Farooq Chaudhry: The master of art management

Farooq Chaudhry, producer of Akram Khan Company, has shown to the world how culture and commerce can co-exist

Ask Farooq Chaudhry and he will tell you why commerce is actually not a bad word in the world of art. A former professional dancer, who graduated from the London Contemporary Dance School, he is today among the most successful international dance company producers. You might wonder about the role of a producer in a dance production, but Farooq has proved why the inputs of a sharp creative and business mind are as crucial as that of a choreographer.

Co-founder and producer of the globally-recognised Akram Khan Company, Farooq knows well how to not compromise on artistic excellence while devising economically viable dance projects.

Over the last two decades, he has identified collaborations that have facilitated the progress of dance across cultures. Of course, the celebrated dancer-choreographer Akram Khan’s unique contemporary vocabulary, with its roots in Kathak, spurred Farooq’s futuristic vision.

“As a producer, I have to put in place the set up in which artistes can come up with their very best work every time. It’s not just about money, it is also about creating the optimum process. You need to find the right people and ensure risk, invention, courage, curiosity, and collaboration can thrive in a fragile space. As a producer, who is also a critical friend, I need a cold eye and a warm heart as I seek to help the idea become the best version of itself. I also have to be good at raising money, and designing business structures, that optimise artistic practise,” says Farooq, who was awarded an OBE (Order of the British Empire) in 2019.

Perhaps his favourite description of what he brought to the Akram Khan Company, and the field of dance comes from Alistair Spalding, who is the artistic director of Sadler’s Wells Theatre in London: “There was a dancer and choreographer, and then there was a manager and producer, and they created the Akram Khan Dance Company - A dance company that became a platform for stories from another perspective. A company that put true collaboration at the heart of its practice. A company that changed the rules of the game.”

Strong cultural voice

Farooq, who was also the international creative producer for China’s dance icon, Yang Liping, and for the English National Ballet, is known to be a strong voice in the U.K.’s cultural scenario. Whether it’s the declining standards of dance training and art policies or the quality of dance productions, he has rarely been shy about airing his views. Does it mean he is sceptical about the sweeping changes in the highly experimental contemporary dance and feels it’s fraught with risks?