The Llanito language and its regeneration was discussed as part of a conference held in Brussels.

The event titled ‘Regenerating Minority Languages through Lifelong Learning and the Arts’ was co-organised by Gibraltar House in Brussels alongside the representative offices of the Channel Islands, Isle of Man, Northern Ireland, Puglia, Norway, Scotland and Wales.

The conference brought together policymakers, academics and artists to discuss ideas and best practices in the area of language regeneration from respective jurisdictions and, where possible, take examples from the rich cultural heritage on display.

Representing the efforts to regenerate the Llanito language was Professor Brechtje Post from the University of Cambridge. Prof Post is an expert in phonetics and has been an integral part of the University of Cambridge team conducting ongoing research into Llanito. The same team has collaborated with the Government previously in the production of an exhibition and a booklet on Llanito last year. Davina Barbara of Gibraltar Cultural Services also participated.

Prof Post and Mrs Barbara participated in a closed roundtable of experts where they shared the progress that has been made in Gibraltar regarding Llanito regeneration efforts. The roundtable was later followed by a public evening panel discussion where Prof Post participated in an exchange about ‘Creative Arts in Language Revitalisation’. There she had the opportunity to highlight the great work being done by Gibraltar’s many talented artists, writers and poets who express themselves and publish in Llanito. The many initiatives that the Government and Gibraltar Cultural Services have made to support Llanito language regeneration through the arts were also referred to.

A networking reception followed the conference where Calentita was served among dishes from other jurisdictions.

The Deputy Chief Minister, The Hon Dr Joseph Garcia CMG, said:
“We are delighted that the Llanito language was featured in an event in the heart of Brussels. It is a further example of the commitment this Government has made towards the regeneration of Llanito. I would like to sincerely thank Professor Post for her participation at the event and the team at the University of Cambridge for all their efforts towards supporting Llanito regeneration and revitalisation efforts.”

ENDS