LIFT Outside the Festival

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.

Plunge is a simple, elegant statement placed on three monuments in central London created by the artist Michael Pinsky. A string of low energy blue LED lights wrapped around each monument marks a time, 1000 years in the future, when sea level rises have changed the city beyond recognition.

LIFT has teamed up with Boat to produce a newspaper edition of Boat Magazine which uncovers the hidden stories about Derry-Londonderry. One city, one week, 32 pages, commissioned by Derry-Londonderry city of culture.

Political Mother is Shechter’s big-picture vision of oppression, survival, resistance and existence. It’s a massive slab of heavy rock riffs, booming drums, fast-cut cinematic lighting and committed, inspired dancing. Images of mass hysteria and mindless obedience are interspersed with brief moments of tenderness and humanity.

Inspired by Political Mother: Derry~Londonderry Uncut, LIFT and Hofesh Shechter Company will present five new choreographies in collaboration with specially selected local dance groups.

A young woman enters a hotel. She is magnetic and compelling, yet strangely detached, as if in a dream; she knows everyone, yet is utterly alone; she has many lovers, but loves no one; she is 18 years old – or is she 80?  ABSENT is partly inspired by The Duchess of Argyll’s residence at a central London hotel from the 1970’s until the 80’s, when she was finally evicted, having run out of friends and credit.  This exciting new dreamthinkspeak production, developed for the spaces of Shoreditch Town Hall, has been co-commissioned by Shoreditch Town Hall, LIFT and LeftCoast.