A LIGHT show is aiming to combine art and climate activism following the success of COP26.
Message from the Skies, organised by Underbelly, will run its fourth instalment from January 19 to 25 at Trinity Apse near the Royal Mile as part of Edinburgh’s Hogmanay.
Earth Calls, hosted at the old kirk by the city council, will showcase artwork, including projected images and sounds, all with a message related to climate change.
Charlie Wood and Ed Bartlam, Underbelly co-directors, said: “Scotland has been at the forefront of the world’s climate action this year and our artists have been working together to share a message from Scotland that sparks imagination and inspires the world.”
The show will feature three writers, Anna Fleming, Andrés N Ordica and Mara Menzies, and their art will be a “poetic response to the climate emergency”.
Their poetry will be narrated by Calum Paterson and accompanied by visual artwork from Glasgow-based designer Hazel Dunn.
Messages from the Skies is funded by Creative Scotland through the Scottish Government’s Edinburgh Festivals EXPO fund.
Culture Minister Jenny Gilruth said: “It’s great to hear that Scotland’s COP26 legacy will live on through Message from the Skies 2022. For the duration of January, the artist’s messages will be projected in the heart of Scotland’s capital, reflecting on our relationship with Scotland’s land, sea and air.”
Message to the Skies is run in partnership with Edinburgh International Book Festival. Nick Barley, director, said they had enjoyed helping organise the event and suggesting the three Scottish writers whose “words will light up the city in the dark days of January”.
Message from the Skies is a free, non-ticketed event, the work will be presented nightly from 5pm to 9pm over the seven-day period.
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