Inigo Lapwood

Inigo Lapwood
Lapwood (right) with Theatreship head of Film Programming Natalie Hill at the 2026 BAFTA Television Awards
Born1993 (age 32–33)
Alma materChrist Church, Oxford
Occupations
  • Arts director
  • marine engineer
  • data scientist
Known forFounding of Theatreship
TitleDirector, Theatreship
Board member of
RelativesAnna Lapwood (sister)

Inigo Lapwood (born August 1993) is a British arts director, marine engineer, and data scientist. He is the founding director of Theatreship and Artship,[1] the world's largest floating arts centre[2] in the London Docklands, and serves on the Council of Experts for National Historic Ships UK.[3]

Early life and education

Lapwood is the brother of organist Anna Lapwood.[4] He was educated at Christ Church, Oxford. In 2013, following a disciplinary incident involving a homemade flamethrower,[5][6] Lapwood relocated onto a houseboat that was in a state of disrepair.[7] He identifies repairing a sinking barge in Oxford when in need of a place to live as the starting point for his career in marine restoration.[1][8]

Career

Marine restoration

Lapwood's work involves the restoration and adaptive re-use of historic steel vessels.[1] He has restored seven ships, two of which were listed on the National Historic Ships register.[9]

MS Unterelbe (1939) - a World War II era coaster now named Artship

As director of Theatreship, Lapwood converted a 1913 dry cargo vessel into a 100-seat floating theatre and cinema,[10][11] which opened in 2024 with a cinema season in partnership with the British Film Institute.[12] During the 2025 transit of a second vessel, Artship, from Germany to London Lapwood carried out an emergency 36-hour engine rebuild while in the North Sea.[13]

Arts and entertainment

Lapwood has been Theatrical Ground Crew Director for Boomtown Festival[9] and a juror for the Watersprite Film Festival.[14]

Advisory work

He serves on the council of Experts for National Historic Ships UK[3] and as an advisory board member for the Canal & River Trust.[15]

Data Science

Lapwood co-founded YourStaffKnow.com Ltd[16] based on his academic work at the university and supported by the Oxford University Innovation startup incubator.[17][8] The company developed natural language processing tools utilising cluster analysis and feed-forward neural networks to analyse staff feedback for corporate and government clients including Danone, B Lab, Kraft, and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.[18] He exited the company in 2026.[19]

References

  1. 1 2 3 Massey, Jon (24 January 2024). "Isle Of Dogs: How Theatreship and Artship are set to carry cultural cargo". Wharf Life. Retrieved 20 February 2026.
  2. ↑ Barker, Sam (24 April 2026). "You can attend free mystery cinema screenings on board a boat in East London – and you'll get a free round of drinks if you guess the movie correctly". Secret London. Retrieved 8 June 2026. It was joined shortly after opening by Artship[...] Together, the two vessels comprise the world's largest floating arts centre.
  3. 1 2 "Council". National Historic Ships UK. Retrieved 20 February 2026.
  4. ↑ "An Interview with Anna Lapwood". Expressive Audio. 15 August 2022. Retrieved 20 February 2026.
  5. ↑ "Oxford University party shut down after one student turns up with flamethrower". The Telegraph. 4 December 2013. Retrieved 20 February 2026.
  6. ↑ Prescott, Jack (17 January 2014). "Student banned from college after flamethrower incident". Cherwell. Retrieved 20 February 2026.
  7. ↑ "Flamethrower student now living on houseboat". 9News. 4 December 2013. Retrieved 20 February 2026.
  8. 1 2 "People of the Thames: Working on the River". Talk of the Thames (Podcast). Thames Estuary Partnership. 24 February 2025. Retrieved 20 February 2026.
  9. 1 2 "Theatreship Team". Theatreship. Retrieved 20 February 2026.
  10. ↑ Forge, Katie (17 January 2024). "A Giant Cargo Ship In London Has Been Transformed Into A Stunning Floating Arts Centre". Secret London. Retrieved 20 February 2026.
  11. ↑ Theatreship (26 October 2025). Theatreship - the North Sea Passage - with Inigo Lapwood - June 2022 (Video). YouTube. Retrieved 21 February 2026.
  12. ↑ de Semlyen, Phil (16 January 2024). "London's getting a brand new cinema... on the Thames". Time Out London. Retrieved 20 February 2026.
  13. ↑ Massey, Jon (30 October 2025). "Artship set to join Theatreship on the Isle Of Dogs in cultural flotilla". Wharf Life. Retrieved 20 February 2026.
  14. ↑ Lock, Maddie. "Attending Watersprite Film Festival 2025". Young Film Network South East. Retrieved 20 February 2026.
  15. ↑ "London & South East Regional Advisory Board Minutes" (PDF). Canal & River Trust. Retrieved 20 February 2026.
  16. ↑ "YOURSTAFFKNOW.COM LTD: Persons with significant control". Companies House. Retrieved 20 February 2026.
  17. ↑ "Incubator portfolio". Oxford University Innovation. Retrieved 20 February 2026.
  18. ↑ "YourStaffKnow testimonials". YourStaffKnow/R-ai. Retrieved 19 June 2026.
  19. ↑ "YourStaffKnow/R-ai". Inigo Lapwood. 1 September 2020. Retrieved 19 June 2026.
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