London’s international biennial festival of theatre (LIFT) is launching a commissioning programme for artists to develop concepts for international touring projects with little or no human travel. LIFT is creating an online residency and commissioning project for artists to develop Concept-Touring, installation and performance projects. Concept-Touring supports new worldwide solidarity in times of pandemic, climate crisis, xenophobia and populism.
The organisers want to gather a group of artists to develop or adapt ideas and explore new ways to work, tour, exhibit and collaborate internationally. These formats will set a standard for touring and international collaboration which is ecologically sustainable and forges new ties between global and local artists, participants and audiences.
Selected artists will be paired with a mentor artist or curator who can help to advance the project, a dramaturg will help work on the project. Eight artists will receive a £2,500 commission to participate in the residency.
The residency begins with an immersion week on 19-23 April 2021, 2-4 hours sessions per day on Zoom. Artists will have 2 follow up meetings with their mentor during April – June and will meet together for a show and tell on 1 July 2021.
Artists (solo makers or duos) working in contemporary theatre, live art, visual art, dance, choreography, installation and digital art as well as having experience of touring, international collaboration or working across borders can apply for the residency until 19 March. More information can be found here.
LIFT actively encourages submissions from those with less visibility in the arts. The organisers specifically welcome applications from women, people with disabilities, people who identify as LGBTQI+, those with low-income backgrounds and those from Black, Asian, ethnically diverse, Indigenous and migrant identities.
LIFT is London’s international biennial festival of theatre that stands for radical empowerment and inclusion. The festival promotes the power and urgency of international perspectives. The theatre that is offered the audiences is compelling, meaningful, provocative, excellent, topical, singular.
