February 5, 2020
Hidden Door is now inviting applications from poets and spoken word artists interested in being part of this year’s 10-day festival, taking place in Edinburgh from 9 – 18 October 2020.
Hidden Door 2020 will see a secret venue transformed into a temporary live music venue, theatre and performance space, alongside a multitude of art exhibitions and installations.
Spoken word practitioners are invited to submit ideas for innovative projects. We are keen to display creative experimental conversation and writing, providing a safe space which is an accessible and welcoming platform. Individuals from across the UK are welcome, and can be at any stage of their career. Those looking to develop and innovate their practice are especially encouraged. Each selected project will receive a flat fee of £250 towards contributors’ time and project expenses.
By stimulating the public’s interest in the potential of disused spaces, Hidden Door creates an exciting way for audiences to discover new artistic voices in Scotland. Through bringing diverse art forms together, Hidden Door aims to generate a wide audience for the arts and create high-impact events, providing the opportunity for contributors to reach new audiences and meet and work alongside a wide range of practitioners.
Apply by 9 March 2020.
Download the Spoken Word Call for Proposals Guidance (PDF)
When you’re ready to apply, complete this online form.
Hidden Door is an arts organisation which aims to open up urban spaces as a platform for new and emerging artists, musicians, theatre makers, performers, film makers and poets. Through organising temporary events Hidden Door works to showcase new work and create engaging environments for the public to experience, explore and discover.
Hidden Door 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 focused on showcasing local creative talent. In 2015 the festival moved to a hidden courtyard behind Kings’ Stables Road, and returned there in 2016, attracting over 12,000 visitors to experience a wealth of art, poetry, theatre, film, dance and music. In 2017 the festival breathed new life into the old Leith Theatre, attracting rave reviews and critical praise for its role in resurrecting “Scotland’s best new live music venue”, winning a Scottish Thistle Award for “Best Cultural Event or Festival”. It returned there in 2018 whilst also opening up the iconic State Cinema around the corner, then following a farewell weekender at Leith Theatre in 2019, organisers are now setting their sights on a mystery new location to bring to life in 2020.
Hidden Door will return in 2020 as a 10-day multi arts festival, taking place 9 – 18 October in an as-yet undisclosed derelict site in Edinburgh.
