The Lift Festival 2008 brings a veritable feast of art, dance, music and theatre to the London as the London International Festival of Theatre kicks off once more. With performances taking place in and around an unusual construction called the Lift, the Lift Festival is set to be the highlight of the arts calender in London this summer.

Starting off at Stratford Park, the Lift itself is the focus for the Lift Festival programme, where hundreds of performances and special events will take place, where artists and producers from all over the world will be showing their work to eager audiences. Not just a centre for performance by professionals, the Lift is also the centre for collaborative pieces between theatre companies and their audiences, with interactive sessions, and plenty of room for debate about the arts.

An amazing structure, the building at the centre of the Lift Festival is the Lift, a four storey building with translucent skin that changes colour depending on whether it is illuminated or not. Like a giant beacon calling arts fans to the Stratford Park and the Southbank Centre, the Lift is a theatre stage, a concert hall, an interactive billboard, a cinema and an exhibition space all rolled into one.

Throughout the Lift Festival 2008 there will be an exceptional range of shows, talks, performances and exciting events for everyone to attend. From a global selection of amazing arts events come a week's worth of events that invite the audience to interact with the performances. Inspiring debate, involving the audience with the artists directly and giving you the chance to take part in physical projects held in the Lift itself, the festival is the perfect outlet for creative talent both on stage and in the audience.

Highlights from the Lift Festival at Southbank Centre include four major premieres from Australia, China, Canada, and the Pacific. Murundak from Australia is a moving portrait of contemporary aboriginal life told through music; Tempest II is a Maori take on the Shakespeare play, that introduces the audience directly to Maori activist Tame Iti; Report on the Body is a multi media dance theatre event that invites you to take a rare glimpse of contemporary China through the sensual form of a woman's body; and bANGER, the Power Hour creates an unusual take on dance and theatre with comical performances and satrirical takes on gender bending and masculinity from Canada.

Seen it all and want to have a say? Six Adventures in Conversation is the event for you. Hosted by the Institute of Ideas, and Mouth to Mouth, amongst others, the events invite you to take a stand on what you've seen in London today, and say how you feel about it. Sound off about the concept of progress, art and politics, climate change, performance art, or share your own artistic skills with others, while you learn something new. Sure to be a big hit with everyone who loves to get on their high horse, Soapbox Sunday is also the day to speak your mind, and hear what everyone else has to say too.

Crammed full of artists and creative events that will inspired, excite and amuse, the Lift Festival is a celebration of art, theatre, dance and music in the centre of one of the most renowned artistic locations in London.

The Lift Festival 2008 takes place from 12th June to 21st June at Stratford Park, and 26th June to 6th July at the Southbank Centre. For a complete listing of all events happening during the Lift Festival or to book tickets, click on the link below for more information.

Lift Festival Official Site

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