Akram Khan Company

What Akram Khan Company does

Akram Khan Company (AKC) is a London-based independent dance company and registered charity (charity number 1169593, company limited by guarantee number 4342933), founded in 2000 by choreographer Akram Khan and producer Farooq Chaudhry. Over 25 years the company has built a catalogue of full-length productions that fuse Indian Kathak with contemporary dance — including DESH, iTMOi, XENOS, Until the Lions, Vertical Road, Jungle Book reimagined, and the recently commissioned Thikra: Night of Remembering — alongside commissioned full-length ballets for English National Ballet (Giselle, Creature), Royal Danish Ballet (Lady Macbeth), Boston Ballet (Vertical Road Reimagined) and Gauthier Dance (Turning of Bones). The core offering is choreographic and live-performance IP rather than a technology platform; revenue derives from a hybrid of touring box office, co-production and commissioning fees, Arts Council England and public grants, and corporate sponsorship (notably COLAS, Garfield Weston Foundation, Genesis Foundation).

The company reaches audiences primarily through an event-driven go-to-market motion: international touring booked via five regional agents (Quaternaire for Europe/Eastern Europe, Klemark for Spain/Latin America, David Liberman Artists for North America, Retropalco for Italy, Shaksfin Asia for Asia/Pacific), co-productions and residencies with major theatres and festivals (Sadler's Wells, Curve Leicester, MC2: Grenoble, HELLERAU, Les Théâtres de la Ville de Luxembourg, Edinburgh International Festival), and licensed repertoire staged by partner ballet companies. Supporting channels include a MailChimp newsletter, an active website with production microsites, social media across Facebook/Instagram/X/YouTube, and educational resource packs targeting schools and families. Leadership comprises Artistic Director Akram Khan, Producing Director Farooq Chaudhry, Executive Director Isabel Tamen (since 2021), and Associate Artistic Director Mavin Khoo, supported by a lean team spanning touring, technical, marketing, legacy/engagement and producing functions.

In June 2025 the company announced that Thikra: Night of Remembering — commissioned by the Royal Commission for AlUla and currently on global indoor tour — will be the final AKC touring production, with touring scheduled to conclude in March 2027. The company has framed this as a transition into legacy, learning and engagement work, alongside continued independent commissions by Akram Khan operating through a separate entity (akramkhanproductions.com). AKC is privately held, founder-controlled, and operates without disclosed external investment or parent company.

Name

Akram Khan Company

Legal name

Akram Khan Company

Website

https://akramkhancompany.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Akram Khan Company is a London-based independent dance company and registered charity, founded in 2000 by choreographer Akram Khan and producer Farooq Chaudhry, producing touring contemporary dance works rooted in Kathak and serving international theatres, festivals, and ballet companies through co-productions and commissions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Contemporary Dance Performance

NAICS

Dance Companies (711120), Independent Artists, Writers, and Performers (711510)

akta.pro primary industry

Contemporary & Modern Dance (MPAGADAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Dance Theatre (Narrative/Experimental) (MPAGADAC), Dance Performances (THAJAFAD)

Keywords

• Contemporary dance productions
• Kathak dance company
• Choreographic commissions
• International dance touring
• Dance education programmes

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Performance and Tour Box Office Revenue: Revenue from touring live dance performances at theatres, festivals, and venues worldwide. Productions are booked through international agents and co-producing partners.
2. Co-production and Commissioning Fees: AKC receives commissions and co-production fees from theatre partners and ballet companies, including English National Ballet (Giselle, Creature), Royal Danish Ballet (Lady Macbeth), and Boston Ballet (Vertical Road Reimagined).
3. Grants and Public Funding: The company is a registered charity (number 1169593) supported by Arts Council England and other public funders.
4. Corporate Partnerships and Sponsorship: Corporate sponsorship arrangements with companies such as COLAS (sponsor of Vertical Road, DESH, iTMOi), Garfield Weston Foundation, Genesis Foundation, and others.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Akram Khan Company produces and tours full-length contemporary dance performances rooted in the ancient Indian dance form of Kathak. The company creates original productions for live theatre, commissions choreographic works for international ballet companies, and develops educational and community engagement programmes for schools and families. Performances are staged worldwide through a network of co-producing theatres, international booking agents, and presenting festivals.

Product overview

Akram Khan Company is a dance company offering a portfolio of live theatrical productions, digital programmes, and educational resources. The core offerings include full-length dance productions (DESH, iTMOi, XENOS, Until the Lions, Jungle Book reimagined, Thikra), family-friendly adaptations (Chotto Desh), commissioned works for ballet companies (Giselle, Creature, Lady Macbeth), documentary films (Desert Dancer, MOVE), and digital programmes (The Renovātiō Series). Productions range from contemporary solo works to large-scale ensemble pieces, often blending Kathak dance with contemporary forms. The company also provides educational resources including resource packs for schools and community engagement programmes.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Thikra: Night of Remembering
• Chotto Desh
• Jungle Book reimagined
• iTMOi (in the mind of igor)
• DESH
• Vertical Road
• XENOS
• Until the Lions
• Giselle (English National Ballet)
• Creature (English National Ballet)
• Lady Macbeth (Royal Danish Ballet)
• Turning of Bones
• The Renovātiō Series
• The Silent Burn Project

Quantifiable outcome

• Productions have toured internationally to major venues and festivals across Asia, Europe, North America, and the Middle East
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Sadler's WellscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSadler's Wells is a major London theatre and Associate Artist host for Akram Khan. The venue has co-produced multiple AKC productions including iTMOi and XENOS, and serves as a key presenting partner for the company's work.
• MC2: GrenoblecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMC2: Grenoble is a co-producer of iTMOi and an Associate Artist host venue for Akram Khan. The residency at MC2: Grenoble was used for the creation of costumes and production development.
• Curve LeicestercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCurve Leicester is a co-producing partner and Associate Artist host for AKC. The theatre hosted the world premiere of Jungle Book reimagined in April 2022.
• HELLERAU - European Center for the Arts DresdencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHELLERAU co-produced iTMOi as part of the international co-production network supporting the work's creation and touring.
• Les Théâtres de la Ville de LuxembourgcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLes Théâtres de la Ville de Luxembourg co-produced iTMOi and provides ongoing technical and production support for touring works.
• Les Théâtres de la Ville de LuxembourgminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe venue provides technical adaptation support for Jungle Book reimagined.
• English National BalletcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEnglish National Ballet commissioned Akram Khan to create reimagined versions of Giselle (2016) and Creature (2022), expanding the reach of AKC's choreographic works into the ballet canon.
• Royal Danish BalletcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Royal Danish Ballet commissioned Akram Khan for his full-length ballet debut, reimagining Shakespeare's Macbeth as Lady Macbeth.
• Quaternaire (France/Eastern Europe)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorQuaternaire serves as AKC's international agent for France, Eastern Europe, Norway, Sweden, Germany, Switzerland, and French-speaking Belgium, booking productions at venues across these territories.
• Klemark (Spain/Latin America)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorKlemark is AKC's agent for Spain and Latin America, managing bookings and distribution of productions in these regions.
• David Liberman Artists (North America)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDavid Liberman Artists represents AKC in North America, booking productions at US theatres and festivals.
• Retropalco (Italy)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRetropalco serves as AKC's Italian agent, managing bookings in Italy.
• Shaksfin Asia (Asia and Pacific)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorShaksfin Asia manages AKC's bookings and distribution across Asia and the Pacific region.
• Gauthier DancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGauthier