Secret Spaces: An Immersive Journey into Cultural Memory

The Challenge We faced a dual challenge in Tampa. First, the city’s rich history—from Ybor City to Central Avenue—faced the threat of erasure amidst rapid development. Second, the local arts scene needed evolution; we wanted to introduce a sophisticated, world-class immersive format while proving our local creative workforce could execute at the highest level. The stage was the vacant sanctuary of the Greater New Salem Primitive Baptist Church. Built in 1969 for a congregation dating back to 1905, this dormant building offered the perfect vessel to answer a critical question: How do you elevate the cultural landscape and preserve history without putting it behind glass?
The Solution Secret Spaces: An Immersive Journey into Cultural Memory was conceived as a lucid dream. Produced by The Rooted Door, this site-specific innovation handed guests a skeleton key and invited them to become voyeurs, unlocking 12 hidden zones that reimagined the city's diverse cultural worlds.
We moved beyond traditional storytelling by creating a hyper-authentic, sensory environment. Detailed set design transformed the venue into a multi-dimensional journey—from the grandeur of the Tampa Bay Hotel to the sensory grit of Ybor City’s cigar factories. A diverse cast of actors, musicians, and visual artists inhabited these zones, dissolving the barrier between performer and observer. Guests did not just watch history; they stepped inside it. Collaborating with filmmakers, we integrated immersive archival film installations, authentic scents, and period-specific soundscapes to induce a dream state, moving audiences to feel the spirit of the community rather than just observe it.
The Impact The project established a "Gold Standard" for Creative Placemaking.
Cultural: It bound residents to their city’s identity, with feedback describing the experience as "transformative" and "unifying."
Economic: It operated as a sustained economic engine, providing five weeks of employment for over 40 local artists across a three-week run, and engaging 28 small business partners.
Philanthropic: To ensure lasting impact, a percentage of proceeds was donated to the Tampa Bay Community Design Center to support ongoing historic preservation efforts.