We’re now inviting applications to participate in the spoken word programme for our 2026 festival, happening in Edinburgh from 3rd – 7th June 2026.

The deadline for submissions is midnight on Wednesday 25th March.

Read on for full details and how to apply below…

More information

How to apply?

First, read the guidance below which explains who can apply and what information we’ll ask for. Then use the following link to apply online:

Who can apply?

We welcome applications from:

• Spoken word artists, poets, and performers at all stages of their careers.
• Individuals or duos for stripped-back performances lasting 20–30 minutes.
• Artists proposing alternative formats or group projects (details should be provided in the application).

This opportunity is for artists based in Scotland or with a meaningful connection to Scotland (through residence, study or origin). Artists without this connection are not eligible for this call.

We aim to support talent that has faced barriers to opportunities due to social or cultural factors and encourage applications from underrepresented groups.

What is Hidden Door?

Hidden Door opens up forgotten urban spaces for the public to explore and discover incredible music, art, theatre, film, dance, spoken word and more. Through our Open Calls, we invite creatives to be part of this immersive, multi-art-form festival that celebrates new, emerging and breakthrough talent in Scotland.

For Hidden Door 2026, we’re not just building a festival, we’re curating a myth – a shared architecture shaped by the works themselves. The Spoken Word selection can help to shape this architecture for our 2026 programme. This direction grows from last year’s collaborative work at the Paper Factory, where marks, objects and actions were treated as evidence of a building with its own memory. 

What is the theme of the 2026 Hidden Door Festival?

• Out-of-Place Objects – Fragments that don’t belong, materials repurposed, objects carrying memory into new contexts.
• Stone Tape Theory – The building and walls as recorders – surfaces which store traces, gesture, memory or emotion: the space remembers.
• Myth of a Building – A structure remembered, half-invented, part ruin, part belief; a portable architecture made from objects and fragments of a half-remembered place.

You must select one or more themes that resonate with your project and briefly outline your connection to the chosen theme(s). You can respond in writing (up to 800 characters) or provide a video (up to 60 seconds).

What should I include in my application?

You will be asked to include:

• Previous Work: Examples of poetry readings, live performances, or spoken word projects (no more than 3000 characters).
• Proposed Work: A description of what you would perform at Hidden Door and how you would use the allocated time (no more than 2000 characters).
• Benefits: A statement about how participating in Hidden Door will benefit you as an artist (no more than 1500 characters).
• Written Work: Up to three pieces of your writing or excerpts, ideally reflecting the work you intend to perform
• Artist CV: A document highlighting your experience and achievements
• Promotional Image: A high-quality image of yourself performing, a press shot, or another image for promotional use.
• Video or Audio Links: Up to three links to video or audio clips (please indicate sections to review if longer than five minutes).

All files should follow these formats:

• Written Work and CV: .docx or .pdf
• Images: .png, .jpg, or .jpeg

What kind of performances are you looking for?

Spoken Word applicants should be aware that this is not simply a poetry reading opportunity. Hidden Door welcomes applications that may include poetry, prose, monologue, duologue, and hybrid forms between these practices. Applicants are encouraged to include a performative element in their work.

This year we are focusing on stripped-back performances for individual artists or duos, though we also welcome creative or non-traditional proposals, including small group formats.

As Hidden Door takes place across a large and unusual building, we are particularly interested in work that responds to the site and audience journey. This may include pieces that are mobile, pop-up in nature, or able to take place in different parts of the venue rather than only on a fixed stage.

After selection

Some artists may be invited to join programme workshop sessions to:

• Adapt works for site-specific activation
• Develop cross-artform relationships (performance, sound, film, movement)
• Shape collaborative or layered installations

What is the deadline for applications?

All submissions must be completed by 25 March 2026. Late submissions will not be considered.

Will feedback be provided for non-selected applicants?

Due to the small team and voluntary nature of the festival, individual feedback cannot be provided to applicants who are not selected.

Artists’ Fees

Selected artists will be paid £200 per performer.

How should I prepare my files and links?

• Include your **full name** in all file names for written work, CVs, and images.
• For video or sound files, provide downloadable or streaming links (e.g., Vimeo, YouTube, Google Drive). Ensure links are active and accessible.

Who can I contact if I have additional questions?

For further inquiries, please contact programme@hiddendoorarts.org