SPECTRA countdown begins as Aberdeen’s spectacular festival of light returns in 2020

05 December 2019

Aberdeen City Council's 2020 events programme will burst into life with the return of the SPECTRA festival of light. 

Taking its inspiration from Scotland’s Year of Coasts and Waters, the four day spectular will explore Aberdeen’s position as the connecting point to other cultures on the North-east coast through a series of thought provoking, playful and just plain stunning light art works.

The line-up has been announced this week and includes Designs in Air, Heinrich and Palmer, Richard William Wheater,  Seb Lee-Delisle, Illuminos, Chris Paul Daniels, Yiannis Kranidiotis, Dodda Maggý, Steve Symons, Mark Anderson, Double Take Projections, Fusion Youth Dance Company, Amy Gear and Sara Stroud.

Councillor Marie Boulton, Aberdeen City Council's culture spokesperson, said: “Aberdeen City Council is proud to invest in and deliver a year round events calendar, bringing high quality activities and culture to our public spaces. I can’t think of a better way to kick off our 2020 programme than with Scotland’s festival of light Spectra returning to the city and the programme being put together by Curated Place is truly world class. Aberdeen is a city inextricably linked to the sea through our heritage, industry and culture, so it’s exciting that this year’s theme celebrates Scotland’s Year of Coasts and Waters and I’m really looking forward to seeing that reflected in the artists’ work.”

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 launching a new creative producers scheme for 2021 as well as delivering the festival as a major event that reflects the people and creativity of the city across an all new site.”

Running alongside the public light art of SPECTRA is the third edition of the industry conference SPECTRA Catalyst Conference featuring guests from the world of culture, tourism, heritage, music, diplomacy and business to ask: What is culture’s hidden contribution to a city’s sustainability?. Taking place in the Music Hall, the conference runs from 9.30am on Friday 14 February to 5pm on Saturday 15 February and will welcome cultural leaders from across Scotland, the UK and beyond.