Light the Blue is our festival for and by young people, returning 2 - 14 June 2026 for a fortnight of performances, opportunities and events inspired by the theme looking forward / looking back.
This year’s festival invites over 1000 young and professional artists, school pupils and early career creatives from across Scotland to imagine the shape of the world in time to come or reflect on memories and moments that have shaped who they are today. Light the Blue will celebrate the voices of the next generation and inspire audiences in theatres, shopping centres, gardens, playgrounds and unexpected spaces across Aberdeen.
This year as we mark 120 years of His Majesty’s Theatre, our HMT 120 fundraising campaign will put Light the Blue in the spotlight with an ambition to raise £120,000 towards helping young people, emerging artists and communities across the North East to access life-changing creative opportunities.
Everyone is welcome to play, to be curious and to celebrate the joy of telling stories with us.
Play Space Exhibition & Workshops Page 8
Artroom x Digital Orchestra North East Page 10
Postcard to Future Me Page 11
Soil Love Letters Page 12
Into The Arts Page 13
Various Stages Page 14
Speakin’ Weird Page 15
Boys Don’t Dance Page 16
NESCOL Music Showcase Page 18
Benedetti Sessions Sharings Page 20
Gray’s School of Art Tours Page 21
Family Arts Day Page 22
Cringe Page 24
Assembly: A Scratch for Wee Ones Page 25
Joining The Dots Page 26
Island Page 27
Watch This Space Page 28
20 Tiny Plays About... Page 29
Playground Page 30
Let’s Play & Create Double Bill Page 32
Takeover Page 34
Then. Now. Next. Page 36
The Big Gig Page 38
THIS YEAR’S PROGRAMME IS SPLIT INTO FOUR KEY STRANDS:
YOUNG ARTISTS
Events by those aged 5 - 25
YOUNG AUDIENCES
Events for audiences aged 0 – 18 and their families
SCHOOLS
Projects and events for school pupils
EMERGING ARTISTS
Events and opportunities for early career creatives aged 18+
LIGHT THE BLUE AT A GLANCE
YOUNG ARTISTS
Tue 2 - Sat 13 June
INSTALLATION
PLAY SPACE
A Kinetic Sound Playground by Ray Downie
An interactive exhibition featuring rhythmic sculptures that are activated by movement and play.
The installation features interactive artworks :
• Kinetic Wave Machine
• Inflating Seesaw
• Bottle Marimba
• Modular Music Box
ALL AGES
Play Space invites you to spin, bounce, drum, and swing on the artworks. The sculptures respond to your energy - this exhibition is powered entirely by play.
Drop in to Play Space during Music Hall opening hours (Tuesday - Saturday, 9.30am - 6pm) - no booking required.
TAKE PART IN OUR SERIES OF FREE PLAY SPACE WORKSHOPS:
PLAY SPACE: LISTEN
Tuesday 2 June, 4pm
A zero-waste instrument making workshop for ages 8 - 14 with Ray Downie.
PLAY SPACE: MAKE
Saturday 6 June, 2.30pm
A workshop where art becomes an invitation to play for ages 1 - 5 with Sarah Ord.
Scan the QR code or visit aberdeenperformingarts.com for full details of both workshops.
YOUNG ARTISTS
Tue 2 - Sat 13 June
Tue - Sat, between 9:30am - 6pm
ARTROOM x DIGITAL ORCHESTRA NORTH EAST
Grampian Hospitals Art Trust (GHAT) return to Light the Blue with an exhibition of artwork created by young people in hospital settings, accompanied by music from Drake Music Scotland’s Digital Orchestra North East. Digital Orchestra North East are excited to collaborate with Artroom, marking the first time they have collaborated with another creative group and written music to accompany artwork.
EXHIBITION
Free, unticketed Music Hall
YOUNG ARTISTS
Tue 2 - Sat 13 June
Tue - Sat, between 9:30am - 6pm
POSTCARD TO FUTURE ME
What does the future look like to you?
Postcard to Future Me offers a snapshot of dreams and aspirations through the lens of Primary 1 & 7 pupils from across Aberdeen. An exhibition capturing the imaginations of local young people through drawings of and letters to their future selves. Everyone is invited to explore the postcards throughout the festival, with an opportunity to add your own response to the exhibition.
