Hidden Door 2027 Visual Art Open Call

About this call

Hidden Door, a Scottish charity that turns overlooked urban spaces into temporary festivals, invites visual artists to propose existing work or work in progress for its 2027 festival in Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom. The creative direction, Afterlives of Use, explores how places, objects, images and stories change meaning when moved, reinterpreted or put to use again. Visual art in all media is welcome, including work that crosses disciplines, from individual artists and existing collaborations. The venue is still secret; past venues include a former church, a gasworks and an old school, so proposals should say how the work could adapt to different spaces. The call does not fund entirely new work. Applicants submit an itemised budget using Scottish Artists' Union rates and may request up to £1,500 per artwork, though most awards will be lower. The festival is expected in early June 2027, and applicants hear the outcome by 11 January 2027.

Who can apply

• Limited by country or region
• Medium: Mixed Media / Installation
• Entry fee: See official site
• Open to practising artists, including recent graduates, based wholly or partly in Scotland; artists who graduated from a Scottish art school within the last three years will also be considered. Applicants must be graduates of an art-related degree or self-taught with at least five years of sustained practice (shown through examples of work, which need not have been exhibited). Current undergraduate students are not eligible; postgraduate students may apply. Individual artists and existing collaborations may apply. Work must be existing or in progress; the call does not fund entirely new work, and supporting material should show what already exists. Submit through the online form: a description of the work, its current stage and what remains to be done; its connection with Afterlives of Use; approximate dimensions or duration, spatial and technical needs; any proposed adaptation; time and assistance needed for site visits, preparation, installation and removal; an itemised budget including artist fees at Scottish Artists' Union rates, materials, equipment and transport (up to £1,500 per artwork or application, collaborations included, each collaborator's role, time and fee stated); up to eight images of the work including its current state, plus any video or audio links; information about your practice; a 50-word biography and a 50-word project description; any access support needed. Clearly distinguish your own work from reference material and finished work from mock-ups; sketches and mock-ups must not use generative AI imagery. Selected artists must attend a site visit, anticipated in January or February 2027; installation is anticipated from mid-May 2027 and take down in mid-June 2027. Unsuccessful applicants do not receive individual feedback. The call pages do not state an application fee.