A Scottish festival will mark its 10th anniversary by hosting two nights of music, visual art and performance at an underground venue in Edinburgh.
Hidden Door was founded in 2009 by a group of creatives on a mission to host events where audiences could experience art away from the “traditional white cube" gallery format.
A decade on from hosting the first full Hidden Door festival at the Market Street Vaults in 2014, organisers have announced the Basement Level 3 Car Park at St James Quarter in the city centre as the home of its birthday party celebrations which will run across Friday, May 10 and Sunday, May 11.
Hazel Johnson, festival director of Hidden Door, said: “B3 is unlike any other space that has played host to a Hidden Door event, and we can’t wait to reveal its transformation in May.
“This vast basement car park has plenty of room to play with; we’ll be making the most of the wide open floorplan, whilst creating nooks and crannies amongst the pillars for people to explore the art installations and projections.”
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Hidden Door has worked with some of the city’s leading creative forces to develop an event that offers an ‘immersive multi-art experience’.
Synth-pop duo Maranta have helped curate both evenings, with unique collaborations built around their multisensory live show, Microsteria.
Over two nights, they will be joined by record label Paradise Palms Records (Friday, May 10) and radio station EHFM (Saturday, May 11) to bring an ‘uplifting roster’ of music acts and DJs, accompanied by live performances as well as an exhibition of work by 18 visual artists and several other surprises.
Susan Hewlett, brand and marketing director at St James Quarter, said: “We’re really excited to work with Hidden Door and host their 10th-anniversary party, bringing life, music and art into this unexpected space.
“We have already hosted Edinburgh College of Art’s Graduate Fashion Show as well as a ‘Deaf Rave’ in B3 but to now optimise this vast space which has incredible acoustics, with one of the biggest arts organisations in the city is amazing.
“Everything we do at St James Quarter is woven into the city’s culture, celebrating its rich heritage.
“We can’t wait to welcome event-goers to what will be a really special showcase of music and arts in one of the most creative cities, under a destination that’s redefining retail as a new lifestyle quarter.”
To help complete the transformation of the basement space, Hidden Door is partnering with Edinburgh Tool Library, which is also celebrating its 10th anniversary year.
Their volunteers have assisted in creating a custom bar for the event, while other aspects of the build will be supported by members of their Making with Pride initiative, in partnership with LGBT Health & Wellbeing.
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The venue is fully accessible with lift access down to Basement 3 and ‘spacious enough for audiences to explore artwork and grab a drink’ before making their way to the dancefloor for the music and performances.
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As with every Hidden Door event, there will also be an opportunity for the public to visit the space for free.
Between 1 to 5pm on Saturday, May 11 the venue will be open to all, offering access to visual art and installations, with pop-up bars serving a range of refreshments, sponsored by Bellfield Brewery.
Hazel Johnson continued: “Hidden Door’s 10th birthday event is the perfect opportunity to celebrate the past decade of festivals, collaborations, community and creative innovation.
“What better way to do that than by opening up another of Edinburgh's fascinating spaces and filling it with art, music and performance?
“We can’t wait to welcome you to our birthday bash, to celebrate what has been and what is yet still to come.”
For more information or to book tickets now, click here.
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