How does one begin to consider the plethora of festivals on offer? With new festivals being created each year (for example Flux in Norwich, which runs for the first time in January next year) and established events gaining in weight and stature with each season that passes – Mimos in Perigueux is in its 12th year and the London International Mime Festival in its 17th year. What more proof is needed that mime and physical theatre are flourishing art forms? Festivals, as well as being a reflection of this growth, are also an excellent way of stimulating it. In theory the greater the clout of a festival's publicity machine the more likelihood there is of companies getting a wider audience than if they were playing isolated gigs in an Arts Centre programme. However, one often suspects that in fact the reverse is true, and that festivals attract a more specialised audience across a range of work. This of course has its advantages: festivals bring together like-minded people, who come to learn and to swap ideas, and indeed many festivals include workshops, training and conferences as part of their programme. The International Workshop Festival is of course entirely dedicated to fulfilling this area of demand. Festival 94 in Kendal and Visions 94 in Brighton, among others, also ran such events. To what extent festivals follow current trends and to what extent they shape them is unclear. Many festivals commission work, for example Nottingham's Now 94, which this year had four specially commissioned pieces, and Visions 94 which also produced new work. What this does indicate however is the importance of festivals as a revenue-generator and showcase for the world of mime and physical theatre.

So that you can get out there and enjoy some of the delights on offer, here is a retrospective of some of the delights of 1994 and a taste of things to come...