Keith Khan Associates

Keith Khan, Creative Director

Founder Keith Khan Associates. Director & Designer.

“I love Keith’s work for the originality and surprise, the wit and the brilliance and above all, the way it never fails to delight. His ability to inspire everybody – from young people and community groups to world famous artists – makes his large scale projects so amazing, and he is always a joy to work with”.

—Ruth Mackenzie (Director of Culture London 2012)

Design eye and directorial vision:

Keith Khan has conceived and directed many seminal events that are site specific or engage with technology and digital media: Coming of Age and Escapade with Akademi, Alladeen with motiroti and New York based theatre ensemble The Builders Association.

Current commissions include: Redesign of Rifco’s hugely popular Britain’s Got Bhangra, co-produced with Palace Theatre Watford, for national touring in autumn 2011; and design for a British Asian musical co-produced by Theatre Royal Stratford East, Sadler’s Wells Theatre and the Young Vic for World Stages London in Spring 2012.

He created the vision for the London 2012 Cultural Olympiad and the Rich Mix Cultural Centre.

Visual style informed by:

The work is created to reflect the social and cultural framework from which it is produced. 

Keith’s practice is informed by ten years of creating on carnival in Notting Hill and Trinidad.

Carnival ‘Mas camp’ skills have been scaled up and applied to the delivery of major later works, for example, the Commonwealth Parade for the Queen’s Golden Jubilee in 2002, and 3d and costume design for the Central Show in the Millennium Dome, with Mark Fischer Studio.

His work incorporates the values of working from within a community to generate spectacle. 

Organisation and development:

Keith founded the company motiroti, with Ali Zaidi which was successful in delivering numerous early projects. Alongside creating artistic and educational projects and programmes Keith and Penny were instrumental in much of motiroti’s business planning and structural development.

Previous Executive leadership roles:

Keith was Chief Executive of Rich Mix, a multi-million pound new build arts venue in East London, which he opened in 2004. In this role Keith worked closely with his team and Board on developing fundraising strategies and staffing structure.

Head of Culture for the London 2012 Olympic Games from 2006 – 2008.

Place in sector:

Keith’s artistic skills and new approaches to engaging a non-traditional arts audience have enabled him to serve as a member of: