Artists and young people in our Perma-Crisis season are tackling some big questions of our times. 

Kickstarting with Zest Theatre’s Camp Phoenix (8-9 Feb), their first production in 4 years. A show packed with adventure, new music, and vital life lessons, featuring a dynamic cast of professional performers and local young people. Commissioned by Lincoln Arts Centre, made in Lincoln and touring nationally. 

Perma-Crisis also features: A Family Business (22 Feb) a show by acclaimed theatre maker Chris Thorpe about how not to blow up the planet. Thatcher-Rite (8 Mar) by artist Jack Boal, expect politics, lip-sync, clown and verbatim theatre. Followed by ‘a messed-up show for messed up times’: Peak Stuff (14 – 15 Mar) by Thick Skin exploring how ‘stuff’ define us, and do we know when to stop? Underscored by live drumming and spectacular video design.  

In March, we’ll be transforming the campus into a one big participatory arts project called Don’t Panic! With Nonsuch and opening our gallery to Lincolnshire’s Open Art Exhibition. 

Then The Talent (22 Mar) by Action Hero, takes place in a small sound booth; inside it sits a woman, alone. It’s capitalism’s audio debris, a vocal soup that, in a post-apocalyptic world, will continue to be heard for as long as there is electricity 

It’s not all doom and gloom. Multi-award-winning and trail-blazing Paul Foot rounds off our season with Dissolve (25 Apr) exploring the stresses of modern life through comedy. 

As a home for new artists and new artistic ideas we’re packed with opportunities to see new work from local emerging artists whether that be our annual Dance Showcase or youth dance platform True Motion, the annual festival of new and emerging talent Launch Fest, or our new work nights Demo.  

Building based activity is just part of the story. Delivered with funding from Youth Music, we continue to work directly in schools to facilitate music education, with live music events in venues right across Lincolnshire through Evolve.

At this exceptional time of great challenges for the sector, Lincoln Arts Centre is humbled to be delivering outcomes against our newly establish National Portfolio Status, and the team here are grateful to Arts Council England for putting their trust in us to deliver. I would also like to acknowledge the importance of University of Lincoln, and the Centre for Culture and Creativity at the University, who continue to power the work of Lincoln Arts Centre in so many ways. Without our funders and our supporters, we simply wouldn’t be able to do any of the impactful socially engaged art that we do. 

We look forward to welcoming you to watch, learn, create and debate with us.  

Remember: If you’re aged 16-30 or a student of any age, be sure to sign up to our free Live Pass for exclusive discounts on events and in our café and join a digital community on Discord. Moreover, if you can add a donation to your ticket to support our Every Child appeal, we know every child is creative but not every child gets access to great cultural experiences, and we want to change that.