YOUR GUIDE TO
SPRING SUMMER
2016
aberdeenfestivals.com
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Contents
Welcome from Steve Harris, Chair of Aberdeen Festivals
1 11 - 14 February
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Aberdeen Festivals has had an amazing set up phase 16 - 20 March
over the last 18 months and is now looking ahead to a fresh line up of festivals during 2016 with some new
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members and a spectacular calendar of events over the 28 April - 2 May
next year. From visual arts to all kinds of music, dance to youth arts, the city and region is really putting its
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best foot forward in offering everyone in the area, and indeed across Scotland, a kaleidoscope of cultural and 27 - 29 May
creative happenings over the next 12 months. We’d like to warmly welcome three new festivals joining us this year, SPECTRA, Look Again and True North.
29 July - 6 August
These festivals strengthen an already thriving local arts and cultural sector and add city based visual arts and
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a contemporary singer songwriter festival to an already 3 - 18 September
eclectic mix of events. The cultural and creative life of the city belongs to us all
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and getting out there and supporting this exciting roster 10 - 18 September
of festivals helps us to realise with pride what a vibrant and creative place we live in. With such a lot on offer over the next 12 months I’d encourage everyone to try at
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least one of these festivals, you won’t be disappointed! 23 - 25 September
Steve Harris
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Chief Executive, VisitAberdeen 14 - 25 October
SUPPORTED BY
20 October - 6 November
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11 − 14 FEB SPECTRA, Aberdeen’s stunning Festival of Light, will return to Aberdeen in February to celebrate the Scottish Year of Architecture, Innovation & Design through this year’s theme ‘Spark of Inspiration’. Running for four nights from 11 - 14 February 2016, the festival will bring together leading international artists. Working with established Scottish collaborators SPECTRA will deliver a light spectacular which has grown from its original home in Union Terrace Gardens to the Kirk of St Nicholas graveyard and into the signature building of the Granite City’s Marischal College. Featuring major public realm and gallery installations alongside new experimental works from the North-East’s creative community, the festival will enliven the city and celebrate Aberdeen’s creative past, present and future. The festival invites audiences to engage with playful, accessible and high quality performances, spaces and works of art. These will marry light, sound and interactive experiences. SPECTRA 2016 is set to be an exciting family event bringing light to the depths of winter.
spectraaberdeen.com
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16 − 20 MAR Aberdeen Jazz Festival will take place from 16 - 20 March, targeting increased audiences with an exciting programme of UK exclusives and international stars, alongside old favourites, including the special atmosphere of Jazz On The Green, Aberdeens biggest free admission music event. The festival ranges across jazz styles – from mainstream to cutting edge and embraces a host of related music, including soul, r’n’b, blues, hip hop, and salsa. There will be intense jazz excitement at The Blue Lamp, the best jazz club in Scotland (The Scotsman); cool sounds at Carmelite Hotel; and blues, funk, and zydeco at The Lemon Tree. The programme highlights include... From New Orleans the Zydeco King Dwayne Dopsie with his bluesy, grooving Hellraisers delivering pulsating, funky rhythms. MOBO award winning saxophonist Soweto Kinch unites hip-hop and rap with brilliant, bebop saxophone. American bluesman, Otis Taylor, tours the world with his signature trance blues. Top Scottish jazz players Colin Steele and Graeme Stephen present their groups in the iconic Blue Lamp. Salsa band Son Al Son will bring a blast of Cuba to Aberdeen. Dinner Jazz at Carmelite will feature Seonaid Aitken and Rose Rooms blend of vintage swing and gypsy jazz.
aberdeenjazzfestival.com
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28 APR − 2 MAY The Look Again Visual Art & Design Festival is a celebration of the very best in visual art and design, showcasing both local and internationally acclaimed talent in Aberdeen. For 2016 there will be new and innovative work including Turner Prize winners, Assemble, working with artist Simon Terrell presenting The Brutalist Playground, new work by artist Doug Fishbone, fresh from success at the Venice Biennale, and a pop-up mirrored pavilion to celebrate Scotland’s Festival of Architecture, Design and Innovation 2016. Look Again aims to challenge the way we see the Granite City, encouraging its audience to become a tourist in your own city and to take time to look at the spaces and places around us in new and creative ways. Following a hugely successful first festival in 2015 that re-dressed some of the citys most iconic civic statues, Look Again 2016 promises another unmissable programme of exhibitions, public art installations, family workshops, talks and events. The Look Again Visual Art & Design Festival is led by a partnership between the Robert Gordon University and Aberdeen-based art agency SMART.
lookagainfestival.co.uk
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27 − 29 MAY The May Festival is one of Aberdeen’s most vibrant celebrations of learning and discovery brought to you by the University of Aberdeen. From famous faces and top performers to lively talks, debates and hands-on activities, the festival has something for everyone. Most of the festival’s 100+ events are free and explore themes including science, sport, literature, film, music and the environment. This year, May Festival will celebrate the Year of Innovation, Architecture and Design with highlights including a themed PechaKucha event, talks and tours. There will also be a brand new theme exploring Aberdeen’s history and heritage. For the children, you’ll discover a fun-filled family programme to inspire and delight, while for older visitors, there’s the chance to engage with cutting-edge issues in health, nutrition and medicine led by world-leading experts in their fields. The festival is also a great way to explore the University’s beautiful Old Aberdeen campus and indulge in some creative eating and drinking. With its bustling venues, inspirational events and friendly atmosphere the May Festival is one of the must-visit attractions in Aberdeen’s festival calendar. We look forward to welcoming you.
