Bhasha Glasgow
Bhasha Glasgow Language Festival event summary 2019
"That's one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind"
- Neil Armstrong
Bangladesh Association Glasgow (BAG) took a small step in establishing one of the key events in Bangladesh’s history, in Scotland, UK recently.
On 21st February 1952 Bengalis took the unprecedent step to voice for the right to express in one’s mother tongue. There are experiences and thoughts in one’s own languages which can never be fully translated or understood by another. The incident in 1952 when 9 people died – was about upholding this technicolour aspect of our humanity. To ensure it doesn’t become grey or beige. And the international community understood this by declaring the day as the International Mother Language day since 1999.
Glasgow leads Scotland’s growing reputation for welcoming people from around the world. In some estimate there are over 106 languages spoken in Glasgow.
As an inheritor of the legacy of Language Movement of 1952, BAG felt there is a need for an annual event which will bring together different language speaking communities of the city through sharing their literature, poetry and their performances. The exchange of ideas will educate, inspire and create a more cohesive and enlightened society. Prof. Alison Phipps of Languages and Intercultural Studies Glasgow University, who is also the UNESCO Chair and an avid supporter of the festival, themed the event as “Our Gift to Glasgow” – meaning Bangladeshi community’s gift to the city.
With this philosophy in the background, BHASHA-the Glasgow Language Festival was held on the premises of the iconic Mitchell Library of Glasgow on the 9th February 2019. The event is part of UNESCO’s International Year of Indigenous Languages 2019.
Sponsored by the Big Lottery fund, the festival is partnered with UNSECO-RILA, Scotland’s National Centre of Languages (SCILT, based in Strathclyde University Glasgow), the British Council of Bangladesh and GlasgowLife.
The event was supported and participated by Bilingualism Matters (based in University of Edinburgh), Maryhill Integration Network, The Scottish Poetry Library, Bangla Bidya Niketon (Bangla school), Confucius Society for Scotland’s schools, the British Council of Scotland and the National Theatre of Scotland (NTS).
Download summary of the 2019 event.