Various venues across Dundee August 10 - 12

THE SKY is the limit in Dundee this weekend, where a new, free, cultural festival is being launched. Blue Skies Festival is an event for all ages and will coincide with Maryf ield Community Partnership’s annual Celebration in the Park at Baxter Park.

Billed as a festival of “kite flying, stargazing and rainbow chasing” it is led by Dundee Contemporary Arts and brings together a number of organisations across the city. It received funding from Creative Scotland as part of the Year of Creative Scotland.

Participating organisations include: Big Sky, Dundee Rep Theatre, Dundee Science Centre, Leisure and Culture Dundee, Smallpetitklein and the University of Dundee. Images for posters have been created especially by Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design graduate Nick Cocozza.

The festival begins today with the lighting of William Mackrell’s sculpture 1000 Candles at DCA, which forms part of the gallery’s exhibition Infinite Jest. This happens at 7.30pm and will be followed at 8.30pm by a performance of a specially commissioned sound piece, created by artist Zoë Irvine, to mark the relocation of the original Olympia Swimming Pool.

Aqua Aeris will weave voices together with a rich and watery soundscape accompanied by a spectacular highdiving display performed by members of Dundee City Aquatics.

This evening will also see the emergence of the first of several “guerrilla rainbows” by Alistair McClymont. Made from the simplest of materials, light and water, the sheets and arcs of shimmering colour will be appearing across the city throughout the festival.

Tomorrow, Blue Skies joins forces with Maryf ield Community Partnership at its annual Celebration in the Park. DCA, Dundee Science Centre and Dundee Rep will be running workshops exploring rockets, kites and star constellations. The event will also see the first performance of Dundee-based international dance company Smallpetitklein’s work Skywalkers.

Celebration in the Park will be followed by a special presentation of Life of Galileo by Bertolt Brecht created by Dundee Rep Theatre and directed by Ben Harrison (Artistic Director of awardwinning theatre company Grid Iron) in collaboration with local astronomer Brian Kelly.

Presented in the Old Medical School at Dundee University, this event will com- bine performed readings from Brecht’s powerful play, which depicts Galileo’s crisis of faith and knowledge brought about by his discoveries, alongside a short series of lectures on the astronomy that so upset the 17th century church authorities.

During the weekend, there will also be a temporary colonisation of a small island in the River Tay for 24 hours by a group including geographers and poets led by artist Gair Dunlop. It is a live work of art called Backwater Republic and transmissions of text, images and sound will be made from the island to the event at Baxter Park.

The festival closes on Sunday night, coinciding with the annual Perseid Meteor shower with a series of events around the Mills Observatory.

The evening will include a second performance of Smallpetitklein’s Skywalkers, another chance to see one of Alistair McClymont’s Rainbows as well as a lecture on the Perseid Meteor Shower from astronomer Brian Kelly.

The night will culminate in the presentation of a specially-commissioned sound installation by artist Yann Seznec which will create musical sounds that will be generated by the location and intensity of the Perseid Shower.

Annette McTavish was brought in to co-ordinate Blue Skies festival. She said part of the idea was to celebrate the relationship that already exists between various cultural and educational groups in the city.

“It’s a happy event and an opportunity for people to come out and have a bit of fun. The events are also free, which means people can take a chance. Often if you are doing something like going to the theatre it can cost a lot.”

She added that the community groups have been building up to the event for months and are now looking forward to trying out the kites and rockets they have created.

“We are delighted to be presenting the first ever Blue Skies in Dundee as part of the Year of Creative Scotland. Over the weekend there will be an exciting array of free activities and performances open to all ages that we hope will bring some light and sparkle to the city.”

All the events in Blue Skies are free but some need to be booked in advance. For more information, call drop into DCA Box Office at 152 Nethergate, Dundee, DD1 4DY or visit: