About

Started in 1981 by directors Rose Fenton and Lucy Neal, LIFT has been a biennial summer festival introducing some of the world's most exciting artists and theatre-makers to the London landscape.

LIFT has had a hand in carving a place for international theatre in the UK but has also created active connections between parts of the city and the world. LIFT events have been staged in over 30 London venues as well as numerous sites: streets, disused buildings, the river, parks and open spaces. And a far-reaching portfolio of developmental and educational programmes have offered insights about exchange and creativity to many different people, from school-children to captains of industry.

The demands of making the right space for engagement and experiment have prompted our decision to take the leap from biennial festival to the new, ongoing format that embraces our latest seasons. These include the autumn -01 UK tour of Australian-Indonesian production The Theft of Sita and a season of work in May '02 from one of the world’s most innovative and influential theatre ensembles, New York’s The Wooster Group.

The LIFT '01 Festival marked our 20th birthday and the beginning of a new era, producing and commissioning theatre which goes farther and deeper into the world of performance, year-round. LIFT continues to ask questions about where theatre can happen, what it can be, about who can take part and how. So, as well as being an influential force on the arts, it has brought a sense of fun and a wealth of unexpected and exhilarating experiences and insights to Londoners.