Prepare to be illuminated from the remaining
dark days of winter as the very walls of the
city of Edinburgh shine with the words of great poets. Projections
of lines from famous poets of the Scottish
Enlightenment are to be set across six city centre buildings on
Rose Street and George Street which will have the Edinburgh city
locations’ literary heritage speak to those living in and visiting
Edinburgh.
The recently announced event, enLIGHTen,
set as part of
The Creative Year of Scotland 2012 program, will
feature another first for Edinburgh
City of Literature Trust as dynamic projection mapping is used
to bring alive the culture, creativity and the architectural
brilliance of Edinburgh city, not to mention to give inspiration
about Scotland’s
own Enlightenment.
By 1750 Scotland was amongst the most literate
countries in Europe, with a culture orientated to books, and
intense discussion, in Edinburgh’s clubs such as The Select
Society, the Oyster Club, and The Poker Club. Not the card
game, but the type of poker that set to enflame the Scots very own
characteristic Enlightenment
movement where empiricism, reason and practicality aimed to
benefit the individual and society as a whole. Some notable
Scottish shakers, movers, and thinkers of the time were the well
known David Hume, Robert Burns, Adam
Ferguson, Lord Kames
and Adam
Smith.
Scotland was set to question authority,
question everything that was taken for granted, and to develop a
unique branch of Humanism where even
Voltaire would
state “We look to Scotland for all our ideas of civilisation.” This
is but the tip of the flame that made much of Europe and the rest
of the world that bit brighter culturally, philosophically and
scientifically.
With special funding from Creative Scotland,
enLIGHTen will also offer specially commissioned
site-specific pieces of micro-fiction to download in situ or
remotely, creating a multi-sensory experience. The Edinburgh City
Libraries have their Edinburgh Reads literary map
available if you fancy a ramble round the inspirational cityscape;
also, Edinburgh World
Heritage offer some interesting podcasts on various
locations of the city, including a good piece to brush up on the
University and the
Enlightenment itself.
Keep your eyes posted and be ready to read the
walls of Edinburgh and hopefully see the very light of the Scottish
Enlightenment ignite within!
Essential
Edinburgh, Marketing Edinburgh,
Edinburgh World Heritage,
Northern Light,
Pufferfish and
JUMP Marketing
are also co-partners.
