ABERDEEN is to have a new International Festival of Youth Arts.

The Aberdeen Multicultural Centre (AMC) said the festival will provide a platform for young people from around the world to perform in the city.

Ahashan Habib, of AMC, said: “This really marks a moment of celebration for the city due to the recent proposed closure of the Aberdeen International Youth Festival (AIYF) and following on from the success of last year’s partnership with AIYF.

"We are delighted to work with Festival Manager, Amanda MacLeod and her team."

In what would have been the 45th Birthday year of AIYF, the Aberdeen International Festival of Youth Arts will welcome performers including Ulysses Dancers from Australia, Poliot Children’s Choir from Russia, Madison Boychoir from the United States of America, and Potoki Theatre School from Ukraine.

Audiences at the festival will also have the chance to see and hear performers from the UK including Edinburgh Youth Orchestra, Scottish Youth Theatre and Blackburn with Darwen Big Band.

This year’s festival will culminate in a collaborative performance in Aberdeen’s Tivoli Theatre on 4 August.

www.abmc.org.uk

SCOTTISH Ballet is to stage new performances of Wee Hansel & Gretel in November.

The 1-3 November shows will be in the Theatre Royal, Glasgow.

A specially adapted hour-long performance of Hansel & Gretel, it is recommended for children aged three to eight.

Dancers from Scotland’s national dance company will perform alongside students from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland’s BA in Modern Ballet.

Scottish Ballet’s show was originally choreographed by Artistic Director Christopher Hampson in 2013.

www.scottishballet.co.uk

MICHAEL Marra, the singer songwriter and musician from Dundee who died in 2012, was remembered by the children of Big Noise Douglas when they performed his song “Hermless” at their first community concert, along with members of the Marra family, in a Big Top at Douglas Park, Dundee.

Almost 300 children from Big Noise Douglas were joined at the Big Noise in the Big Top concert by the Big Noise Raploch Symphony Orchestra from Stirling.

They performed for the first time in front of an audience of more than 600 families and friends.

Marra campaigned to bring Big Noise Douglas to Dundee.

His friends and family created the charity Optimistic Sound which is responsible for raising 75% of the costs to deliver Big Noise Douglas, which was set-up in September 2017.

www.makeabignoise.org.uk