Spectra 2022
Together by Lucid Creates
Aberdeen City Centre
February 2022
Spectra returned with a stunning lightscape across Aberdeen City Centre, creating new ways of exploring the city. Scotland’s Festival of Light featured a star-studded line-up. Bringing together brand-new commissions, multidisciplinary collaborations, and multiple premieres, the festival not only lit up the dark winter nights but also brought Scotland and it’s stories to life.
Taking place from the 10-13 February across Aberdeen city centre, 2022’s programme included award-winning installations from UK based and international artists at Marischal College, Union Street, Broad Street, Upperkirkgate, Schoolhill, Marischal Square, Aberdeen Music Hall, and for the very first time, inside Aberdeen Art Gallery. Spectra 2022 included the world premiere of Writ Large which was commissioned as part of Event Scotland’s Year of Stories. Created in conjunction with prize-winning literary collective and arts production house Neu Reekie, Writ Large combined creative light installations with words to bring Scottish prose and poetry to life.
PROGRAMME DEVELOPMENT
Commissioned by Aberdeen City Council and delivered by the award-winning Curated Place, Spectra is just one of a year-round programme of cultural events that takes place in Scotland’s North East. Lucid Create’s TOGETHER made its Scottish debut at Spectra in 2022 taking over Castlegate in Aberdeen city centre. This spectacular public-art installation offered audiences a unique and immersive experience amongst written and spoken stories of local communities, artists and collaborators. And in another first, Aberdeen welcomed Gaia and Museum of the Moon by artist Luke Jerram. These awe-inspiring pieces featured in two iconic locations, Aberdeen Art Gallery and Aberdeen Music Hall, allowing audiences the opportunity to see these breath-taking depictions of the Earth and Moon from a different perspective.
CONFERENCE
In 2022 the festival was accompanied once again by the Catalyst Conference, which explores the concept #CultureisNotaLuxury. The 2022 conference questioned how the language of culture can be used outside of the arts and culture sector and how those within the sector can better influence people's values and understanding. The expert panel included Dame Evelyn Glennie - internationally renowned musician and Chancellor of Robert Gordon University - Danny Forster - architect, TV host and producer/director - Khaleda Noon - founder and executive director of ground-breaking charity Intercultural Youth Scotland (IYS) - alongside Spectra artists and other leaders in culture, creativity, health, education, place & community from across Scotland and internationally.
Spectra through the years…
Spectra 2022 was commissioned by Aberdeen City Council
Supporters & Partners
Spectra 2022 was delighted to work in partnership with The University of Aberdeen, Event Scotland (as part of Scotland’s Year of Stories), the Culture Programme of the European Union, Creative Scotland (Catalyst Conference), Aberdeen Art Gallery, Aberdeen Performing Arts (Music Hall), Marischal Square, CBRE, Look Again Project Space and delivery specialists at Live Event Management.