EXHIBITION
Free, unticketed Music Hall
YOUNG AUDIENCES
Tue 2 - Sat 13 June
Tue - Sat, between 9:30am - 6pm
SOIL LOVE
LETTERS:
A LIVING INSTALLATION
Open the drawers. Read love letters to the earth. Add your own.
This living installation features two filing cabinets painted as soil cross-sections and crowned with real turf, filled with hundreds of letters written to the ground beneath our feet.
This isn’t just about looking at art - it’s about participating in a living, growing conversation.
EXHIBITION
Free, unticketed Music Hall
A tender archive of how we relate to the
planet by Mara Marxt Lewis, Aberdeen Performing Arts’ Changemaker for Climate Action’
Tue 2 June
9:30am - 2:30pm
SCHOOLS INTO THE ARTS
Aberdeen Performing Arts, North East Scotland College and Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.
Aberdeen Performing Arts is running a free day-long event inviting secondary school pupils to gain hands-on experience of a variety of disciplines and broaden their awareness of roles beyond performance. Through practical workshops, conversations and more, pupils will learn about lighting, sound, stage management, animation, directing and design. They’ll find out about pathways into the arts, develop new skills and connect with likeminded peers.
Free, ticketed
Music Hall
Due to limited capacity, we are inviting notes of interest from one class/group per school. See our website for further details, apply by Tuesday 12 May.
EMERGING ARTISTS
Wed 3 June
7:30pm
VARIOUS STAGES
An evening of performances at various stages of development, from some of the most exciting up-and-coming professional artists across Aberdeen and Scotland. Be the first to see innovative new writing, performance and devised work before it reaches the big stages, and meet the creators behind it. Supported by the Light the Blue team, the artists’ work will be presented alongside a short Q&A.
Join us in supporting and celebrating the next generation of performance makers as they share their latest ideas.
Ticket £5 (£3 under 30s)
Music Hall, Big Sky Studio
EMERGING ARTISTS
Thu 4 June
7:30pm
SPEAKIN’
WEIRD
Aberdeen’s spoken word collective Speakin’ Weird collaborate with Light the Blue Festival to produce a special edition of their monthly open mic night aimed specifically at young people aged 18-30.
Centring around the festival theme ‘looking forward/looking back’ we are inviting local young performers and a special headline act (to be announced) to take to the stage and share their latest material. We encourage performers wishing to take part to sign up on the night.
Ticket £5 (£3 under 30s)
Music Hall, Big Sky Studio
YOUNG AUDIENCES SCHOOLS
Friday 5 & Saturday 6 June, 1pm
BOYS DON’T DANCE
Marc Brew Company
Commissioned by Imaginate in partnership with Aberdeen Performing Arts.
Boys Don’t Dance is a poignant dance theatre show by acclaimed disabled director, choreographer and dancer Marc Brew, reflecting on his journey as a boy who defied society’s expectations to embrace his love for dance. The performance unfolds through a tapestry of memories, shedding light on the loneliness of being the only boy in a rural Australian town who dared to dance.
“I grew up in a poor and rural area of Australia surrounded by sheep, cows, and country folk who loved football. All I wanted to do was dance but I was told “boys don’t dance”. Throughout my life, society has told me that I cannot dance - whether that was during my upbringing as a boy from a working-class household, or after I acquired my disability. I’ve worked to prove people wrong by championing and celebrating differences.” Marc Brew
The production will combine movement, storytelling, lighting and an uplifting soundtrack, alongside visual projections and animation.
Tickets £6, Schools £3, Lemon Tree Studio
SCHOOLS PERFORMANCE
SCHOOLS GROUP BOOKINGS
For schools groups, every 11th ticket is free and will be applied automatically when booking.
BUS TRAVEL SUBSIDY
To help reduce your travel costs, Edinburgh International Children’s Festival also offers financial assistance for schools travelling to the show in one day.
CURTAIN RAISER PERFORMANCE
The Saturday 6 June show will feature a brand new piece of dance performed by participants of our curtain raiser project. Working with lead artists Fox Banks and Giulia Montalbano, a group of disabled and nondisabled young people will take to the stage at 1pm with Boys Don’t Dance following shortly after.
Boys Don’t Dance celebrates individuality and the liberating power of dance, encouraging audiences to embrace their unique passions and find strength in their differences. It follows Marc Brew’s internationally acclaimed and award-nominated dance theatre piece an Accident / a Life that shares his lived experience of being a dancer who acquired a disability“outstanding work... as theatre it is sensitive, revelatory and cathartic”
The Guardian.
