2021 London International Mime Festival

Even though we can’t run a live festival this January, we’ve still got some special treats in store for you. In addition to the workshops, talks and Barbican Cinema screening, we commissioned five short films, plus we’ll be launching our LIMF Videotheque – a chance to watch shows from past festivals. These are all free-to-view and will be screened between 7pm on Mon 18 to midnight on Sun 31 Jan.

Four of the short films were created especially for the festival during lockdown by movement director/performer Andrew Dawson, puppeteer/animator Gavin Glover, multimedia artists Kristin & Davy McGuire, and movement director, actor and War Horse choreographer Toby Sedgwick. Jacqui Beckford’s British Sign Language interpreted version of Little Jimmy Scott singing Nothing Compares 2U from Kiss & Cry (Barbican, LIMF’17) is included by kind permission of Belgian film-maker, Jaco Van Dormael.

A selection of 27 productions from past editions of LIMF will appear in our Videotheque. Artists include Russia’s Akhe Engineering Theatre, Collectif Petit Travers, Compagnie 111, Les Antliaclastes and Olivier de Sagazan from France, Denmark’s Paolo Nani, Belgium’s Compagnie Mossoux Bonté, Franco-Catalan duo Josef Nadj and Miguel Barcelo, Britain’s Gandini Juggling, Gecko, Ockham’s Razor and Thick & Tight, and the UK/Belgian collaboration of Andrew Dawson and Jos Houben.

Also from Belgium, we are delighted to be able to include Peeping Tom’s 2015 Olivier Award Winning 32 rue Vandenbranden (22-24 January) and its later shows Mother and Father (29-31 January), all staged in partnership with the Barbican as part of earlier editions of the festival will be available for three days only.