Keith Khan
Encyclopedia
Keith Khan studied Fine Art/ Sculpture at Middlesex University
and is an Arts Industry Bureaucrat (see discussion). who has had an eclectic career in the Arts Scene and co-founded the arts organisation Motiroti
in 1996 with Ali Zaidi. Until 2004, the majority of the artistic events Khan was directly involved with were under Motiroti which produced notable projects such as Flying costumes, Floating Tombs (1991) which won the Time Out Dance and Performance Award; Queen's Golden Jubilee Commonwealth Celebrations (2002) and Alladeen (2004) which won the Village Voice OBIE Award
Special Citation, co-produced by The Builders Association. Khan departed from Moti Roti in 2004 and has filled a number of senior executive positions since then, most notably, Head of Culture and then Artistic Executive to the 2012 Summer Olympics
(2007 to 2009) and sitting on the panels of high-profile funding bodies, including the Wellcome Trust
and as a Council Member of the Arts Council of England. Keith Khan is also a Member of the Advisory Panel of Art on the Underground and was the Costume and 3D Designer for the Opening Ceremony for the Central and Opening Show at the Millennium Dome
(2000); Director of Design for the 2002 Commonwealth Games
ceremonies under the direction of David Zolkwer
. ; Chief Executive of Rich Mix
(2004 to 2007); Chair of Diversity Group for Creative Economy Programme Working Group (2006) and has been a Member of the Commonwealth Group on Culture and Development since 2009.
London 2012 – While in his role as Head of Culture, Khan was criticised by some commentators for being excessively "anti-elitist". His departure in 2008 was greeted with relief by some in the press and concern by others. The response of Richard Brooks in The Times
was "Thank goodness... Keith Khan, its artistic executive, is leaving.".
Middlesex University
Middlesex University is a university in north London, England. It is located in the historic county boundaries of Middlesex from which it takes its name. It is one of the post-1992 universities and is a member of Million+ working group...
and is an Arts Industry Bureaucrat (see discussion). who has had an eclectic career in the Arts Scene and co-founded the arts organisation Motiroti
Motiroti
motiroti is a London based arts organisation led by Artistic Director Ali Zaidi. For over ten years the company has made internationally acclaimed and award winning art that transforms relationships between people, communities and spaces...
in 1996 with Ali Zaidi. Until 2004, the majority of the artistic events Khan was directly involved with were under Motiroti which produced notable projects such as Flying costumes, Floating Tombs (1991) which won the Time Out Dance and Performance Award; Queen's Golden Jubilee Commonwealth Celebrations (2002) and Alladeen (2004) which won the Village Voice OBIE Award
Obie Award
The Obie Awards or Off-Broadway Theater Awards are annual awards given by The Village Voice newspaper to theatre artists and groups in New York City...
Special Citation, co-produced by The Builders Association. Khan departed from Moti Roti in 2004 and has filled a number of senior executive positions since then, most notably, Head of Culture and then Artistic Executive to the 2012 Summer Olympics
2012 Summer Olympics
The 2012 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the "London 2012 Olympic Games", are scheduled to take place in London, England, United Kingdom from 27 July to 12 August 2012...
(2007 to 2009) and sitting on the panels of high-profile funding bodies, including the Wellcome Trust
Wellcome Trust
The Wellcome Trust was established in 1936 as an independent charity funding research to improve human and animal health. With an endowment of around £13.9 billion, it is the United Kingdom's largest non-governmental source of funds for biomedical research...
and as a Council Member of the Arts Council of England. Keith Khan is also a Member of the Advisory Panel of Art on the Underground and was the Costume and 3D Designer for the Opening Ceremony for the Central and Opening Show at the Millennium Dome
Millennium Dome
The Millennium Dome, colloquially referred to simply as The Dome or even The O2 Arena, is the original name of a large dome-shaped building, originally used to house the Millennium Experience, a major exhibition celebrating the beginning of the third millennium...
(2000); Director of Design for the 2002 Commonwealth Games
2002 Commonwealth Games
The 2002 Commonwealth Games were held in Manchester, England from 25 July to 4 August 2002. The XVII Commonwealth Games was the largest multi-sport event ever to be held in the UK, eclipsing London's 1948 Summer Olympics in numbers of teams and athletes participating.After the 1996 Manchester...
ceremonies under the direction of David Zolkwer
David Zolkwer
David Zolkwer was born in June 1964 in Manchester, England. He is one of the world's leading producers and directors of public events and ceremonies and a Board Director of leading international design and communications company Jack Morton Worldwide ....
. ; Chief Executive of Rich Mix
Rich Mix Cultural Foundation
Rich Mix is a cinema and cross-arts centre located in the in the East End of London, located in Bethnal Green in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets.-History:...
(2004 to 2007); Chair of Diversity Group for Creative Economy Programme Working Group (2006) and has been a Member of the Commonwealth Group on Culture and Development since 2009.
Controversy
Rich Mix – Khan resigned amid questions of leadership and cost controlling. Karen Bartlett wrote in The Times "“Keith was not a natural cost controller, but the board was also weak.” Overstaffing, disputes between builders and architects, and specially commissioned wallpaper showing a black gangster pointing a gun at a white woman's head all added to the expense, with some funders temporarily withholding revenue in 2007 until a new business plan could be agreed. Khan did not want to comment on Rich Mix for this article."London 2012 – While in his role as Head of Culture, Khan was criticised by some commentators for being excessively "anti-elitist". His departure in 2008 was greeted with relief by some in the press and concern by others. The response of Richard Brooks in The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
was "Thank goodness... Keith Khan, its artistic executive, is leaving.".
Interviews
- http://www.vam.ac.uk/content/videos/i/video-interview-with-keith-khan,-a-midsummer-nights-dream-critic/Review of the theatre piece "A midsummer night dream" with Keith Khan for the Victoria and Albert MuseumVictoria and Albert MuseumThe Victoria and Albert Museum , set in the Brompton district of The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, London, England, is the world's largest museum of decorative arts and design, housing a permanent collection of over 4.5 million objects...
] - Interview with Keith Khan on Culture and Diversity from the 2009 Commonwealth People's Forum
- Interview with Keith Khan for the Trinidad & Tobago Express entitled "The time is right for the Caribbean region..."
Talks
- "Cuture as Catalyst" talk, Ministry of Tourism, Trinidad & Tobago, October 2009
- Monitoring Scenography 3: "Olympic Scenography – The Opening Ceremonies of the Olympic Games", October 2009
- Frame by Frame, "A symposium on the dance of Indian cinema and its transition into Bollywood dancing", July 2009
- Intercultural Cities Conference, May 2008
- "Leading Voices" talk on cultural diversity and the art of making creative cities, Australia Council for the Arts, 10 April 2008
- African and Asian Heritage, Legacy and Leadership, February 2008
- No Man's Land: Exploring South Asianness, May 2004