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What is Tuile Teanga?
Tuile Teanga is an Irish phrase meaning flood of language. It has been chosen to represent the energy of the spoken word and its application in the oral arts. Tuile Teanga represents a growing network of people from all walks of life who have an interest in the promotion of the "Oral Arts" What do we mean by the oral arts? Well obviously story telling comes to mind and this ancient art form need plenty of encouragement in a society that is rapidly coming to rely entirely on the written format. There is a wealth of story, myth, and folklore that is fast becoming lost in the generous plethora of television and popular culture. How many people now days even feel confident in telling stories to their children. And we are still making stories but do we value them as much as they were valued in the past? There is a sad story told in the book "Celtic Heritage" concerning a retired Seanachai repeating his stories to a stone wall, so as not to forget them now they were no longer valued. We can all name well known writers but well known story tellers are few and far between. There is an identified need to research and map the stories in the landscape. We call it "Mythic Cartography". Every community has its stories and they are frequently remembered in place names and local history. It is these stories that hold the essence of a locality and make it unique. Encouraging an awareness of these story patterns is both enjoyable and beneficial to a community. They are stories to be shared and celebrated. The Tuile Teanga Project seeks to aid this awareness. But our scope is intended to be far broader. We all have a story to tell and there are many ways of telling it. Stories can be told in the form of dance, drama, the visual arts, photography, etc so we see a role for Tuile Teanga in focussing performance and exhibitions as part of interpretation and representation of story. Coomunication skills, both speaking and listening, are central to creative thinking. Literacy is founded on the skill of oracy. The new Irish primary school curriculum recognises the value of oral skill development, creative talking, and Tuile Teanga fully supports this. The co-operative will seek to provide materials and workshops that teach all aspects of oral and communication skill development. From oral skill materials for schools, to public speaking and personal assertiveness through role-play, for adults, this work will be seen as central to the scope of Tuile Teanga. It is a broad canvas but then the spoken word is a gift that everyone of us is given. Whether in "Mythic Cartography" or in education, the oral arts have a relevence and importance today. Tuile Teanga is founded in Ireland and strong emphasis will be to support the Irish language. What are our aims? . Our shared aims are:
Firstly we have set up the project in the form of a community a co-operative. This means that everyone who joins in has equal ownership in the project. Buying a share is more than just joining a network. The development will be in the hands of its members. The Virtual Arts Centre The first role of Tuile Teanga is to fully establish the membership network. There is a strong founding group in Leitrim and others in Dublin and Galway. We also have members in England and America. We are a community of shared interest covering a wide area. Our first project will be to set up a "virtual Arts Centre" on line.This will have several "wings", each containing a variety of rooms. The final design concept is still in consruction but, in outline, will include:
The distinctive nature of this website will be its unusual presentation. It should feel, as much as possible, as if one is visiting an actual place. . Each wing will include a members' notice board, meeting rooms, exhibition space and library. We can even include a gift shop, although current technology cannot run to provision of a café. This "Virtual Oral Arts Centre" will be opened in the Aurumn after further consultation with the current membership. Members are involved in the gathering of shared resources and the creation of materials at this time. Funding is also being sought to enrich the work of the network. Members' Projects One of the main reasons for the foundation of Tuile Teanga is to encourage and offer support to members' projects. A number of these are being identified and are taking shape. For details of these projects please refer to the news page. How can I get involved? Become a member of the Tuile Teanga Community Co-operative. To do this, simply fill out an application form for shares and return it to our office with 20 euro for each share required. For application for shares or to make a donation contact: Chris Thompson or Isolde Carmody. Address: Shanraw, Keshcarrigan, County Leitrim Phone: (353)78 42154 or (353)78 42951 E-Mail: sinann@bigfoot.com What does a membership entitle me to? As a member you will receive many benefits, some of which are listed below:
To be a member, you need to buy at least one share for ?20. This is like a membership fee. Groups or Societies need to buy at least 10 shares. After this, you may buy as many shares as you like. Tuile Teanga is run as a non-profit organisation. This means that any surplus in the annual budget after expenses and wages have been paid is re-invested in the organisation. Although a small number of people can earn a wage working for the Co-operative, no-one can invest in it purely to make personal profit. To protect the Co-operative against bankruptcy and exploitation for profit, no share may be withdrawn from the organisation. If any member no longer wishes to be involved with the Co-operative, their shares may be transferred either to another member or to a new member with the approval of the Committee. The person who acquires the shares can reimburse the original share-holder, but for no more than the stated value of the shares on the Co-operative's books at that time. The value of each share currently stands at ?20, but will only be adjusted in accordance with inflation, and not as a reflection of the success of the organisation. What all this means is that when you buy a share, you are truly investing in the work of Tuile Teanga, not for personal profit. Any shares that you choose to buy over and above that first one functions as a donation to the running of Tuile Teanga as a non-profit organisation. Each member has equal voting rights, regardless of the number of shares they hold. What is the scope of Tuile Teanga ? The founding group, which incude academics, teachers and performers, among others, have wide experience in these areas and have undertaken many such projects. In joining together as the "Tuile Teanga Co-operative", we seek to broaden the scope and effectiveness of the work, founding many other local groups to enhance and develop awareness of the Oral Arts. Tuile Teanga will act as an umbrella support group to seed and suuport new projects. Below is a list of areas in which the Tuile Teanga Project can be effective.
Who are the founding members?
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