WayWORD 2025

Activity

Cross-arts literary festival and pre-festival events (covering period of 1 April up to main festival 1–5 October 2025): 4 exhibitions. 67 events (workshops, panel discussions, author readings, arts performances); 4 commissions of new work in prose, music, visual art and contemporary dance. Over 4,000 attendees.

Description

Festival Creative Director: year-round mentoring and curation of WayWORD literary festival with committee of 13 young people; delivery of festival and year round legacy projects and events (schools, libraries, community and cultural partners)

Funded externally by Creative Scotland National Lottery Fund for Organisations (£52,000); Aberdeen City Council Acorn Funding (£2,500); and Aberdeen City Health & Social Care Partnership’s Health Improvement Fund (£2,000). Funded internally by Senior VP funds (£16,000), Development Trust Student Experience Fund (£5,000), and the Interdisciplinary Institute (£5,000). In-kind funding and partnerships included Explorathon and AAGM (Aberdeen Archives, Galleries and Museums).

WayWORD Team: Shane Strachan, Creative Director; Kirsty Lawie, Development Manager; Naomi Christie, Operations Manager.

Youth Committee: Charlie Mcilwain, Molly Duncan, Emma Meylan, Eilidh Bain, Lottie Phelan, Rhiannon Ledwell, Khanak Thakur, Jukka Seppälä

Youth/Student Mentors: Erin Benton, Duncan Cameron, Pixie Nishina, Maryann Pierse

12 volunteers, plus Volunteer Co-ordinator: Maryann Pierse

BSL Interpreter: Lesley Crerar

Staff event chairs: Professor Timothy C. Baker, Professor Alison Lumsden, Professor Michelle MacLeod, Dr Helena Ilfill, Dr Helen Lynch, Dr Lourdes Parras, Dr Elizabeth Anderson, Dr Alejandra Rodriguez-Remedi, Dr Shane Strachan, Christina McKenzie (University Collections)

Period	1 Oct 2025 → 5 Oct 2025
Event type	Festival
Location	Aberdeen, United KingdomShow on map
Degree of Recognition	National