Hidden Door 2023 will be taking over the former Scottish Widows complex at 15 Dalkeith Road in Edinburgh for a five-day immersive event. From 31 May to 4 June, audiences will be invited into the building to witness its transformation from an office space into a spectacular, atmospheric festival of music, performance and art. The iconic building, made of a series of hexagonal shapes, was designed by the architect John Hardie Glover. Since it opened in 1976 it has hosted financial institutions, with Lloyds Banking Group moving out of the site in 2020.
Hidden Door is a unique arts organisation which aims to open up unused urban spaces as a platform for new and emerging artists, musicians, theatre makers, performers, film makers and poets based in Scotland. Through organising temporary events Hidden Door works to showcase new work and create engaging environments for the public to experience, explore and discover. The majority of the abandoned spaces used have gone on to be restored and returned to use which is one of the many joys of this festival for Edinburgh.
The festival has steadily grown in size and reputation since it began in 2014, when it cleared out the abandoned Market Street vaults to run a 9-day arts festival showcasing local creative talent. In 2015 the festival moved to a hidden courtyard behind Kings’ Stables Road, and returned in 2016, attracting over 12,000 visitors to experience a wealth of art, poetry, theatre, cinema, dance and music. In 2017 the festival breathed new life into the old Leith Theatre, attracting rave reviews and critical praise for resurrecting “Scotland’s best new live music venue”, winning VisitScotland’s Thistle Award for “Best Cultural Event”. In 2018, the festival returned to Leith Theatre. During the pandemic, Hidden Door put on a series of online events, and returned to live events for a five-day outdoor event at Granton Gasworks in 2021. This was the most ambitious staging of the festival yet and turned wasteland into a magical site full of creativity and imagination. Earlier in 2022, Hidden Door took over the Old Royal High School on Calton Hill for a 10 day festival that brought life back to the school for the first time in years.
For more information on Hidden Door festival 2023 please check out the facebook and twitter.
