SPECTRA festivsal is to return to Aberdeen for the fifth year in 2018.

The light festival introduced a music programme this year, 2017, and it will also return.

Acts in the music line up include Plaid, electronic music supergroup Wrangler, and the Hidden Orchestra along with Stavanger’s Lindstrøm. Other acts include Faroese stars Orka, Icelanders Tonik Ensemble, Sykur, ADHD and Mammút.

The music festival will also feature Emma Pollock, Nányë, Cymbals, Wyles & Simpson and Mt. Wolf.

The SPECTRA Music programme kicks off at The Assembly on 8 February.

Early bird tickets for the music programme are on sale now and can be purchased online.

www.skiddle.com

THE Scottish photographer Kirsty Mackay has been announced as the winner of the second Rebecca Vassie Memorial Award.

Her project will investigate the "Glasgow Effect", the term given to the disparity in health and life expectancy in the city compared to the UK average.

Mackay, a Glaswegian now based in Bristol, wins a bursary of £1250 and support towards a publication or exhibition.

The award was set up in memory of the British photojournalist Rebecca Vassie who died in 2015, aged 30, whilst on assignment in a refugee camp in Uganda.

Mackay's subjects will include members of her own family and the award will allow her to have a three week residency in the city.

Mackay is a social documentary and portrait photographer, whose work has been published widely.

www.rebeccavassietrust.org

Scottish Youth Theatre has recruited its 2018 company.

After receiving more than 80 registrations from hopefuls across Scotland, the company travelled to Dundee, Inverness, Edinburgh and Glasgow auditioning young theatre-makers aged from 16 to 25, who live, work, study or have family in Scotland.

SYT Artistic Director Mary McCluskey was on the audition panel and said: "The talent displayed by the auditionees is proof of the high standard of emerging performers and theatre-makers we have right here in Scotland. Plus there were applicants who didn’t make the cut this time who we definitely want to see audition next year once they have had more experience."

The company is made up of 20 young people from Inverness, Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Kingston, Glasgow, Wilsontown, Larbert, North Berwick, Arbroath.

Daniel Orejon, 25, who is originally from Spain, said: "When I moved to Edinburgh from Madrid seven years ago I never thought I would be given such an amazing opportunity to collaborate with other young Scotland-based creatives and theatre professionals. I am sure we will devise something as unique and challenging as the Ensemble's first production Dye in the Goldfish Bowl."

www.scottishyouththeatre.org