Donald Hutera is a veteran arts journalist whose writing has appeared in The Times, Time Out, Dance Europe and many other publications and websites world-wide. 'For me one of the most enticing things about the festival is the chance it gives a range of gifted people - both recognised and emerging, youthful and mature - to show what they can do up-close and outside of normal dance-based channels.'
Spread across 21 consecutive days, and comprising over four dozen individuals or companies, the 2013 GOlive Festival featured work by Darren Ellis, Ella Mesma, Renaud Wiser, Anusha Subramanyam, Daniel Hay-Gordon/Eleanor Perry, 70/30 Split, Shane Shambhu, Nuno Silva, Moreno Solinas, Peta Lily, The Dangerologists, Stephanie Schober, Anna Williams, Stopgap's Sg2, Angela Woodhouse, Dog Kennel Hill Project, Avatâra Ayuso, Mickael Marso Rivière, Jennifer Jackson/Susie Crow, Annie Lok, Zoi Dimitriou and Fred Gehrig amongst many others. Between them they have worked with the likes of Complicite, Richard Alston, Siobhan Davies, Shobana Jeyasingh, Russell Maliphant, The Royal Ballet, Wayne McGregor|Random Dance, Rambert Dance Company, Henri Oguike, Arthur Pita and Fiona Shaw.
Inaugural Festival Patrons: Rosemary Butcher, Siobhan Davies.
GOlive is an exciting and ambitious new festival with an emphasis on risk, intimacy and play. The diversity of the programme ensures a fresh and wonderfully eclectic experience each evening.
Giant Olive at the Lion and Unicorn Theatre launched the first GOlive Dance and Performance Festival, running for three weeks in September 2013 and curated by Donald Hutera.
In April 2014, GOlive returned for three weeks with an extended edition, bringing back some of the artists from the inaugural festival for a longer run, with additional guest artists. **** The Observer "The piece is calculatedly grotesque, but again, points to a melancholy truth about the human condition and human endeavour".
In September 2014 GOlive returned as GOlab and in 2015 and 2016 GOlive has been touring venues in London Winchester and Oxford, featuring a range of artists including Lorna V and Sarah Kent.