London International Mime Festival
 | This article contains promotional content. (July 2023) |
| London International Mime Festival (LIMF) | |
|---|---|
| Status | Ended |
| Genre | Arts festival |
| Dates | January (dates vary) |
| Frequency | Annual |
| Venue | Multiple across London |
| Location(s) | London |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Founded | 1977 |
| Founders |
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| Previous event | 16 January – 5 February 2023 |
| Area | International |
| People |
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| Sponsor | Arts Council England |
| Website | mimelondon |
The London International Mime Festival (LIMF) was a festival of contemporary visual theatre that operated from 1977 to 2023. The festival featured wordless and multi-disciplinary performances, including circus-theatre, puppetry/animation, object theatre, mime, live art and physical theatre.
LIMF began at the Cockpit Theatre, founded by mime performer Nola Rae MBE and producer Joseph Seelig OBE as a single event featuring British mimes, theatre clowns and other physical and visual theatre artists. The festival expanded to include international artists in 1978.
Helen Lannaghan became co-director alongside Seelig in 1987. Performances were held at various London venues, including Tate Modern, the Almeida, Barbican, Battersea Arts Centre, ICA, Jacksons Lane, Natural History Museum, Royal Opera House, Sadler's Wells, Shoreditch Town Hall, Shunt Vaults, Soho Theatre, and Southbank Centre.
During its 47-year history, the festival featured approximately 800 companies from multiple countries. LIMF was funded as an Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisation. Archive information about the festival's programs from 1977–2023 is available at www.mimelondon.com.
As of January 2024, the festival's former directors have established a program called 'MimeLondon' in partnership with London venues including the Barbican, Sadler's Wells and the Southbank Centre, to continue presenting international visual theatre in London.
Awards
[edit]The festival received the Total Theatre Award for Significant Contribution to the Field (2012) and the Peter Brook Empty Space Award (2017).
Productions presented at the festival received four Olivier Award nominations in the Best New Dance category: Peeping Tom's "32 rue Vandenbranden" (winner, 2015) Compagnie 111/Stephanie Fuster's "Questcequetudeviens" (2014) Yoann Bourgeois's "Celui Qui Tombe" (2016) Peeping Tom's "Triptych" (2023)
References
[edit]The Last Show - documentary film chronicling the 47 year history of the festival== External links ==
- ^ Evans & Murray, Mark & Simon (2023). Mime into Physical Theatre: a UK Cultural History, 1970-2000 (1st ed.). UK: Routledge. ISBN 978-0367352486.
- ^ Evans & Melville, Michael & Johnny (2020). Amsterdam's Compleat Fools (1st ed.). USA: Izaak Walton Montana Publications. ISBN 978-0692150108.