A £2.m project is being launched to help preserve the "endangered" Cornish language and encourage more young people to speak it. It will see Cornish speakers helping to create "immersive experiences and stories" to promote Kernewek.
Researchers from Anglia Ruskin University's StoryLab research institute will work alongside speakers to produce exhibitions in community venues across Cornwall. They will use "3D extended reality technologies, data visualisation and archival research" in a bid to bring the language to life for younger generations.
Material collected for the project, known as REVIVE, will be made available online, including testimonies about speaking the Cornish language, photographs, film and audio.
The university team will also focus on another endangered European language, Griko, which is spoken in parts of southern Italy, and says it wants to encourage the wider use of both languages.
Dr Fabrizio Galeazzi, associate professor in heritage and creative technologies at Anglia Ruskin University (ARU), said: “Languages are part of our shared heritage and identity, and the loss of languages, which is happening at an alarming rate worldwide, is leading to cultural homogenisation.
“The REVIVE project involves partners from right across Europe but we have chosen to focus only on Cornish and Griko, which are both endangered but are faring very differently. While Griko is a severely endangered language and is considered one of the most at risk in Europe, Cornish is what we call an ‘awakening language’ and is enjoying a resurgence after becoming officially extinct.
“Public engagement is key to the survival of minority languages. By involving local communities in the creation of digital content and stories, and then sharing these as widely as possible – both online and through in-person experiences and exhibitions – we aim to make sure every young person in Cornwall is aware of their county’s incredible linguistic heritage.”
It is estimated that at least 50 per cent of languages spoken today will disappear or become seriously endangered by the end of this century and according to the United Nations, a language dies out every two weeks.
Cornish became extinct by the late 18th century but following a dramatic revival has been reclassified as endangered by UNESCO. It is estimated there are now around 500 fluent Cornish speakers, plus thousands more who can speak basic Cornish.
REVIVE will involve a consortium of academic and industry partners from the UK, Italy, Germany, Portugal, Romania, Serbia and Estonia and is funded through the EU's Horizon Europe programme. Work on the project will begin in March.
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