The announcement from the First Minister today that Scotland will move to a modified level zero from Monday 19 July is welcome and brings the easing of restrictions in Scotland closer to those in the rest of the UK, although face masks look to set to remain part of our daily lives for some time to come . As we have seen over the last 18 months this virus taken its toll on both lives and livelihoods and it is important to do everything possible to make sure that hard pressed businesses are not disadvantaged. Significant progress has been made with the vaccination programme with over 65% of adults in Aberdeen now having received their first dose and 45% double jabbed. The Scottish Government remains hopeful that from 9 August the nation will move beyond the level zero status and the First Minister will provide a further update to Parliament in the week before the next review date on 9 August.
Commenting on the announcement Adrian Watson, chief executive of Aberdeen Inspired said “We can’t put our lives on hold forever and we have to move forward towards a return to normality for the sake of jobs, businesses and the revitalisation of our great city. This pandemic has caused so much disruption to how we live and how businesses operate. I’m confident that businesses will continue to adapt according to the latest guidance and adopt a meticulous approach to their operations to ensure they continue to do all they can to operate safely.
“With support schemes tapering off there is an urgent need for us all to support the businesses in our city centre so I’d like to once again encourage residents and visitors to come to the city centre and enjoy the things we perhaps previously took for granted before the pandemic struck.”
Full details of the changes can be found here: https://www.gov.scot/news/level-0-from-19-july/
Shout about your local business
North East Now wants to hear from you, local businesses and employees, so that they can continue shouting loud about the amazing work going on in the North East. They’ve featured 50+ local businesses in both the P&J and EE, plus on their online platforms which has been so rewarding for everyone involved!
The most recent feature tells the story of Juniper on Belmont Street who this year celebrate 50 years as an independent city business. A well-known name in Aberdeen it first opened on Holburn Street in 1971 before moving to Belmont Street in 1987.
Despite all the challenges to the retail sector Juniper has survived with credit given to its online offering. Congratulations to June and Jamie Stewart for adapting and continuing to deliver customers a quality product offering and service. Read the full article here.
If you have a great story to tell, then get in touch with them. It’s a great opportunity for you to gain free publicity online and in print, help widen your audience and remind the region that the #NorthEastIsOpen! ✨
📧 Email them: stories@northeastnow.scot
Any questions? Message them on Instagram.
British Art Show 9 has landed at Aberdeen Art Gallery!
Be amongst the first to experience the best and most exciting recent modern art from the UK now that British Art Show 9 has landed in Aberdeen. Make sure to check it out before it tours to Wolverhampton, Manchester and Plymouth.
As a part of British Art Show 9, Aberdeen Art Gallery will be delivering workshops in partnership with the Mobile Art School from Robert Gordon University & Look Again, throughout July to October. You will be able to enjoy free, imaginative, high-impact workshops using state-of-the-art creative tools, themed around the idea of ‘Designing for the Future’. Activities will vary depending on the date/location and include ceramics, drawing, printmaking and using recycled materials – you might even witness some live Raku pottery firing!
Read more about British Art Show 9 here > https://britishartshow9.co.uk/
Artists make their mark
Three weeks in to production and two new murals have been completed for Nuart Aberdeen. Henrik Uldalen was the second artist to descend on The Granite City for this years Nuart Aberdeen festival, which due to covid restrictions has taken the form of a series of artist in residence projects. Henrik is a self-taught artist whose creative production revolves around classic figurative painting, presented in a contemporary manner. It's rare that Henrik works in public space, most of his time being dedicated to his studio practice, but with a background in graffiti, tackling outdoor walls is something he is also comfortable with.
The painting is about the time spent indoors over the past year which has been “tough” on many people. You can find Henrik's mural at Spring Gardens Unite Students building just along from NESCOL. Watch the full interview here.
Last week internationally acclaimed street art duo SNIK – Nik Ellis and Laura Perrett – completed their mural titled ‘We Believe’ for Nuart Aberdeen on a bridge link to the side of the Aberdeen Market building in the heart of the city.
Although the market is scheduled for demolition at some point in the future this choice of wall really suited the artists and the piece, which is the sister to one already gracing the streets of Stavanger.
Martyn Reed, director and curator explained “We took a gamble with this one...the theme of re-connecting, the bridge, the fact the artists have been to Aberdeen previously, the knowledge of the works brief longevity tied to the theme of the work all make it worth pursuing. There’s a performative aspect to this piece, almost theatrical and which also includes the demolition of the site.”
You can watch the full interview and time-lapse of the production here.
Fierce Beer at the Park Inn
It’s great to see lots of collaborations between levy payers and this weekend marks the end of Fierce@Park Inn which has been home to a Fierce beer garden residency for the past two months. If you’ve not had the chance pop down and check it out before it wraps up on Saturday and help give it the send off it deserves.
Nuart - walk, run or bike the Street Art
Looking for something to do this summer? Why not take yourself and a few friends on a self-guided tour of some of the Nuart Aberdeen murals! It's a super fun way to explore the city centre in a way you might not have seen before.
