaloir. Na hoileánaigh iad féin a ghin príomhimeachtaí na hócáide ceiliúrtha seo, diomaite de choirm ceoil a thug Liam Ó Maonlaí agus an grúpa Albannach Face the West, a fuair cuireadh bheith ann ar mhaithe le tacaíocht a thabhairt don tionscadal. An cuspóir a bhí leis an fhéile ná spotsholas a chaitheamh ar inniúlachtaí cruthaitheacha an oileáin féin.
Sean-nós Nua Project
Background
Ceardlann na gCroisbhealach has been working on a creative outreach project during 2006/07 with the 13 students currently attending the secondary school, Pobail Scoil Colmcille, Tory Island. Obviously, accessing such opportunities is very limited for these students due to their geographical location. ‘Pushing the creative boundaries’ and ‘initiating innovation’ has become the trade mark of the Ceardlann’s work in this arena and Sean-nós Nua is it latest production. The project has been funded by Ealaíne na Gaeltachta and the Arts Council of Ireland via the Ceardlann. The project Sean-nós Nua focused on contemporising established Sean-nós traditions using creative technology. However, the Ceardlann took great care to ensure that the island ‘way of life’, its traditions and art forms were not adversely affected as a result of any interaction.
Ethos behind Sean-nós Nua Project
The island has a rich reservoir of folklore and a distinctive, indeed unique, proud cultural heritage. Ceardlann na gCroisbhealach devised this project that would tap into and explore, in a contemporary way, the particularly rich cultural vein that is Sean-nós.
The traditional musical form, Sean-nós which means ‘Old way’, has particular expressions that are unique to certain areas throughout Ireland, such as Connemara, Tory etc. The chain of transmission or ‘learning’ this art is of particular significance; it is literally passed on by children observing old performers – a ‘listening on the knee’. The setting, the audience and the ’moment’ are also key elements. It is a finely tuned and delicate cultural jewel. This fascinating art form still exists on Tory and performances can be savoured at its annual Sean-nós festival. This said, the majority of singers are either quite young or mature in years. It seems that it is not so trendy or appealing to the teenagers, particularly the males, but this is not to say that they may well rekindle a pride for it in the future.
Lillis O’Laoire , an authority on Sean-nós and author of ‘A Rock in the Middle of the Ocean: Songs and Singers from Tory Island’, has a long standing relationship with Tory Island. Lillis O’Laoire has been learning and recording Tory Sean-nós since 1987 and this work is thoroughly documented in his book. Over the period of a year, 2005/6 he visited both the national school, secondary school and members of the community continuing to document songs significant to the island as well as nurturing younger singers. The Ceardlann initiative Sean-nós Nua followed on from this work and part of its design was to provide the opportunity to allow teenagers to listen again to Sean-nós.
Multi-disciplinary Working, Painting and Music
The Tory School of painting began in the 1950’s when the artist Derek Hill, who was painting on Tory at the time, was challenged by islander James Dixon that he “could do better himself”. A strong school of painting has continued since this time with artists Patsy Dan Mac Ruaidhrí, Anton Meenan, Ruairi Rodgers and Michael Finbar Rodgers making up the present school. They maintain an island gallery and have exhibited nationally and internationally for many years. Given the prominence of visual art on the island the Ceardlann decided to begin the project at this point primarily to demonstrate to the students how all art is in some way connected.
Strand 1 of the project began in September 2006 with the Ceardlann presenting art workshops to all 13 students in their school which explored basic art theory. Trips to the Irish Museum of Modern Art and the Hugh Lane Gallery, Dublin, were included in this section. The aims were to introduce the students to contemporary art and contemporary art practices, broaden their experience of creative expression and to begin developing each student’s own visual expression. Examples of this work will be exhibited during the Sean-nós Nua Festival on Tory. (July 2007)
Strand 2 began after Xmas with a tour of the facilities at the Nerve Centre, Derry and a presentation of examples of work they have been involved with. A team of tutors from the Nerve Centre with skills in a range of creative technologies provided training to the young islanders in the techniques of sound recording and digital film-making. The students learned skills in sophisticated multimedia software such as ‘Garageband’ and ‘Protools’ and then went about sourcing and recording examples of Tory Sean-nós from members of their community. They then fed these recordings into their Apple Macs and mixed and re-configured them into a form that appealed to them; Hence, Sean-nós Nua - ‘The old way new’.
Over the years many visiting artists, anthropologists, ethnologists, musicians, botanists, folklorists and generally people interested in Tory’s culture uniqueness have ‘observed’, ‘discussed’, ‘written’ their take on Tory and the Ceardlann earnestly wishes to avoid this methodology. To encourage the students in their endeavours the Ceardlann devised a week-end festival to celebrate their project at which the students publicly presented their ‘new works’ titled ‘Buille Bhaloir’ on the opening night. All the main events included in this celebration were generated by the islanders themselves, apart from Liam Ó Maonlaí and the Scottish band ‘Face the West’ who have been invited as a supportive gesture. The aim was to highlight Tory islands own creative expression.