A photography competition launched on Tuesday will put Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire communities firmly in the spotlight.
Aberdeen Arts Centre has teamed up with the photography department at North East Scotland College (NESCol) for the second year, allowing amateur photographers to showcase their talents in the annual competition.
This year’s theme is ‘Entering the Spotlight’, inspired by the Save Aberdeen Arts Centre campaign slogan – ‘keep the spotlight shining on your creative community’.
Entries could play with literal or metaphorical ‘spotlights’ to represent community in Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire: celebrations of people or groups deserving recognition, warm moments of appreciation, or creative use of light to highlight community.
To enter, amateur photographers should submit their entries at www.aberdeenartscentre.com/enteringthespotlight by 11.59pm on Sunday, February 1, 2026. Full terms and conditions can also be found on the website.
Entries are open in three categories: adults (18+), young people (under 18) and – new for 2026 – NESCol students.
The top three entries in each category will be exhibited in Aberdeen Arts Centre, while those placed first will also win family tickets to Aberdeen Arts Centre’s 2026 pantomime, The Snow Queen.
Last year’s winner - Newburgh Beach by Scott Carr (adult)
Sharon Catchpole, interim executive director at Aberdeen Arts Centre, said: “The last few months have shown us the power of community, as thousands have rallied around the Arts Centre to help us keep our doors open.
“It seems only fitting, then, to put the community in the spotlight with this year’s photography competition. There are so many people out there who give everything to the people and places where they live, and we want to celebrate them.
“We’re delighted to expand the reach of the competition this year with a new category for NESCol students, too, strengthening our partnership with the college and providing new opportunities for emerging artists to get their work seen by a larger audience.”
The competition forms part of Aberdeen Arts Centre’s wider Creative Learning Programme, providing participation opportunities for the local community across a range of artistic disciplines. In 2025’s competition, over 150 entries were submitted.
Steve Smith, photography lecturer at NESCol, will judge the competition. He added, “Last year we were blown away by the quality of entries that came in from amateur photographers around the world, who had all captured the essence of Aberdeen in their photos.
“This year, I am excited to see what we’ll get when entrants turn their lenses on communities across the north east.
“The theme is intentionally broad, to allow photographers to express their creativity and tell a story with their work. We’re looking for new perspectives that highlight what it really means to be a part of a community.”
Last year’s winners - Through the Broken Gate by Julia Gunn (young people)
Aberdeen Arts Centre is an independent arts venue in the heart of Aberdeen, operated by registered charity Castlegate Arts Ltd for over a quarter of a century.
For more than 60 years, Aberdeen Arts Centre has played a crucial role in the north east’s vibrant arts scene through its programme of performances, Creative Learning Programme for children and adults, and an Artist Development Programme to support local professional creatives.
In May 2025, the centre launched the Save Aberdeen Arts Centre campaign – a three-year fundraising drive to raise £660,000 to secure its future. So far the campaign has raised over £150,000 to keep the spotlight shining on the local creative community. Individuals and corporate sponsors can find out more and donate at https://www.aberdeenartscentre.com/save-aberdeen-arts-centre.
Aberdeen Arts Centre encompasses a 350-seater auditorium; café bar; flexible spaces for performances, events, exhibitions and meetings; and the Children’s Theatre, opened by Catherine Hollingworth in the 1950s as a pioneering youth theatre (the first of its kind in the UK) and now used as a vital resource for professional artist development.
For more information, visit www.aberdeenartscentre.com or follow Aberdeen Arts Centre on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube at @AberdeenArtsCentre.