The winners of a photography competition aiming to shine a spotlight on communities in Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire, Scotland have been announced today.
Dozens of amateur photographers from across Scotland submitted photographs to the Entering the Spotlight competition, run by Aberdeen Arts Centre in partnership with the photography department at North East Scotland College (NESCol).
The top three photos in the Young People, Adults and NESCol Students categories will be displayed in the Aberdeen Arts Centre corridor exhibition space after being unveiled this evening (March 3) at a special celebration event. First place in each category has also won tickets to the Arts Centre’s 2026 pantomime, The Snow Queen.
The winners in the Adult category are:
- 1st Place – The Take Down by Samantha Mackie
- 2nd Place – Natural Spotlight by Craig Allison
- 3rd Place – Pupils help raise money for the Archie Foundation in the house front garden by Anastasiia Gladkova.
In the Young People’s category for those under 18, the winners are:
- 1st Place – Artery by Andrew Gall
- 2nd Place – The Cornerstone by Julia Gunn
- 3rd Place – On the Wall by Julia Gunn.
The NESCol Students category winners are:
- 1st Place – Tillydrone High-Rise Towers by Liga Bazenova
- 2nd Place – Pride by Lydia Scollay
- 3rd Place – Tall Ships Races by Tetiana Ohar.
Inspired by the Save Aberdeen Arts Centre campaign’s deep resonance with the people of the north east of Scotland, entrants were asked to play with literal or metaphorical ‘spotlights’ to represent community in Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire.
These could include celebrations of people or groups deserving recognition, warm moments of appreciation, or creative use of light to highlight community.
With judges impressed by the strength of the entries, a number of photographs have also been highly commended and are also on display.
Judge Steve Smith, a NESCol photography lecturer, said: “It was fascinating to see the ways in which people interpreted the theme of community – reportage of community events, abstract depictions of community assets and metaphors about bringing people together.
“Judging competitions like this is never easy, but it’s always a rewarding experience and it was fantastic to see so many people getting out and about with their cameras and phones to capture what community means to them.”
The competition formed part of Aberdeen Arts Centre’s wider Creative Learning programme, providing participation opportunities for the local community across a range of artistic disciplines.
Aberdeen Arts Centre’s marketing and communications manager, Eoin Smith, who shared judging duties, said: "One of my favourite things about Aberdeen Arts Centre is that there are so many ways for people to get involved in the arts – whether as an audience member or spectator, or as an artist or performer.
“Seeing the range of entries for the Entering the Spotlight competition highlighted just how much creative talent there is in our local community.
“The Save Aberdeen Arts Centre campaign showed how important the Arts Centre is to people in the north east, so it is amazing to be able to reflect that love back and shine a spotlight on those communities.”
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 to secure its future. To date the campaign has raised over £158,000. 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.