To make it easier for you, we created a video to help guide you around the George St area murals. Starting from St. Nicholas Kirkyard beside the Bon Accord Centre and ending up in St. Nicholas lane beside The Prince of Wales, the route is about 1.5 miles long on fairly flat and easy to navigate surfaces. Theres lots of opportunities for refreshments along the route with the likes of Gregg's(a favourite of Nuart’s curator) Starbucks, Brewdog and Mackies 19.2 being some great places to pick up or stop for a refreshment, as well as other places of historic interest along the way.
Whether you choose to walk with the dog, go with a running group or cycle the route make sure to tag @abdninspired and @nuartaberdeen so we can see your amazing photos!
Please keep your eyes firmly fixed on any passing traffic when crossing roads and enjoy the art safely. Happy hunting!
New strip gets street cred
Get kitted out for the campaign ahead with Aberdeen Football Clubs home kit and why not use your Aberdeen Gift card to purchase it? Available here.
The latest campaign video features beautiful scenes on The Green, with Nuart and other local street art as a backdrop. Make sure to check it out and watch the full campaign video here.
Book your tickets for the Belmont
Did you know that the Belmont Filmhouse will be taking part in the Sundance Film Festival London Tour 2021? You can book your tickets now to see the best of the Festival with 3 preview screenings in Aberdeen Film Projector – Writing With Fire, Zola and The Nest.
Visit the website here.
Graffiti Grannies get stuck in to 'Stuck Up'
Last week three of the original participants of Lata 65, an urban art project for seniors held in the city as part of Nuart Aberdeen 2019, got in touch to tell us they were producing a paste-up for Nuart Aberdeen's huge ‘Stuck Up’ wall.
Motivated by the creative journey which Lata 65 took them on during their experience during Nuart Aberdeen 2019 they were inspired to create an artwork influenced by the memories they had of the Granite City and they eventually decided to focus on Aberdeen’s link to roses. Taking a carrier bag from 40 years ago depicting this link to roses they decided to scan it and use it as their submission for ‘Stuck Up’.
‘Stuck Up’ will feature curated pieces from a selection of Nuart artists and archive revolutionary street art posters, together with submissions from artists, poets and creatives from across the globe alongside local submissions. ‘Stuck Up’ is a safe and novel way to involve local people in creating an original and unique piece of work for the city as part of this year’s production and its heart-warming to receive creations from so many locals, we can't wait to see them pasted up.
If you're fancy taking part then get creating. In the spirit of inclusion, which Nuart Aberdeen embodies, all submissions, as long as they are not massively offensive will be used. To get involved create your posters, poems, print outs, photos and collages and send them to :
“STUCK UP”
THE ANATOMY ROOMS
MARISCHAL COLLEGE
SHOE LANE
ABERDEEN
AB10 1AN
UNITED KINGDOM
Read the full article here.
Scotland Loves Local Awards Launch
The Scotland Loves Local Awards are a celebration of all that is great about our nation’s towns and neighbourhoods- recognising and rewarding unremarkable dedication and commitment towards shaping a sustainable, successful future with localism at its heart.
They are about highlighting the people, places and projects which are leading the way in making a difference, delivering benefits which will help make our communities cleaner, greener, stronger and fairer whether through design, delivery or sheer determination.
Read more and apply here.
Applications close 28th June.
Low Emission Zone
Aberdeen City Council recently announced that they are currently working on proposals to create the city’s first low emission zone (LEZ), which would cover all of Union Street and stretch from Albyn Grove in the west to Commerce Street in the east. Read more here.
Give your opinion on the proposed boundary for a low emission zone in Aberdeen by taking part in a public consultation here.
Survey closes 22 August 2021.
Maggies Culture Crawl returns to city
Cancer support charity Maggie’s is inviting the people of Aberdeen to take part in this year’s Culture Crawl. The annual event is returning to the streets for a fifth time following a virtual fundraiser last year. It is an opportunity to see the city in a whole new light, with behind-the-scenes tours of cultural gems and entertainment packed into the 10K walk. It’s also a great opportunity for businesses along the route to get involved.
The Culture Crawl takes place on Friday 3 September 3. If you want to take part or find out more read all about it here.
The worm is back
This Thursday sees the opening of The worm’s first physical exhibition since 2020. Another world is possible: Aberdeen People’s Press and radical media in the 1970s reappraises the role of APP in Aberdeen’s printing history, proposing it should have a more preeminent role in the city’s social and political history. Aberdeen People’s Press operated between 1973 and 1984, publishing a fortnightly alternative local newspaper, pamphlets and books, a printing service for a wide range of groups and campaigning organisations.
For Peacock Visual Arts, the exhibition is a way of expanding its focus on fine art printmaking to embrace other, more transient forms of print and acts as a reminder of the common roots for Peacock Visual Arts.
The exhibition can be enjoyed Thursday to Saturday, 12 noon til 5:30pm 16 July to 25 Sept.
Return of the Gulls
With the welcome return of people to the city centre there’s been a noticeable increase in seagull activity. We are speaking with Aberdeen City Council about what steps we can help businesses take to try and manage the situation but in the meantime we give a polite and gentle reminder to all businesses with outdoor space to clear tables promptly, make sure to not feed them and keep waste areas fully covered and clean.
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