Ulster Scots post highlights funding imbalance

Scots Language Centre Director, Michael Hance, has said that an advert for a new post at the Ulster Scots Agency demonstrates how large the gap is in funding for language support in the two territories. Hance said, “This advert on the USA web site for a Finance and Administration Director tells a lot about the level of support the agencies receive from their governments. The job’s starting salary is almost £25,000. To employ someone at that level at SLC would use up more than half of our annual Arts Council grant. This isn’t just about who you can employ, it’s about what you can do to change attitudes and educate people about their culture. It’s about time the Arts Council and the Scottish government supported Scots at the level needed to provide decent quality services.”

“Why is it that money can be provided at this level to a dialect but not to agencies that support the language in its entirety. Scots is very badly treated in comparison with other languages and this situation must not be allowed to continue. We must hope that the audit will help to change things. If it doesn’t the process will have been a waste of time.”

Hance was supported by poet and activist, Rab Wilson. At a meeting at the National Library last week, Wilson called on culture minister, Linda Fabiani, to give the Centre 10% of the £3,000,000 that has been allocated to Ulster Scots over the next year.

Read more about the Ulster Scots Agency job at www.ulsterscotsagency.com