John Livesey
About
Theatre
Film
Writing
John Livesey (he/him) is a writer, director, and researcher working in both the UK and Europe. His practice is fundamentally interdisciplinary and interrogates themes of race, sexuality, protest, and power.
John has worked as director on multiple productions. Most recently, He directed Tending, a play based on interviews with over seventy British healthcare professionals. Tending premiered in Edinburgh in 2024, and went on to tour nationally. For its work with community, the play was awarded a Sit-Up award for social impact.
Following the success of Tending, John is currently developing a new show, That’s Sounds Gay, supported by the artsdepot Resident Artist programme. Previously, he has undertaken residencies with the North Wall Arts Centre in Oxford, the Deutsches Theater in Berlin, and the Archa+ Centre of Documentary Theatre in Prague. He is also a member of ICA young creatives and Punchdrunk Young Talent Network.
Alongside directing, John is working towards a PhD exploring the work of James Baldwin, which has been supported by the London Arts and Humanities Partnership. His writing on art and politics has been featured in publications including Jacobin, Little White Lies, and the Oxford Review of Books. Recently, he has written about the work of James Baldwin, the films of Sidney Poitier, the French AIDS crisis, and the End of History.