Ann Atkinson
A university has joined forces with a globally-renowned classical music festival to light up North Wales.
Glyndŵr University and North Wales International Music Festival will be working in partnership to mark the International Year of Light.
The university’s St Asaph OpTIC Centre – which opened 10 years ago – is to host the launch on June 23, and will be among the sponsors.
The world-leading technology and science complex will also support the festival’s groundbreaking education project, entitled The Power of Light, which explores the concept of light through music as well as poetry, visual art and science.
The stellar line up for this year’s event at St Asaph Cathedral from September 26 to October 3 will be unveiled at the launch.
Mick Card, Head of Business Development and Funding and manager of the OpTIC Centre said Glyndŵr University was proud to be associated with the popular programme of classical music, which celebrates its 43rd anniversary this year.
“We are delighted to be hosting the launch of the North Wales International Music Festival, especially in what is such an important year for the OpTIC Centre,” said Mick.
“The festival is one of the jewels in the crown of classical music and brings so many people to St Asaph, so we are thrilled to be working even closer together.
“We’ve been particularly thrilled this year that artist in residence at St Asaph Cathedral Angela Davies has been working with our optics designers to create a stunning new installation for the landmark.”
He added: “The OpTIC Centre will be celebrating the International Year of Light throughout 2015 – given our standing in the arenas of high technology, science and solar research – so it was a natural fit for both organisations.”
Ann Atkinson, the festival’s artistic director, was pleased to be working in partnership with Glyndŵr University.
She said: “We are grateful to Glyndŵr University for their support in what promises to be an exciting and fruitful partnership.
“We have a great line up in store for festival-goers old and new and we are particularly keen to continue reaching out to a new audience through our educational project.
“The 2015 festival’s theme of ‘light’ will also be reflected in the programme during festival week.
“Added to that, the cathedral has a wonderful acoustic – the combination of the stone and the wood creates something magical somehow so we’re looking forward to something really special.”
The Denbighshire facility has already organised a free conference to be held on June 16, in collaboration with KTN, the Engineering and Science Group North Wales and the Welsh Opto-electronics Forum.
Bright Lights and Engineering includes seminars and workshops on how light is used in engineering and how it can be used in manufacturing, as well as showcasing job prospects for graduates and presenting talks by key figures on entrepreneurship, quality control, risk management and R&D. There will also be exhibition space and demonstrations.
For more information on North Wales International Music Festival, visit www.nwimf.com
Visit http://bit.ly/1DMsLBN to register your place at the Bright Lights and Engineering conference.
