LIFT is a registered charity, and we rely on generous supporters to enable us to bring inspiring and thought-provoking art to London audiences, and to continue to forge connections across geographical and cultural borders. So we’re celebrating our 40th birthday with a crowdfunding campaign, to support the next 40 years of LIFT.
Can you help us unlock London?
Since March 2020, when the Covid-19 pandemic forced cultural organisations to close their doors, the UK’s cultural landscape and society as a whole has dramatically changed. The full extent of long-term effects are yet to be seen, but we know that all areas of life will experience a form of long-Covid.
LIFT was forced to cancel our 2020 festival, meaning we have received no income from ticket sales since 2018. Despite the cancelled performances, we paid all our committed fees to artists and partners in full. We chose to support the arts and to create a fair and ethical cultural sector despite the financial loss to our own organisation.
We’re still struggling to negotiate the implications of Covid as it poses a significant barrier in bringing international performance to London. But while 2020 paused our festival, it didn’t pause our creativity. We are coming back with a full festival in June 2022 and our outlook will be decidedly international, as we advocate for the return of international work to the UK and its continued importance.
In the context of the pandemic, Brexit and climate change, we believe a festival celebrating London and connecting us to international perspectives is more important than ever. London and the UK face many challenges, but there is also significant opportunity to regenerate, restore and build anew in a positive, equitable and sustainable way. LIFT will be at the heart of that rebuild, supporting London and subsequently the UK to rebuild through the culture we make and celebrate. London is a cultural capital of the world and a leader in performing arts. Engagement in culture has always been and will continue to be at the heart of how Londoners assert their identity, find meaning and connection.
We need you!
Any donation you can give, no matter how small, will make a big difference. And there’s lots of exciting LIFT experiences and memorabilia available to thank donors, including archive posters, exclusive VIP access and opportunities to go behind-the-scenes at a headline 2022 show. Thank you!
