Covid-19 has not dimmed the creativity of artists, nor the enthusiasm of all the people who make Edinburgh’s festivals. My Light Shines On is an act of optimism and solidarity: a series of world-class artistic interventions celebrating a spark that still burns bright. For the first time since lockdown began, artists have returned to the venues they love to make theatre together, to play music together, to sing together, to dance together and to light up the skies together.
On 8 August, we celebrate what would have been the opening weekend of the 2020 festival season. A specially commissioned film featuring new work from artists across genres airs on our YouTube channel, Facebook Live and BBC Scotland at 9.30pm. The film features famous faces from festivals across the years, as well as collaborations with other Edinburgh festivals.
This unique broadcast launches a series of new recorded activity, which will be viewable throughout August on our YouTube channel.
Chamber Music Soundscapes: Members of the Scottish Chamber Orchestra. A selection of players from Edinburgh’s own Scottish Chamber Orchestra showcase their remarkable talents in their performance of Glazunov’s emotive Reverie Orientale, Rebecca Clarke’s Prelude, Allegro & Pastorale for clarinet and viola and Weber’s Clarinet Quintet composed for Heinrich Baermann.
Festivals for Compassion: Nikita Naumov performs Thin Air by Calliope Tsoupaki. Nikita Naumov, principal Double Bassist with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, performs a specially composed solo by Calliope Tsoupaki for Festivals for Compassion to mark our solidarity with festivals across Europe. After this, the work will continue its journey through Europe as the baton is passed from festival to festival.