VAULT Festival will return from 25 January to 20 March 2022 to celebrate its 10th anniversary with a bigger and bolder programme than ever before. 

Produced by VAULT Creative Arts, VAULT Festival is one of the largest curated arts festivals in the world and will feature over 600 shows with new theatre, comedy shows, cabaret and immersive experiences amongst the line-up. 

The full line-up is due to be revealed on Tuesday 23 November 2021 and VAULT Festival Director and Co-founder Andy George said: “We’re thrilled to be celebrating VAULT Festival’s 10th birthday by welcoming back artists and audiences to the festival. The last 21 months have been incredibly hard for everyone in the cultural sector, especially freelancers; we want VAULT Festival 2022 to be a beacon on the horizon that everyone can look forward to and to add colour and vibrancy to the cold winter months that lie ahead. We're incredibly grateful to all the artists, audiences, partners, and staff who've worked with us and supported our mission over the past two years, and the eight that came before it, to mean we can still be here today presenting the brightest and boldest artists & live performance makers of our time.”

Representation is at the forefront of the festival, not just including the format and content of the works already announced but in the demographic of the artistic creators as well. Works from VAULT Five students – a nine-month mentoring programme for early and mid-career performers - has particularly highlighted diversity and representation. 

The Night Woman, which explores one woman’s relationship with darkness and the associated connotations, will be bought to the stage by Julene Robinson who is currently starring in Get Up Stand Up in the West End. Robinson will use poetic storytelling, music and sounds to bring Jamaican folk storytelling to life. 

Acclaimed Birmingham Poet Laureate Vasey Bailey has transformed his Please Do Not Touch poetry into a two person play to look at the irony and hypocrisy of ‘Please Do Not Touch’ signs in stately homes and museums, protecting items that actually belong to other cultures.

The House of Burlesque will showcase burlesque talent and body diversity in Glitter Ball; Thaniya Moore brings comedy to the stage with Bully, a show which asks if it is worse to be the bully or be bullied, and VAULT Festivals ‘Lates’ programme returns with feminist punk night for all entitled LADS.

VAULT will also offer an online programme for the first time with VAULT Live On Demand showing selected shows in the same week as the live performances.

All information on line-ups, ticketing information and to purchase passes can be found here.