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.
15 Dalkeith Road will provide the perfect blank canvas for the 2023 event, for which Hidden Door is planning something a little different. The maze of office and utility spaces in the six-acre site will host an incredible immersive event bringing together a whole range of art forms, including visual art, music, dance, and spoken word.
A series of ambitious collaborative projects produced by Hidden Door will see artists and performers from different disciplines working together to transform the vast interior. Audiences will be invited to journey deep into the building to seek out the performances and explore the artworks.
The full programme will be announced early next year, with a call for visual artists, dancers, musicians and spoken word performers to get involved.
David Martin, Creative Director of Hidden Door, said: “This is the sort of building I’ve always dreamed about taking over for Hidden Door. It has a sort of ‘Tardis’ quality – although it does look pretty big from the outside, nothing quite prepares you for the expanse of spaces on the inside – you really could get lost in there!
“Every time we consider an empty building in Edinburgh we ask ourselves what we could do with it, and this one presents us with the opportunity to do something quite different. We will commission a series of projects that will see artists working with musicians, dancers, set designers, lighting artists and sound designers, all creating a series of experiential theatrical environments throughout the building for our audience to discover. We really are aiming for high impact next year!”
Hidden Door are working in partnership with Schroders Capital’s Real Estate team and Corran Properties, who are leading the redevelopment proposals for the site. Redevelopment of the property is planned with proposals to revitalise the building as a leading example of a sustainable urban workspace with new residential accommodation, set within a stunning landscape setting.
Rebecca Gates, Head of UK Asset Management, Schroders Capital’s Real Estate team, said: “Ahead of looking to breathe new life into this very important building, we are delighted to support Hidden Door Festival’s wonderful proposals to transform the vacant space into a temporary cultural arts venue which can be enjoyed by the public.”
A limited release of Early Bird Tickets are now available via hiddendoorarts.org/tickets or from Citizen Ticket.
Once the full programme is announced, ticket holders will be able to select which days they would like to attend.
Hidden Door 2023 is supported by Baillie Gifford and other generous partners and sponsors.
The organisers are working closely with the City of Edinburgh Council and other organisations to ensure the event will be safe and compliant.
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