EMERGING ARTISTS
Fri 5 June
8pm (doors 7:30pm)
NESCOL MUSIC SHOWCASE
A vibrant showcase of student musicians presenting music in a rich variety of genres. This event highlights musical versatility, individuality, and the journey of emerging performers. Designed to inspire and engage, the concert celebrates collaboration, dedication, and the power of live performance. The performers are drawn from across the NESCol music department, reflecting the breadth of training and creative work taking place within the course.
Ticket £5 (£3 under 30s)
Lemon Tree Lounge
We want children and families in the North East to be inspired by their own creativity and realise their potential!
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Enjoy priority booking, discounted tickets and play a role in supporting the arts locally.
Join the Ovation Club
An exclusive ensemble of individuals and businesses who believe in the transformative power of the arts.
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A sponsorship opportunity for you to be a huge part of our story.
We’re really proud of the work we do! And with your help, we can continue to do the things we love to do to make the arts accessible to everyone.
Visit aberdeenperformingarts.com/support-us to find out what your support can help us achieve.
Sat 6 & Sun 7 June
4:15pm
YOUNG ARTISTS BENEDETTI SESSIONS
SHARINGS
A showcase of all the wonderful music that young musicians from across the region have rehearsed in the space of one weekend, hosted by Nicola Benedetti and her Foundation. The Foundation’s four orchestras of different ages and stages will work on a selection of new music alongside some well-known pieces with the Benedetti Foundation’s tutor and ambassador team.
Free, ticketed Music Hall
Image: Hollie Carlin
YOUNG AUDIENCES
Sun 7 June 2pm
Wed 10 June 6pm
Sat 13 June 11am
GRAY’S SCHOOL OF ART DEGREE SHOW TOURS
An inspiring journey through creativity at the Gray’s School of Art Degree Show 2026! Join us for guided tours led by one of our Graduating Students. This is a unique opportunity to explore our student exhibitions and be guided through the art school environment. Engage with the vibrant art school atmosphere and ignite your passion for the arts.
Free, ticketed
Gray’s School of Art AGES 14-25
YOUNG ARTISTS
YOUNG AUDIENCES
Sunday 7 June, 12pm - 4:30pm
FAMILY ARTS DAY
An exciting day of pop-up and interactive performances, arts activities, live music, sports, food, backstage tours and inspirational experiences for all the family.
Taking place across Union Terrace Gardens and His Majesty’s Theatre, Family Arts Day invites those aged 0 - 12 and their families to spend the day with us.
Watch over 100 young and professional artists; enjoy a family-friendly backstage tour of the iconic His Majesty’s Theatre; create your own arts and crafts; participate in drop-in sports activities; and soak up the atmosphere.
Family Arts Day will culminate with over 100 dancers from Citymoves Dance Agency performing across Union Terrace Gardens before Aberdeenshire Instrumental Music Service’s Firesnake band play a rocking gig to close the event!
With our young artists and exciting professional artists involved it’s sure to be a fun filled day of creativity!
Scan the QR code or visit aberdeenperformingarts.com for full details of the day’s activities.
Free, unticketed
Union Terrace Gardens & His Majesty’s Theatre
AN EXCITING DAY OF POP-UP AND INTERACTIVE PERFORMANCES,
INCLUDING
TUFTS!
Tufts is a comedy, walkabout piece of theatre, with two dog owners who look and behave exactly like their prized pooches.
WIG WALTZ
Wig Waltz is a pop-up dance performance featuring two high-society regency-esque aristocrats preparing for an exquisite ball. THEN WHAT?
Exploring the moment two people different to each other meet for the very first time - will they be friends, enemies or superheroes?
EUROPE, MEINE LIEBE, MON AMOUR
The audience is invited to come along on a journey of imagination, a celebration of the power of creativity and animated forms.
WINDBAGS
Windbags is a walkabout musical band of idiots. Their costumes inflate and they transform into large, awkward and beautiful shapes.
KING OF THE BIRDS
King of the Birds is a playful, movement duet for young audiences, inspired by folk tales, flight and cleverness.
FIRESNAKE
Students from Mackie Academy with a rocking setlist ready to fill Union Terrace Gardens!
