Andrew Sid' Siddall obituary

"It was Dartington that first took Sid, who has died of cancer aged 60, to south-east London, to work for Multiple Angel, a performance project with the Rotherhithe Theatre Workshop at a biscuit factory in the late 1980s. An explosive finale not only pointed to Sid's later great love of pyrotechnics, but also his passion for non-theatre locations and enabling communities to tell their own stories with boldness and impact."

"Through Lift, in 1996 he was invited to be a founder member of the Phakama project, an international programme developing large-scale, site-specific participatory performances in South Africa, India, Argentina and Northern Ireland. Lewisham Youth Theatre was also a partner in several international projects, and Sid became their trustee, and later chair, from 2002 to 2010."

"Another important early influence was Neil Bartlett, the writer, director and performer, who inspired Sid to explore creative ways to express his sexuality and to find his gay family, who gave him support, love and fun."

Andrew Sid Siddall was an outdoor performance maker and creative director who died of cancer aged 60. Born in Bolton and raised in Burnley, he studied theatre at Dartington College of Arts in 1985. He worked extensively with Emergency Exit Arts as a project manager, designer, builder, and pyrotechnist, and collaborated with Lift and the Albany theatre in Deptford. His career focused on site-specific, participatory performances in non-traditional venues, enabling communities to tell their own stories. He was a founder member of the Phakama project in 1996, developing large-scale international performances across South Africa, India, Argentina, and Northern Ireland. He served as trustee and chair of Lewisham Youth Theatre from 2002 to 2010, spending nearly 25 years as creative director of multi-theatre European collaborations.

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