2014 is a year of firsts for Aberdeen International Youth Festival (AIYF) which has been running for 42 years.
The festival’s new slogan, ‘Scotland’s platform for youth arts’ is in recognition of our position on the national youth arts stage as it continues to build sustainable links with national companies and organisations, profiling the work of Scotland’s emerging young talent.
The festival will be involved with the cultural element of the Commonwealth Games programme by producing one of the North-east’s ‘Get Scotland Dancing’ projects, Four Seasons.
It will also continue with ‘Spotlight Sessions & Freshly Squeezed’ which profile newly professional young acts across the classical, traditional, jazz and contemporary genres.
There have been a number of initiatives across the city in the build up to the event, including the ABpositive cultural conversations events and the newly formed Aberdeen Festivals Collective.
Both of these are aimed at positioning Aberdeen more strongly at a local and national level in terms of its cultural offering.
Even though there are many firsts the quality, talent and diversity of the performers and musicians are as high as ever and the international focus has not changed.
Young people from China , the USA, Europe and Zimbabwe, alongside a range of other countries who will experience the excitement of taking part in the 2014 festival.
Four Seasons can be seen at ACT Aberdeen Sunday 20th July.
Aberdeen International Youth Festival will run from the 25th July to the 2nd August.