LIFT’s Change… for a tenner! programme, a series of talks based around variations on the theme of social change, held its penultimate event on Wednesday at Wilton’s Music Hall. It was titled ‘This state of independence shall be’, and focused primarily on creating states, nations, or organisations independent of the current governing body. It was certainly a mix of often eccentric speakers. We were subject to poetry, pictures, debate – and, in the process, were informed about the small, communist Spanish village Marinaleda, Hermitage Community Moorings, Austenasia, the Brixton Pound, and much more.

The evening started off as one would expect. One of our poet-turned-hosts Sam Berkson, introduced the event, and then performed with great gusto and enjoyment his poem, In Transit, which used clever wordplay and rhyme to draw parallels between love and travel. Then, suddenly, radio producers In The Dark introduced their piece, and we were plunged into darkness for the next half an hour, listening to a radio production about makers of social change in Los Angeles and Detroit. While interesting and stimulating for the senses, it didn’t quite feel fitting with the rest of the evening. This singular, serious act of listening in the dark for half an hour, though a fascinating experience in isolation, felt slightly dissonant with the series of informal talks and relaxed Q&As.

The talks themselves were truly unique. The first half consisted of presentations from Dan Hancox, who spoke to us of that communist utopian village; Susan Steed, co-founder of the Brixton Pound, who helped us consider how and where we spend our money, and what money even is at all; and Lise Autogena, who guided us through the alternative communities, both in her native Denmark (Christiania) and here (Hermitage Moorings). Meanwhile, as they spoke, images and summarising sentences appeared on the screen behind – for example, the amusing ‘communist peppers taste more free!’ appeared on the discussion of Marinaleda’s local goods – adding to the informal feel to the evening.

Just as intriguing were the talks from Mike Harding, ambassador to Elgaland-Vargaland (a realm not in a nation, but between nations and digitally), Emperor Jonathan of Austenasia, founder of his own country at just the age of thirteen, King Adam I of Kemetia, and Alexei Monroe of NSK State. What did vary was how seriously each took their respective countries and nations – Emperor Jonathan, most particularly, hugely entertained us with his mention of Austenasia’s ‘civil war’. The common denominator, however, was change, and a willingness to all stand on the stage and introduce us to their different ways of achieving it.

Other than Berkson’s performed poem and the half-hour aural immersion, the rest of the evening ran very much like any event, with very little to link it to the theatre part of LIFT’s acronym. Still, this is not what the Change… for a tenner! series aimed to be. It tried to be thought-provoking, imaginative, and, perhaps, optimistic about gaining independence in a world that appears very forceful with its social constraints. Did it manage to be these things? Perhaps. There were application forms to gain passports for some of the micro-nations that the speakers told us about, and information on how to become citizens. This, combined with the fact that the winner of the final gameshow-style night of Change… for a tenner! won the box office takings to effect their own social change, suggests that LIFT are facilitating more change than just that gained in the acquisition of a £9.99 ticket.

Change… for a tenner! played at various venues as part of LIFT, which runs until 29 June. For more information and tickets, see the LIFT website.