Young Creatives Take Centre Stage as Light the Blue 2025 Closes
Teen-led shows, city takeovers and backstage access brought new energy to Aberdeen’s arts scene.
A day-long music showcase at the Music Hall rounded off this year’s Light the Blue festival, but the energy built steadily across its 15-day run. From DIY operas to city centre takeovers, the annual youth-led festival took its theme seriously, inviting young people to both perform and help shape the programme.
One of the most distinctive features of Light the Blue is how much responsibility is handed over to its younger contributors. More than 1,100 children and teenagers took part in 2025, with involvement across planning, production and performance. Even just on the marketing side, that’s no small feat.
Would you like to see your message here? Let's talk.
POST highlights Aberdeen’s creative scene, from theatre and music to visual arts. We focus on showcasing the city’s unique talent and supporting local voices.
Through stories, artist profiles, and event coverage, we’re here to share what makes Aberdeen vibrant. Sign up for free or support us and go ad-free for just £3 a month.
Reflections and real impact
Jordan Blackwood, Creative Producer for Light the Blue, said: “Our theme ‘Into the Unknown’ took our young creatives to new heights, with their involvement in planning, marketing and running the festival as well as performing, providing tangible proof that they are capable of more than they might have imagined.”
This year’s programme was packed with ways to demystify the industry. Backstage tours, skill-building workshops, and a full day exploration of non-performance roles gave secondary pupils a peek behind the curtain. For many, it was their first time seeing how a venue like His Majesty’s Theatre or the Music Hall works.
Snappy opera and tongue-twisting talent
Some of the biggest bursts of energy came from the youngest contributors. Tongue Twister, a solo show at The Lemon Tree, delivered multilingual mischief in a blur of music, movement and quickfire costume changes. Meanwhile, Snappy Operas brought over 100 pupils from Skene Square, Muirfield and Cornhill Primary Schools into the spotlight with original mini-operas developed in just five rehearsals.
These events sat alongside larger showcases. Local emerging artists took over venues across town, and groups like Big Noise Torry and Scottish Culture & Traditions Youth helped close the festival with The Big Gig at the Music Hall.
Light the Blue is starting to feel like more than a festival. It’s becoming a network, a space where teenagers collaborate, test ideas and feel part of something bigger. That sense of shared ownership, more than any one performance, is what continues to drive it forward.
