Edinburgh gets edgy with College of Art designed Christmas decorations
‘Alternative Christmas Decorations’ have been designed by Edinburgh College of Art students as part of a competition run by Edinburgh Sparkles to find edgy, modern complements to the traditional twinkle of Scotland’s Capital.
‘Alternative Christmas Decorations’ have been designed by Edinburgh College of Art students as part of a competition run by Edinburgh Sparkles to find edgy, modern complements to the traditional twinkle of Scotland’s Capital.
Astrid Jaekel has created an illuminated re-telling of the Snow Queen through delicate paper cut-outs, which will appear as a story trail in windows throughout the city. Taking a painstaking 10 hours to complete just one pane, Astrid’s technique will be complemented by actors on 1 December to guide people from chapter-to-chapter, from the Lyceum Theatre to Robertson's on Rose Street.
And in St Andrew Square, a 12ft tall robot, nicknamed ‘Mr Snow’ has been built by Thomas Payne (23) and Matthew Swan (23). Several times a day, Mr Snow comes alive to create a 'winter wonderland', spraying artificial snow 10 metres high for passers-by to enjoy.
“These are great additions to what’s an already brilliant programme in Edinburgh this Christmas,” said Kenneth Wardrop, Chief Executive of Destination Edinburgh Marketing Alliance (DEMA). “These students have produced brilliant work that’s creative, different and, most importantly, fun. We’re delighted to support local talent as part of our Edinburgh Sparkles campaign.”
Tom Campbell of Essential Edinburgh, who helped to fund the installations, said: "Essential Edinburgh is pleased to be a partner in this years Edinburgh Sparkles campaign. It's really important that we continue to emphasise the retail and leisure offer in the city and how this links in with the Festival events in Princes Street Gardens. This years campaign does that and will help to remind people who live and work here what a magical place Edinburgh is, especially at Christmas. "
The Snow Queen will launch with special guides on 1 December and Mr Snow will be unveiled on 3 December. For more information on the decorations and Edinburgh Sparkles, visit www.edinburghsparkles.com.
Edinburgh Sparkles promotes Edinburgh’s Christmas and Hogmanay throughout the UK and is funded by a collective of local organisations, including Essential Edinburgh, Edinburgh Airport, Edinburgh Trams, Lothian Buses and the City of Edinburgh Council.