Spectra, Scotland’s festival of light, has announced Aberdeen University as key sponsor when it kicks off in the Granite City next month.
The tie-up has been hailed by city council bosses as showing a bright future for events in the city through strong partnerships and exciting productions.
The prestigious event aims to light up the winter nights with light sculptures, architectural projections, neon and film to encourage audiences to see the city at its best when it runs from Thursday February 10 to Sunday February 13.
Professor Pete Edwards, vice-principal for regional engagement and recovery, said the university was delighted to be part of the upcoming event.
“Spectra is a celebration of creativity which also prides itself on bringing people together,” he said.
“We are delighted to be working with regional partners to deliver the 2022 festival and look forward to playing an important part in the cultural life of the north-east.”
Spectra will attract leading names to Aberdeen
Professor Edwards added that Spectra reflected the university’s principle of being “open to all” when it was founded 527 years ago.
“Much has changed through those centuries – and been accelerated in the last two years through the pandemic – but our commitment to deliver positive change locally and regionally has not,” he said.
Spectra will see leading names from the UK and around the world creating a stunning lightscape across the city centre, including Marischal College, Upperkirkgate, Schoolhill, Marischal Square, and Aberdeen Art Gallery as locations for breath-taking installations inspired by Scotland’s Year of Stories.
Free, family-friendly and interactive, Spectra – an Aberdeen City Council event, delivered by award-winning production company Curated Place – has been hugely popular in its previous outings in Aberdeen, since it was launched in 2014 as a pilot project.
Bright future for events in Aberdeen
Councillor Marie Boulton, the council’s culture spokesperson, said she was delighted the university had pledged support to the festival of light.
“Their sponsorship of this year’s festival shows that there is a bright future for events in Aberdeen, through strong partnerships and exciting productions,” she said, adding the council has committed £250,000 for the delivery of the festival in 2022.
“All of us across the city are looking forward to Spectra next month and seeing audiences return to a safe and vibrant city centre.”
Details of the installations and the artists behind them are still to be announced.
To find out more about the event, visit www.spectrafestival.com