Edinburgh’s abandoned former Royal High school is set to be transformed into the temporary home of the Hidden Door festival during a ten-day celebration of art, culture and music.
The striking Calton Hill building with its imposing neo-Grecian columns has lain dormant since the institution closed in the 1960s but will now host live theatre in the round performances in its historic debating chamber amongst a host of other events across the showcase in June.
An outdoor stage will also allow for productions to take place against the stunning backdrop of Arthur’s Seat, while a bar on the front terrace will give festival goers the opportunity to enjoy a drink with a scenic view of the Capital cityscape.
It is hoped the festival can help the city reconnect with the eye-catching facility before work begins on the ‘world class’ St Mary’s Music School as part of a £55 million redevelopment project.
David Martin, creative director of Hidden Door, said: “This is such an incredible site for Hidden Door. It is such a privilege to be able to bring one of Edinburgh’s most iconic buildings back to life.
“It feels really exciting, in what is still a very challenging period for the arts, to invite Scotland’s newest, most daring artists, dancers, theatre-makers, poets and musicians to take over such a prestigious building that has been dark for so long and flood it with creative energy.
“It feels important to bring Scotland’s young creatives right into the centre of the city this time to celebrate what they do.”
Mr Martin added: “We know that the public will enjoy exploring this unique building too. The place is full of surprises, and it lends itself to Hidden Door’s ethos of creating an environment that the public can explore and discover new things.
“We have been inside quite a few times now, with maps and plans, and we still get lost! I can’t wait for everyone to get a chance to wander around and get lost too.”
Inside the vast building, forgotten rooms will be transformed into performance spaces and given over to artists to fill with installations.
Audience members will be encouraged to explore the myriad of “passageways, corridors, nooks and crannies” that make up the interior between June 9 and 18.
The school had previously been the subject of a slew of controversial hotel bids before council chiefs gave their backing to St Mary’s last year.
Councillors narrowly rejected proposals for a £75m luxury hotel project before developer Duddingston House Properties was stripped of its 125-year lease in January 2021.
Plans put forward by the Royal High Preservation Trust in September, supported by arts philanthropist Carol Colburn, outlined the creation of a ‘music education and public performance’ centre that would ‘benefit the whole of Scotland.’
According to committee papers, the trust will pay an initial £1.5m to secure the 125-year lease agreement, with a £1 per annum charge every year thereafter.
St Mary's headteacher, Kenneth Taylor, added: "It is great to be involved in this celebration of the breadth and diversity of artistic and creative practice alive in Scotland, and a real opportunity for our young musicians to share their contribution to this vibrant and engaging scene.
“The setting of the Old Royal High School is a perfect canvas for the imagination - opening doors to memories of its past and excitement about its future – especially as it will become the home for our pupils."
