VIDEO - International Festival Opening Event, Five Telegrams

The 2018 Edinburgh International Festival opened on Friday 3 August with another of its trademark open air light and sound spectaculars, the Aberdeen Standard Investments Opening Event: Five Telegrams.

Thousands of Edinburgh's citizens and visitors took over the city's Festival Square to watch as the famous Usher Hall was converted into a canvas for the remarkable animations and lighting effects created by 59 Productions to accompany the specially-written score from Anna Meredith.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NkfGxmjOgso

Five Telegrams marks 100 years since the end of the First World War, and was inspired by communications found in the Imperial War Museum documenting the experiences of young soldiers.

The event also helped celebrate Scotland’s Year of Young People, with young people helping to co-design the evening and over 250 spread among the crowd to take part in the performance itself, wearing outfits designed by Performance Costume students from the Edinburgh College of Art.

The Aberdeen Standard Investments Opening Event: Five Telegrams kicked off three weeks of word class art and culture at Edinburgh International Festival which runs until 27 August - visit eif.co.uk for further programme information. 

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