YOUNG AUDIENCES
Mon 8 June 1pm
Schools Tue 9 June 10:30am
CRINGE
Its Reid Aitken’s first day of high school and he just wants to vanish. When an embarrassing incident spirals into a legend known only as “The Creeping Snake,” Reid finds himself at the centre of the cruellest joke in school.
Fast-paced, funny, and painfully true, CRINGE is a story about surviving the minefield of growing up.
AGE
10+
CRINGE is written by award-winning theatremaker Ross MacKay. Produced by Scottish Theatre Producers.
Tickets £6, Schools £3
Lemon Tree Studio
Groups will be invited to a free post-show Q&A and follow-on workshop with members of the creative team.
Tue 9 June
1pm
EMERGING ARTISTS ASSEMBLY: A SCRATCH FOR WEE ONES
Aberdeen Performing Arts in partnership with Catherine Wheels and Playwrights’ Studio, Scotland.
We’re hosting a gathering of actors, writers and primary school aged children to test out extracts of brand new plays for young audiences. Following a sharing of first draft ideas by Scottish writers, we’ll invite a show of hands and ask the experts, our young audience, to share their thoughts and inform the next stage of development for the plays.
Free, ticketed Music Hall
Exclusively for primary school classes - get in touch with lightthebluefestival@aberdeenperformingarts.com if you would like to attend.
Tue 9 June
3pm - 5pm
PRACTITIONER EVENT JOINING THE DOTS
YOUTH ARTS MEET UP
An opportunity for artists and facilitators who work creatively with young people in/around Aberdeen to connect, share ideas and look towards future collaborations.
Following the workshop, we invite you to join us in the Coda bar for drinks and light networking. Come along to embrace joined-up thinking and share news on upcoming youth arts activity across the city and beyond.
Free, ticketed Music Hall
YOUNG AUDIENCES
Wed 10 & Thu 11 June
10:30am & 1:30pm
ISLAND
Starcatchers & Frozen Charlotte present ISLAND in association with Imaginate.
A sensory performance for babies, birth-12 months and their grown-ups, inviting them into a playful world of music, movement, and gentle exploration celebrating the unique relationship between babies and their grown-ups.
Tickets £12 (1 adult + 1 baby)
Additional adult £6
Music Hall, Big Sky Studio
Wed 10 June
YOUNG ARTISTS WATCH THIS SPACE!
A brand new event programmed, managed and delivered by our Young Programmers for Light the Blue 2026. We’re putting young people in the driving seat and inviting audiences to see what they create - scan the QR code to find out all the info from May onwards...
YOUNG ARTISTS
Fri 12 & Sat 13 June
7pm
20 TINY PLAYS ABOUT...
A showcase of short plays and stories devised, written, directed, designed and performed by Aberdeen Performing Arts’ Youth Theatre.
Join us at the Lemon Tree for an evening of original material crafted by our Junior, Intermediate and Senior members in response to inspiration material offered to them from the generation above.
Free, ticketed Lemon Tree Studio
PLAYGROUND SCHOOLS
A PARTICIPATORY PERFORMANCE PROJECT WHICH INVITES PUPILS FROM ACROSS ABERDEEN CITY AND SHIRE TO EXPERIENCE THE JOY OF THEATRE, DANCE, MUSIC AND VISUAL ARTS
Following the success of Playground in individual schools, we’re taking the project to the next level – inviting nearly 500 pupils to make Union Terrace Gardens their creative playground for the day, performing a new large-scale promenade show.
Made in just one week in collaboration with Sprog Rock band and a team of local artists, the show will be inspired by Light the Blue 2026’s festival theme looking forward / looking back. Featuring dance, drama and visual art elements as well as a brand new song created by Sprog Rock and the pupils, the show will be made and rehearsed in isolation before being brought together on the final day.
Playground allows us to inspire young people from across the region to be creative, build confidence, express themselves and ultimately share in a memorable experience. It’s all about coming together, developing new skills, sharing stories and putting a creative stamp on public spaces.
This event is primarily for families of the participating schools. Keep an eye out on our website and socials to see a snapshot of what the pupils create.
YOUNG ARTISTS
Sat 13 June
12:15pm
LET’S PLAY & LET’S CREATE DOUBLE BILL
A double bill of new bitesize shows performed by Aberdeen Performing Arts’ youngest theatremakers.
