LIFT announces full 2016 festival line-up

LIFT have announced their full 2016 festival lineup with three world and ten UK premieres to be staged during the four week festival.

Running from 1 June to 2 July, the festival kicks off with the UK premiere of American performance artist Taylor Mac's show Taylor Mac at the Hackney Empire on 1 June. The singer-songwriter offers audiences a "romp through the American songbook" complete with feathers, wit and glitter.

Other highlights in the festival include, Minefield, a show created by Argentinian and British veterans with Argentinian artist Lola Arias which will run at the Royal Court from 2 to 11 June. Merging documentary theatre, film and re-enactment to look into the impact of war, veterans will share first hand experiences onstage. The UK premiere of Miss Revolutionary Idol Berserker from Tokyo-based artist and pop-idol Toco Nikaido exploring Japanese subcultures will then run at the Barbican from 22 June to 2 July.

Elsewhere in the festival, Australian circus company Circa take over Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park with Depart (16 to 26 June), Belgian company Hetpaleis bring their new show The Hamilton Complex offering a glimpse into the chaotic minds of 13 13-year-old girls to the Unicorn Theatre (30 June to 2 July), Neil Bartlett's new work Stella tells the story of a Victorian cross-dressing artist at Hoxton Hall (1 to 18 June) and Youarenowhere runs at Shoreditch Town Hall following huge success in New York (14 to 18 June).

LIFT artistic director Mark Ball said: "I have met pioneering artists and performers from around the world who connect to the astonishing range of international communities that make up London… The cultural influences and radical imaginations of our festival artists result in enthralling and joyful work that will be seen in spaces and venues that take us into the guts of the city – so make your own playlist and join us at LIFT 2016."

The first seven shows of the festival can be found here.