Our Digital Audience
"This week, from my attic, I’ve been watching short films commissioned by the London International Mime Festival’s ever resourceful directors, Helen Lannaghan and Joseph Seelig, reacting to current restrictions by moving events online. For the first time since its 1977 debut, people worldwide can experience the crazy diversity of work for which the festival is justly famous"
Clare Brennan
Observer
LIMF 2021 ran from 18 - 31 January, entirely online and successful beyond our most optimistic expectations.
Our nine workshops all sold out and there were more than 100,000 views for the festival's talks, Five Short Films and Videotheque programme of landmark productions from previous years. The pandemic meant there could be no live performances, but specially curated for online presentation LIMF 2021 was seen by a global audience, and great feedback has come from every continent. We’ll continue with online initiatives next year and for the future. But first and foremost and together with our wonderful venue partners we’re planning to return to live performance for LIMF 2022.Stay safe and well and see you at the theatre!
Helen & Joseph
Main Image: Compagnie 111 Sans Objet photo © Aglae Bory
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Online Feedback:
Some of the most remarkable performances I’ve every seen have been during @MimeLondon festival every January. Great to see some of its previous shows are online this year along with talks, workshop and 5 newly-commissioned short films.The annual @MimeLondon season @Barbican Centre is my favourite live performance event every year. The work I’ve seen there has changed me as an artist and a being, so it’s incredible that they have put 30 years of performances online for free.
Have been blitzing the content on @MimeLondon this weekend. Some truly outstanding work that’s been great to have access to! Wish there was a way to subscribe to have access longer but cramming it in does give that festival feel!
First up, you MUST check out @MimeLondon’s Videotheque stuff. They have TONS of shows available until end of Jan, some through Feb. Clowning, mime, juggling, dance theatre, all sorts! This really is rather special.
Because it can’t all be netflix, politics #DeceptivelySimplePleasure - from @MimeLondon you only need 25 minutes and a smile to get in
Some of the most thrilling experiences I’ve had in a theatre was due to @MimeLondon and the artists they champion. They are sharing lots of work online currently in lieu of a festival happening live so check out their website and enjoy the deep dive of many theatrical riches.
I may, or may not have to put on a back top and a touch of red lipstick before watching a bit of @MimeLondon this evening. #standards
Too many screens all the time so not really into online performances etc - especially the endless churning out of plays!! but for films, talks, brilliant work I'm going to make an exception to catch some of @MimeLondon this month!
Plays. Drama. Not really my thing - theatre in its wider variety of forms however is! Especially the visceral, physical, visual, spectacular, other, artist led, international. So more than anytime over the past 9 months I’m missing theatre and esp the job of @MimeLondon
Some of the best theatre Ive every seen was at London International Mime Festival (@MimeLondon). It introduced me to companies like Plexus Polar, Barely Methodical Troupe and Gecko.
Congratulations to our dear friends & partners @MimeLondon on their astonishing 2021 season with a truly moving online celebratory launch. Not at all diminished by the virtual nature - more strengthened by adversity. Proud as every to be part of it.
Treasure trove of free films from past @MimeLondon shows online until the end of Jan. Such a treat to catch things I’d missed over the decades while in quarantine! Devising students, lots here to fuel your creative fires.
It (Zoom) seems like a more comfortable place for people to "get up" in front of class and have a go. I've done far too many live workshops and this is the most free I've seen everyone being. The environment of every single person not being shy to get up is worth more than the sum of its parts. I would definitely do more Zoom workshops in future, as well as live ones. And I think most other people would too. I'd recommend whenever the festival is back in person, with live events, online would be a nice option to grow and keep alongside the live festival.
London International Mime Festival is one of the best curated festivals I know. It’s sad we can’t see artists on stage this year, but @MimeLondon past shows are available during the next 2 weeks. That you for making this possible, Thanks to the generous companies.
Thank you. We watched the recordings of some shows that we had seen live, and it brought back beautiful memories. We watch some recording of shows that were new to us, and thought about how good it would be to see them live. We couldn’t have had January without the festival!
Thanks LIMF that was a blast! I’m exhausted after watching so much awe-inspiring work. X
What a treat, thank you so much!
Thank you for sharing and bringing joy into this January.
Thank u for doing this, was water for our soul, amazing jobs created and perform for amazing people! U#rock
Thank you for sharing the videos. It’s been great to see them over the past few weeks. The performances translate to the screen better than most of the theatre I’ve tried (and mostly failed) to watch over the past year. I even managed to get my partner Tim (an ardent theatre refuser) to watch Compagnie 111 - he loved it!
It has been fantastic - no replacement for a live fest as we would all prefer - but I really hope some of this online content and activity may continue around future rests, to extend and enhance reach, access and experience. Well done and many thanks.
Thank you for sharing videos/performances with us. From Sarajevo, with love.
We have really enjoyed this! Thank you for sharing some wonderful content this year xx
Watched Gecko last night with a cold beer and just remembered how live performance can be - has been very hard to access that feeling or to watch much! This is endless and irresistible movement, music and light and the ensemble vibes are magic
A week with David Glass: an incredible precious time, learning and rediscovering physical theatre fundamentals, deepening my practice and meeting some wonderful artists. What a great way to wrap up January. Thank you.
Thank you @1blindsummit for the loveliest Sunday afternoon yesterday connecting with others and experimenting with #onepersonpuppetry as part of @MimeLondon Feeling suitably inspired my dish cloth and I performed a moving scene for the sink this morning...! #homealone #puppetry