2011

Sky Orchestra by Luke Jerram (UK)
Photo Luke Jerram
On the Importance of Being an Arab by Ahmed El Attar (Egypt)
Photo Szabolcs Ivan
LIFT 30th Picnic
Photo Elaine Duigenan
International Twigloo by Winston Way School Pupils
Photo Esme Newbery

Inspired by the internationalism of the city, in our 30th birthday year we invited artists from around the world to create some memorable pieces of theatre to connect with Londoners and create a series of birthday surprises that all could enjoy.

Continuing our exploration of new theatre from the Middle East, LIFT began its Birthday season in July by taking part in Shubbak, a London-wide festival of Arab Culture, with two productions from Egypt and Lebanon at our home at the ICA. At the same time we hosted 20 young festival producers from across Europe in a three-day training academy as part of our Festlab initiative.

LIFT’s highly skilled team of artists spent 2011 working with seven schools across London exploring the possibilities of theatre through the LIFT Living Archive and using the Olympic Games as a catalyst to create their own special event. LIFT’s project And The Winner Is … London formed part of The Biggest Learning Opportunity on Earth, A New Direction’s Olympic-themed 2010/11 Enquiry Schools programme. This innovative London-wide partnership programme explored the value of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games as a learning opportunity for young Londoners, and took place in 150 schools across London.

As summer reached its height, we reached for the skies with Luke Jerram’s Sky Orchestra – seven hot air balloons that took off at dawn and flew over London waking the capital’s slumbering population with a mesmerising melody specially created by award-winning composer Dan Jones. The result? Sheer magic!

We also celebrated LIFT's 30th with friend and fizz for a birthday picnic in a hidden garden behind our new home, the ICA.  Bunting was hung, blankets laid out, champagne was drunk and speeches were made all to the ethereal music of the Sky Orchestra and the dixieland trad jazz of the Dixie Ticklers.

Veteran Liftie Julia Rowntree generously celebrated her 60th along with LIFT's 30th year by commissioning video artist Gary Stewart to create Dare to Dream, an explosive audio/visual video triptych using images from LIFT's 30 year archive.

As the leaves in St James’ Park began to reveal their hints of bronze, LIFT took Dan Jones' beautiful LIFT 2010 co-commission to Blackpool. LIFT also joined forces with Homo Novus in Riga, Latvia and Newcastle’s Wunderbar to create Distance, a roaming performance festival that explored our relationship with distance, now and into the future.

By which time, plans for LIFT 2012 were already well under way…