abdn.ac.uk/mayfestival
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29 JUL − 6 AUG Aberdeen International Youth Festival (AIYF) offers something completely out of the ordinary. From Ghanaian traditional drumming to Shakespeare performed through contemporary dance, the festival embraces cultural diversity and welcomes young performers from around the world, who come to the city to share their talents and collaborate with others. 2016 will mark the 44th year of AIYF, which is considered to be one of the cultural highlights of the summer in Aberdeen. The festival will include groups from Canada, the USA, China, Norway, Malta, Italy and many more. During the nine-day event both local and international young performers take part in concerts, gala shows and free events such as Festival in the City. Audiences can expect a spectacle of theatre, dance and classical, contemporary, jazz and traditional music at a variety of venues. AIYF reaches communities outside Aberdeen through the Extended Festival programme, with performances across Aberdeenshire, Angus and Moray. The festival also prides itself on delivering a number of community projects within the city involving local young people around dance, opera, theatre and music. In 2016, AIYF will produce over 80 performances across nine days, providing the North-East with high quality, inspiring entertainment.
aiyf.org
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YOUR GUIDE TO
AUTUMN WINTER
2016
aberdeenfestivals.com
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3 − 18 SEPT
TechFest is Aberdeen and North-East Scotland’s annual festival of Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM). The festival aims to promote STEM subjects to young people and to the wider community by providing an accessible, diverse and entertaining programme. TechFest Science Festival is highly regarded as a key event within education, industry and the wider community, and is well supported by the Scottish Government, local authorities, industry and further education establishments. 2016 will be the 23rd anniversary of TechFest. The festival is planning an ambitious programme of activities and it looks forward to welcoming around 25,000 participants. This year TechFest will extend its TechFest Goes Quiet, Cerebral and Eureka Series as well as introducing new strands of events at the Activity Weekend. Local scientists and those from Scottish Higher Education establishments are invited to present their research. The popular Food and Drink events will also be extended, building on the success of 2015’s Science of Champagne and Chocolate Trio. Contact TechFest to join its mailing list and hear about the programme first!
techfest.org.uk
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10 − 18 SEPT There’s no experience quite like seeing an artist, maker or designer at work in their very own studio. This year, the North-East is set to open its creative doors again during North East Open Studios’ (NEOS) eight day long festival in September 2016. NEOS is the largest ‘Open Studios’ event in Scotland with over 200 exhibitors showcasing their art and demonstrating innovative skills. From painting to textiles and mixed media to wood work, the festival gives the public a chance to be inspired by the exciting world of art and design. All events are free to access and specialist ‘NEOS trails’ can be followed by those looking for a morning, afternoon or day full of inspiration!
northeastopenstudios.co.uk
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23 − 25 SEPT Aberdeen Performing Arts presents True North – Aberdeen’s festival of music and song – celebrating the North-East’s singer songwriter tradition and providing a platform for the very best music and song, from ballads to contemporary classics. 2015 saw the inaugural True North with stunning headline performances from Tom Odell, The Unthanks, Fatherson, Aidan Moffat and Bill Wells, a 70th birthday celebration for the legendary Neil Young, late night festival club shows, workshops and fringe events showcasing the local music scene. Events were held in venues across the city centre offering a range of shows in intimate settings all the way up to large scale gigs. Audiences could even sample some local cuisine with the festivals very own Scottish tapas menu. This year’s True North will take place from 23 - 25 September and promises to be bigger and better. With a host of top names and upcoming talent in the pipeline it will bring the exciting atmosphere of a music festival to Aberdeen and will leave those in attendance with a truly memorable experience. Check aberdeenperformingarts.com/truenorth for line up, passes and ticket details.
aberdeenperformingarts.com/truenorth
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14 − 25 OCT Since it began in 2006 DanceLive has grown and taken root in the heart of Aberdeen. The festival is Scotland’s longest running contemporary dance festival and one of the many events and activities that Citymoves Dance Agency delivers throughout the year and one where performance and participation are celebrated equally. Scotland is helping to shape a number of distinctive choreographic voices and DanceLive is always delighted to present a flock of the finest. With interactive work for children, conversational feasts alongside performances in unusual spaces, come and take shelter under the canopy of #DanceLive16 and see the world a little differently.
dancelivefestival.co.uk
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20 OCT − 6 NOV
sound invites you on a journey of discovery, exploring new music which challenges and crosses the boundaries of contemporary classical, electro-acoustic, improvised, experimental and jazz music. Experience new worlds of music in unexpected places across North-East Scotland, ranging from museums and galleries, churches and bothies to more traditional performance spaces. In 2016, sound will feature a weekend on contemporary composition for the string quartet, including new commissions by composers David Hudry and François Sahran and a new work for string quartet and harp by Graham Fitkin, performed by Ruth Wall and the Sacconi Quartet. Other sound commissions will include a new piano sonata by Peter Maxwell-Davies performed by Rolf Hind, and David Fennessy’s new work, Sounding the Alarm, which will be performed alongside Louis Andriessen’s De Staat by Scotland’s Red Note Ensemble, Belgium’s I Solisti del Vento and Norway’s Song Circus. Many more performances, workshops and talks will be announced as 2016 unfolds - keep up to date with sound news as it happens at sound-scotland.co.uk, join the festival on facebook at soundscotland and twitter @soundscotland. Expand your musical horizons and make 2016 the year of trying something different with sound!
sound-scotland.co.uk
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2016 Calendar
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Angela Michael angela.michael@visitaberdeen.com
aberdeenfestivals.com
Facebook.com/AberdeenFestivals
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Aberdeen Festivals Manager
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@AberdeenFests