Aberdeen City Council appoints Spectra production partner
06 August 2019
Spectra, Scotland’s award-winning Festival of Light, will return to Aberdeen in February 2020.
It has been announced today that Curated Place has been appointed to deliver the festival following an open tender process.
Having produced Spectra in partnership with the Council since 2015, Curated Place will seek to build on that experience and the relationships developed across the city over those years. Next year’s festival will see them collaborate with Look Again Festival and other local partners in order to further develop the creative talent across the city and the legacy of the light festival.
With 2020 being the year of Scotland’s Coast and Water, Spectra will be a glowing celebration of Aberdeen’s rich history of seafaring and the city’s important relationship with water.
As a city that spans two major rivers and home to one of Europe’s busiest harbours, Aberdonians have always held the water close to their hearts – from working in the offshore industry to watching dolphins playing in front of the Torry Battery. Spectra 2020 will celebrate this important connection with a unique festival of light featuring a wealth of exhibits ranging from interactive digital pieces to spectacular showstoppers.
Cllr Marie Boulton, Aberdeen City Council’s culture spokesperson, said: “We are delighted to reappoint Curated Place as the producers of Spectra and excited to see their vision for the 2020 festival develop. Next year’s event will build on the excellent work in previous editions, collaborating with local artists and communities to create another spectacular winter event.
“As a Council we are proud of the momentum our Aberdeen 365 events programme has built, with the city’s reputation as a destination growing all the time. Spectra is an example of an event that has captured the imagination of visitors and residents, with the 2020 festival promising to enchant audiences once again.
“We are investing heavily in events and also cultural infrastructure, with P&J Live soon to launch and the countdown to Aberdeen Art Gallery’s opening well underway. With exciting developments at Provost Skene’s House and Union Terrace Gardens in the pipeline, this is an incredibly exciting and important period in Aberdeen’s history.
Andy Brydon, Director of Curated Place, said: “Curated Place are excited to return as the producers of Spectra alongside Aberdeen City Council’s culture and events teams. After working tirelessly to develop the festival in its inaugural years we’re now keen to develop more opportunities for Aberdeen artists and producers to work with the seasoned team.
“We’ll be creating stronger ties with creative peers in Stavanger and further afield, through new residency opportunities and a new creative producers scheme, as well as delivering the festival as a major event that reflects the people and creativity of the city.”
Spectra 2020 will be held in February across a number of sites in Aberdeen.