Spectra 2023
Fantastic Planet by Parer Studio and Luminosi Trees by Sound Intervention at Spectra 2023 Credit Ian Georgeson
Aberdeen City Centre
February 2023
Spectra, Scotland’s festival of light, took place over four days 9-12 February 2023, once again bringing Aberdeen City Centre to life with a rich, varied programme of light and sound. The theme for 2023 was Home, an idea on everybody’s mind because of its ever-presence in the news: from lockdowns to energy crises, climate to war and migration. Spectra 2023 looked at the “Hame” culture of Aberdeen - its creativity, language, unique natural environment and close links with the Nordics - as well as celebrating the festival’s return to its original “home” in the newly redeveloped Union Terrace Gardens.
Spectra was the first major event to take place in Union Terrace Gardens following its reopening to the public and featured work from over 30 artists, with seven World Premieres and six Scottish Premieres. Three City zones - Union Terrace Gardens, Aberdeen Art Gallery and Marischal College and Broad St were transformed by inspirational artworks of scale. Iconic City architecture was illuminated, inviting audiences to engage with these buildings anew. Aberdeen City Centre welcomed 119,000 visitors over four days and support and buy-in from local businesses reached an all time high.
PROGRAMME DEVELOPMENT
Delivered by Curated Place and commissioned by Aberdeen City Council, Spectra plays an important role in establishing Aberdeen and North-East Scotland as a cultural destination, part of a year-round approach to cultural events and festivals delivered by Culture Aberdeen members alongside a host of partners. This year audiences were dwarfed and delighted by Fantastic Planet, gentle-giants from another world, created by Australian artist Amanda Parer and visiting Scotland for the very first time. Duo Illuminos transformed His Majesty’s Theatre with beautiful video-map projection work The Waxwing Wanes created specifically for Spectra in response to, and incorporating, a brand-new sound piece by Scottish composer Ailie Robertson inspired by the experiences of people living in Svalbard. Nøkken by Illuminos - lighting up Marsichal College - also explored shared cultures between North-East Scotland and the Nordic countries: the nøkken is a shape-shifting water spirit, a malevolent trickster very like a Scottish Kelpie. Installation Pulse by This Is Loop filled Broad Street with light and sound, drawing audiences through it’s enormous mirrored hoops and reflecting the City’s architecture, old and new, on it’s reflective surfaces.
talent development
In 2023, Curated Place supported artistic skills development for local young people. Long-term partners City Moves Dance Agency’s Fusion Dance worked with Scottish choreographer Steven Martin to create a new dance piece premiering at Spectra. As The Light Fades took inspiration from one of the Fantastic Planet artworks. Spectra commissioned visual artist Vincent James to create Home Fronts and deliver a hands-on stop-motion animation workshop for Creative and Digital Skills Foundation Apprenticeship students at North East Scotland College (NESCol).
With support from Creative Scotland, Curated Place have initiated a Scotland-Norway Agile Creative Producers programme. Following an open call for applications, art and culture professionals from across Scotland and Norway met in Aberdeen to kick off a pioneering place-led, networked, skill-building and development initiative.
Spectra through the years…
Spectra 2023 was commissioned by Aberdeen City Council
Supporters & Partners
Spectra 2023 was thrilled to work in partnership with Event Scotland (as part of the National Event Programme), the Culture Programme of the European Union (new music R&D), Creative Scotland (Scotland-Norway Creative Producers), Aberdeen Art Gallery, Aberdeen Performing Arts, City Moves Dance Agency, Aberdeen Inspired, Marischal Square, CBRE, Artist Ulianka, FrogMoon Café, NESCol, Common Sense Cafe, Resident X and Shepherds.
This year we are delighted to continue working with delivery specialists Live Event Management, charity We Too and to welcome new charity partner AbleDeen.
