Call Out - LTB2025: Young Advisors
Light The Blue 2025
Call-Out for Young Advisors
Aberdeen Performing Arts is looking for a group of young people aged 12 – 18 to take part in our Young Advisors project, offering their ideas, creativity and youth perspective to support us in bringing Light the Blue 2025 to life.
Light the Blue is our multi-artform festival for and by young people which takes place every June with a programme of theatre, dance, music, film, visual art and more across Aberdeen. Find out more about Light the Blue here: www.aberdeenperformingarts.com/light-the-blue.
Our Young Advisors will have the opportunity to gain insight into how a professional arts festival is produced, develop new skills and meet likeminded people. They’ll have a voice at the decision-making table, helping us create a festival that’s relevant and exciting.
This is a perfect opportunity to gain first-hand insight into different career paths in the arts, whilst building confidence and communication skills. Our Young Advisors will work in a fun, fast-paced live event environment, collaborating with industry professionals and inspirational young artists.
This year we’re splitting the Young Advisor project into strands, giving participants the opportunity to work closely with departments in our organisation and gain experience in areas that are of most interest to them.
The Young Advisor strands for 2025 are:
Young Programmers
We are looking for up to 10 young people between the ages of 12 and 18 who will work with us to co-design our teenage-focused TAKEOVER event.
The event will see young people take over the city for a day of live performances, installations, art interventions, screenings and more in multiple indoor and outdoor spaces. The city-wide approach will encourage young people to put their stamp on Aberdeen for a day, amplifying their voices and ideas whilst activating unfamiliar, unconventional and unexpected spaces.
Our young programmers will work with our programming team to:
- decide who will be involved in the event, thinking about creating an exciting programme for the day;
- create a trail through the city, thinking about how audiences will experience the event and when/where each element will take place;
- offer ideas to our marketing team, thinking about how TAKEOVER should be promoted to audiences;
- support the planning of the event, thinking about the logistics of operating multiple spaces and moving audiences through the city;
- support the event on the day, gaining first-hand insight into how a city-wide event is run.
Young Programmers sessions will take place on the following dates:
- Thursday 20th February, 4.15 – 6.15pm
- Thursday 20th March, 4.15 – 6.15pm
- Thursday 24th April, 4.15 – 6.15pm
- Thursday 29th May, 4.15 – 6.15pm
- Thursday 12th June, 4.15 – 6.15pm
- Saturday 14th June, all day (Takeover event)
Thursday sessions will take place at the Music Hall, Union Street. The final event will take place across multiple venues around Aberdeen. Sessions will be facilitated by members of the Aberdeen Performing Arts team. You must be able to attend the majority of sessions across the project.
Young Marketers
We are looking for up to 4 young people between the ages of 14 and 18 who will work with our marketing team to co-design elements of our festival marketing campaign.
Our young marketers will offer their ideas and creativity to help us create a marketing campaign that is relevant and exciting to young audiences.
Participants will have the opportunity to:
- input into the design of our branding;
- inform our approach to social media and digital marketing;
- think about advertising and promoting the festival to young people;
- be part of the delivery of the festival, capturing events and highlights on the ground.
Young Marketers sessions will take place on the following dates:
- Thursday 20th February, 4.15 – 6.15pm
- Thursday 27th February, 4.15 – 6.15pm
- Thursday 13th March, 4.15 – 6.15pm
- Thursday 20th March, 4.15 – 6.15pm
Further check-in sessions in April and May will be scheduled with the group. There will also be an opportunity to support us during the festival which runs from 1st – 15th June. Specific dates and events will be agreed with the Young Marketers nearer the time.
Sessions will take place at the Music Hall, Union Street. Festival events will take place in multiple venues across the city. Sessions will be facilitated by members of the Aberdeen Performing Arts team. You must be able to attend the majority of sessions across the project.
Young Technicians
We will be offering an opportunity for young people to work with our technical team in the lead-up to and during Light the Blue, gaining insight and developing practical skills in areas such as lighting, sound and stage management
Keep an eye out for more information in the coming months.
Young Ambassadors
We will be offering an opportunity for young people to work across front of house, artist liaison and other front-facing roles during Light the Blue, developing new skills and gaining hands-on experience of how an arts festival is run.
Keep an eye out for more information in the coming months.
How Do I Apply?
If you’re interested in being one of our Light the Blue 2025 Young Advisors, please complete a short online form via https://bit.ly/ltb25yaapp by Wednesday 12th February at 11pm.
The form asks a few questions about your interests and why you would like to be a Young Advisor. Under 16s will be required to provide contact details for a parent/guardian. Please note: The form cannot be saved mid-progress – you must complete and submit in the one go.
We may not be able to offer a place to everyone who applies. We will prioritise applicants who demonstrate a genuine interest in the project and who we feel would benefit the most from the opportunity.
There is no cost for participation in this project. We are also able to offer a small number of travel bursaries to those who would otherwise be unable to attend sessions, to be discussed with successful participants.
If you’d like to participate in more than one strand of Young Advisors, get in touch with us via the email below and we can let you know whether that might be possible.
For accessibility, we are also happy to receive proposals by video or audio recording of no more than 5 minutes in length. Please answer all questions (https://bit.ly/ltb25yaqs) and send by email (with a link to view or download via YouTube, WeTransfer or similar platforms) to lightthebluefestival@aberdeenperformingarts.com.
If you require any additional support in submitting a proposal, such as receiving the information in an alternative format, or you have any questions please contact us via lightthebluefestival@aberdeenperformingarts.com.
