Preview: Gateshead International Festival of Theatre

Gateshead International Festival of Theatre (GIFT) returns from Friday 1st to Sunday 3rd May for its 16th edition, bringing a weekend of bold performance, creative exchange and international collaboration to venues across Gateshead.

This year’s programme blends new performance, interactive experiences, workshops and critical conversations, inviting audiences to get close to work at an early stage and engage directly with artists from across the UK, Spain and Canada. Themes explored across the festival range from the climate emergency and colonialism to class, playfulness and identity, reflecting GIFT’s commitment to experimentation and socially engaged practice.

Founded in 2011 by Festival Director Kate Craddock, GIFT has become a key platform for contemporary performance in the North East, taking on new forms each year by working in different spaces and involving new communities. Alongside presenting cutting‑edge work, the festival also supports professional development for artists, offering a space to test ideas, collaborate and connect.

With its mix of boundary‑pushing performance and opportunities for audiences to dive deeper into the creative process, GIFT continues to champion work rarely seen elsewhere in the region. Full programme details are available at giftfestival.co.uk.

Talking about GIFT, Festival Founder and Director, Kate Craddock said, “This year’s festival programme will shine a light on some of the most pressing issues of our day – with multiple events in the programme that speak directly to the climate emergency. As always, GIFT invites audiences to take part in experiences across Gateshead in a range of settings, and encourages audiences to throw themselves into something they might not have tried before. The combination of local, national and international artists across the programme ensures there’s a strong variety of voices and perspectives across the festival, with multiple opportunities for making new meaningful connections”.