Dance Open Call for Hidden Door 2027

We are now inviting proposals for existing dance, movement and physical performance works to be presented as part of our 2027 festival.

Our creative direction, Afterlives of Use, explores how places, objects, images and stories change meaning when they are moved, reinterpreted, reimagined or put to use again.

Hidden Door supports emerging and established dance artists and choreographers working to develop and sustain their careers in Scotland.

As a multi-arts festival, we aim to introduce audiences to artists and art forms they may not otherwise encounter. We are interested in work that can connect with audiences beyond those already familiar with dance.

Please read the below guidance, alongside the general open call and creative prompts, before applying.

Key dates and information

• Application deadline: Thursday 3 December 2026
• Selection and notification: 11 January 2027
• Site visits / development: January–February 2027, to be confirmed and dependent on venue confirmation
• Festival: anticipated early June 2027; exact dates to be confirmed
• Location: Edinburgh — venue to be announced

Performance formats and collaboration

We welcome proposals in a wide range of formats, including staged performances, site-specific and other experimental approaches. Artists may use this opportunity to reconfigure or adapt existing work for a festival setting.

For staged works, we are generally looking for performances of 20–45 minutes. For other formats, we are open to different durations and structures.

We aim to programme selected works across multiple evenings of the festival, for a maximum of five nights. In your application, please indicate the number of performances.

An optional question asks if you would be interested in developing your work through collaboration with another art form. You can indicate which art forms interest you and share any initial ideas; you do not need to have a collaborator in mind.

Collaboration is entirely optional and would be discussed and agreed separately. Expressing an interest will not affect consideration of your work in its current form.

What you can apply with

We welcome existing work and work in progress that can be presented within a multi-arts festival environment. This open call does not fund the creation of entirely new work.

Your work does not need to be finished when you apply, but your supporting material should show a clear, established idea. Please tell us what remains to be developed and any adaptations you would make for Hidden Door.

Hidden Door can offer up to two rehearsal days before the festival, so we recommend applying with work that is close to performance-ready. If significant further development is needed, additional funding may need to be secured elsewhere.

As our 2027 venue is still to be announced, please tell us about your work’s spatial requirements, how you imagine presenting it, and what aspects are flexible or adaptable.

Eligibility

This call is for professional artists working in dance, movement and/or choreographic practices.

The lead artist must be based wholly or partly in Scotland.

Collaborators and performers involved in the work may be based outside Scotland. However, to reduce the environmental impact of travel and help us pay artists fairly within the available budget, Hidden Door may not be able to support international travel costs for collaborators or performers based outside the UK. Please keep this in mind when applying.

Artists in full-time academic study are not eligible.

We particularly welcome applications from people who identify as having characteristics currently under-represented within the Scottish dance sector.

Artist fees and support

Hidden Door is committed to paying artists fairly. All artists will be paid in line with Equity/ITC rates for rehearsals and performances. We anticipate fees of £150–£250 per day, or £650–£1,000 per week, depending on experience, the work and its requirements.

Please provide a simple budget covering artist fees, rehearsals, performances and any essential costs such as travel and accommodation. Clearly state how many performances your budget covers.

Hidden Door will provide standard festival production support, including a technician and stage manager. Please tell us if your work requires any specialist equipment, additional technical staff or other production support. These requirements will be discussed with selected artists and will depend on feasibility and available budget.

Please base your budget on:

• Up to five performance nights, with a technical rehearsal on the first performance day.
• Up to two rehearsal days before the festival.

Hidden Door cannot cover external rehearsal space costs.

Final fees and requirements will be agreed with selected artists before contracts are issued.

How to apply

Apply via the Dance application form by Thursday 3 December 2026.

You will be asked to provide:

• A description of your or your company’s practice.
• How your performance resonates with the festival direction, Afterlives of Use (refer to the General Open Call for prompts).
• A short description for prospective audiences and a fuller creative description of the work.
• The work’s current stage and any proposed adaptations for Hidden Door, including its format, duration, performers and personnel, spatial and technical requirements, flexibility, and rehearsal time needed.
• Why would you like to be part of Hidden Door 2027
• A simple budget.
• Supporting material showing the proposed work (e.g. video, promo pack, images or reviews).
• The number of performances you would be interested in presenting.
• Availability, access needs and optional information about collaboration.

Please do not worry about grammar, spelling or formatting. These will not influence the outcome of your application. We are interested in you, your ideas and your work.

The main descriptive questions can also be answered by video. Please provide links that can be watched online.

For footage of your choreographic or performance work, use Vimeo, YouTube or Google Drive links rather than files that need to be downloaded. Include passwords where needed. Selectors will watch up to five minutes of performance footage in total, so please identify the section you would most like them to watch.

How applications will be assessed

Applications will be assessed by members of the Hidden Door team alongside a freelance dance artist with previous experience of the festival.

Applications will be assessed against:

• Relevance: how the work responds to or resonates with Afterlives of Use.
• Artistic quality: the artistic strength and quality of the proposed work.
• Suitability: its potential to be presented successfully within Hidden Door’s multi-arts festival environment and unusual spaces, and to connect with a broad festival audience.
• Feasibility: whether its scale, technical requirements and proposed budget are realistic within the festival context.

Budget and overall programme balance will also be considered. We aim to represent a breadth of artistic approaches, experiences and voices within Scotland’s dance sector.

Some selected artists may be invited to take part in Labs to explore collaborative ideas. These opportunities are not guaranteed; the scope, expectations and payment for any additional activity would be discussed and agreed separately.

Everyone who has applied will be informed of their outcome by 11 January. Due to the small team and voluntary nature of Hidden Door, we are unable to provide individual feedback to applicants who are not selected.

Access

If you have access needs and would like to discuss support with making an application, please contact us.

Once the venue has been announced, we will also be happy to discuss questions or requirements relating to the accessibility of the festival site and performance spaces.

Apply

Submit your application through the Dance application form by Thursday 3 December 2026.