Standard Life to sponsor Edinburgh International Festival’s landmark Opening Event

The firm said that the deal will see the partnership last for three years until 2018.

This year’s Opening Event, by Tony-award winning 59 Productions - creators of the acclaimed Harmonium Project which opened the 2015 International Festival - has been named the Standard Life Opening Event: Deep Time.

A statement from SL said: “With a mutual commitment to excellence, ambition, creativity and innovation, this partnership allows both organisations to celebrate their shared home of Edinburgh on an international stage.”

Standard Life Opening Event: Deep Time is a free, outdoor artwork which will see the western façade of Edinburgh Castle and Castle Rock used as the canvas for digitally animated projections inspired by the city’s past, set to a specially compiled soundtrack by Scottish rock band Mogwai. Celebrating the start of Edinburgh’s summer festival season, the event takes place on Sunday 7 August, at 10.30pm and can be viewed from a specially created arena on Castle Terrace. Free tickets for the event arena are available from the International Festival from Monday 11 July. A second limited release of free tickets will be made available on Monday 1 August, with a very limited release of final tickets the day before the event on Saturday 6 August.

Deep Time charts 350 million years of Edinburgh history, uncovering the unique geology of a landscape formed by volcanic activity, exploring the intellectual legacy of the city – in particular the work of renowned Edinburgh scientist and thinker James Hutton – and celebrating the people who live and work in the city. 59 Productions will use cutting-edge 3d animation and projection techniques to create the event, working in partnership with academics from across the University of Edinburgh. Experts from science, arts and humanities will lend their expertise to help tell the story of the earth and the ideas behind Hutton’s theory of Deep Time.

The partnership will support the International Festival in advancing its ambitions for future Opening Events, which will continue to deliver new and innovative work showcasing pioneering productions made in Scotland. Standard Life chooses sponsorships and partners who reflect its commitment to excellence and to helping people achieve their ambitions. By supporting the International Festival through this new sponsorship the company continues to build its investment in its home city and its people, and to advance its global brand.

CEO of Standard Life, Keith Skeoch, said: ‘We are delighted to be supporting the Edinburgh International Festival in our sponsorship of this exciting and very unique Opening Event. We are a global business which is very proud of our Scottish roots and the pioneering ideas which have been developed here. This exciting highly visual and visceral event is another great example of innovative and creative work which will be enjoyed by the live audience and millions of others through the power of social media and online.’

Fergus Linehan, Edinburgh International Festival Director, said: ‘We’re thrilled to welcome on board such a dynamic sponsor for our Opening Event. Standard Lifeis one of the world’s most forward-thinking financial organisations, whose continued engagement in the cultural life of Edinburgh and Scotland is instrumental in supporting work created here on a global stage, and makes them a natural partner for the International Festival. Standard Life has shown itself to be innovative and creative in its sponsorship of major events, and we look forward to working together to offer the people of Edinburgh and beyond a spectacular start to the summer festival season.’

Rod Paris, chief investment officer of Standard Life Investments, added: “As a business founded in Edinburgh almost 200 years ago, we are immensely proud of our Scottish heritage and our longevity here as an investor in our city and wider community. It is very important to us that we support civic society in all its forms including culturally. Our people expect, like and want that. Our support of this unique cultural piece will provide another opportunity for our people to feel inspired by and proud of our association with world class events. Co-operation and collaboration are part of our DNA and we look forward to being part of the diverse team working together with the International Festival and other partners in developing and innovating the Opening Event over the next three years.”