Inspired by questions, ideas, images and starting points offered by their older counterparts, Let’s Play & Let’s Create take to the Lemon Tree stage with original stories connecting to this year’s festival theme looking forward / looking back.
Free, ticketed Lemon Tree Studio
Interested in performing at Light the Blue? Our Take Part workshops are the perfect pathway to the festival stage.
Drama Workshops
Primary & Secondary
LET’S PLAY! | P1 - 3
The perfect creative route to building confidence and self-expression while making new friends.
LET’S CREATE! | P4 - 7
Helping children craft their own new plays through storytelling with fun games and exercises.
JUNIOR YOUTH THEATRE | S1 & 2
Enjoy taking part, being creative and finding your voice.
INTERMEDIATE YOUTH THEATRE | S3 & 4
Tap into your imagination, discover new techniques and develop your skills.
SENIOR YOUTH THEATRE | S5 & 6
(or up to age 18)
Build on your skills, working collaboratively to create new work.
SCAN THIS CODE FOR DETAILS OF ALL OPPORTUNITIES TO TAKE PART WITH ABERDEEN PERFORMING ARTS
Saturday 13 June, 1pm
TAKEOVER YOUNG ARTISTS
Light the Blue Takeover day is back for 2026!
Follow our city centre trail and discover pop-up performances from local youth groups based across Aberdeen city, shire and wider Scotland. Join us for dance, theatre and music performances in unusual spaces from band stands to shopping centres. Each location will feature a number of acts before moving onto the next stop on the trail - and we invite you to follow along with us. No need to book a ticket, just rock up and see what you find!
The trail will kick-off at 1pm. Follow the QR code to see the full schedule with locations and timings.
Free, unticketed
Across the city centre
EMERGING ARTISTS
Sun 14 June
3:30pm
THEN. NOW.
NEXT.
Five days. One room. Permission to mess with time.
Led by Scottish Youth Theatre, Pete Lannon (Superfan) and guest artists, young theatre-makers devise bold new work at breakneck speed - raiding the past, wrestling the present and imagining (im)possible futures.
Expect playful, unfinished theatre and a glimpse of the future, made in real time.
Free, ticketed Lemon Tree Studio
The Ovation Club is an exclusive membership in support of Aberdeen Performing Arts.
Aberdeen Performing Arts has been the cultural beating heart of our community for over 20 years, staging magical and memorable performances, igniting imaginations, and inspiring a lifelong love for the arts.
With your support, we will continue to thrive, to innovate, and to bring world-class performances to our city. That is why we’ve created The Ovation Club - an exclusive ensemble of individuals and businesses who believe in the transformative power of the arts. As a member, you won’t just witness the magic; you’ll be a part of it, shaping the future of cultural excellence in Aberdeen.
Join us. Take your place in the spotlight. The show is far from over.
For more information, please contact: emma.gartland@aberdeenperformingarts.com
Sunday 14 June, 6pm
THE BIG GIG YOUNG ARTISTS
Get ready for The Big Gig - an electrifying showcase celebrating the extraordinary musical talent of young people from Aberdeen and the wider North East of Scotland. Taking centre stage at Aberdeen’s iconic Music Hall, this youth-led concert promises an unforgettable experience for audiences of all ages.
Featuring inspiring performances from SC&T YOUTH, BIG NOISE TORRY, ABERDEEN CITY MUSIC SERVICE, ABERDEENSHIRE MUSIC SERVICE, SOUND, and UNIVERSITIES FOLK & TRAD SOCIETY, The Big Gig will shine a spotlight on the incredible diversity and creativity of young musicians across our region. The evening will culminate in a spectacular collaborative finale, bringing together young performers from all participating organisations, with a special addition from dancers of the EMMA LOWSON DANCE SCHOOL for a truly memorable closing performance.
The excitement begins well before the actual event. In the lead-up months to the concert, NESCol Film and TV students will be capturing behind-thescenes footage, documenting the rehearsals, preparations, and growing anticipation. This exclusive film will be premiered live during the collaborative set on the night.
Free, ticketed Music Hall
So mark your calendars and spread the word – The Big Gig is a must-see celebration of the vibrancy, passion, and talent of youth across Aberdeen and the North East. We can’t wait to welcome you for an evening filled with incredible music and unforgettable moments.
Visit aberdeenperformingarts.com/light-the-blue for full details.
