May 31, 2023
For Hidden Door 2023 we’re offering something different…
We invite you to enter The Complex; a vast array of architectural hexagons, an artificial structure set apart from the natural world as we know it.
Once inside you’ll encounter The Environments, a series of transformed spaces and performance zones featuring live music, dance, soundscapes and visions created by artists and performers collaborating to evoke meditations on the natural landscapes of our planet.
You are invited to embark on a journey that starts in the weird artificial environment of the ex-office before you delve deep into the building through mountains, wasteland, forest and gardens, down to the deep sea bed and on to the centre of the Earth.
Read more about each Environment:
The Environments will run on a repeated loop every night of the festival, from 6pm with last entry at 9pm.
We are transforming the vast interior spaces on multiple levels of The Complex into a dark, other-worldly realm for the audience to explore in a way unlike anything we have done before.
As you venture further and deeper into the building you’ll discover a series of uniquely designed performance areas, each evoking the idea of a natural environment; the Hill, the Forest, the Wasteland… each featuring their own specially created combinations of soundscapes, set design, film, live dance and music.
We have commissioned some of the best artists and performers to appear previously at Hidden Door to collaborate together to create these visions, with each Environment designed as an imaginative meditation on the impact we humans have on our world.
Roam freely, taking in these Environments as they each come to life and die back back down in a cycle that repeats throughout the whole evening.
Become completely immersed in the creative visions spread throughout the venue, or step out to explore the bars, live music and spoken word performances before you plunge back into your journey of discovery.
The Environments come to life from 6pm each night and run on a loop, with last entry at 9pm.
The Environments will take place across three levels of the building. Once you have been through the Induction and started exploring, you can leave at any time (e.g. for a comfort break, to visit the bar or see a band) and can re-enter at any time without having to start at the beginning again.
Once inside you can explore as you wish. There is no “correct order” in which to explore these worlds, and you may decide to spend 30 minutes or a couple of hours exploring. In order to see everything though, we recommend allowing at least 90 minutes in total.
At the conclusion of each night, everyone will come together for a big party in the Club Space and Cabaret Stage.
The Environments will run every night of Hidden Door 2023, 31 May – 4 June
