‘Lift throws open a window to the world, bringing global stories to London and transforming the city into a stage…’

Throughout the festival The People Speak will be running, or working on, various events. They are hosted by the likes of Amy Lamé and other London notables. Mikey and Zsolti will be at each, knocking up instant visualisations and harvesting ideas for the concluding Who Wants to Be…? session on 26th June.

With the lights out it’s less dangerous

Artists who put their bodies, livelihoods and freedom on the line at St.Giles-in-the-Fields Bloomsbury.

Across the world artists, poets and writers are imprisoned, tortured and exiled for the things they say – but here in the UK they get an easier ride. Why is that?

Is it because there’s nothing dangerous left to do? Or because artists have lost their bottle? Maybe it’s just because no one takes art seriously. Bringing together artists, musicians and writers from the UK and abroad we’ll explore whether putting yourself on the line is a pre-requisite of making art that really matters. Do artists need to risk anything if they are to make the world changeable? Compered by poets Michelle Madsen and Sam Berkson, Vladimir Umanets an artist  jailed for two years for defacing a Rothko, the comedian Ivor Dembina, poet-rapper Adam Kammerling Hammer and Tongue’s national slam champion 2012, Hala Ali. taxi driver artist Chunky Mark, director producer Paula McFetridge and performance artist Maya Zbib

You can purchase tickets for each event on the lift website

Other Lift events The People Speak will be at:

18 June – Some People Think I’m Bonkers But I Just Think I’m Free
25 June – This State of Independence Shall Be
26 June – Who Wants to Be …? The Change They Want to See