October 16, 2023
We’re proud to announce that we’ve been shortlisted in the Creative Edinburgh Awards, the annual ceremony highlighting the projects, people and places that flourish across the city.
The awards recognise and celebrate outstanding contributions to the creative industries. Hidden Door 2023 is a finalist in the Edinburgh City Award category, dedicated to projects that are intrinsically linked with the city and which couldn’t have happened elsewhere.
Festival Director Hazel Johnson said: “It’s such an honour to be shortlisted for the City Award, recognising the hard work of Hidden Door’s brilliant volunteers and creatives. We have been bringing forgotten parts of this beautiful city back to life for nearly a decade now, celebrating the best of Edinburgh’s creative community. We are really proud of what we achieved in 2023 and are delighted by this nomination. Congratulations and good luck to all the finalists!”
The awards ceremony will take place at The Biscuit Factory on Friday 17 November, showcasing the finalists and winners across 10 categories – as well as toasting to 12 years of Creative Edinburgh, the city’s largest network of more than 6,200 creatives.
Over the years, Hidden Door has supported over 3000 artists and performers to develop work and reach new audiences. Our volunteer-run charity is entirely funded through ticket sales, sponsorship and fundraising. All money raised goes into running the festival and ensuring their creative contributors are fairly paid.
Next year will mark a decade since Hidden Door opened up the vaults on Market Street for our first full festival. We have found several potential new sites across Edinburgh and are now raising funds to take our plans to the next stage.
“Everyone in attendance is glad that Hidden Door is pushing at the limits of what a city festival can be – ★★★★” – Max Sefton, The Skinny
“As Hidden Door has shown so magnificently, a little creative vision can make for an artistically seismic experience – ★★★★★” – Neil Cooper, The Herald
“An extraordinary achievement – Trees sprouted from floor to ceiling. Neon sprites jabbered incomprehensibly. Weird, wonderful performances popped up unexpectedly in the half-light. It was a delightful, disorienting experience – ★★★★” – Fergus Morgan, The Stage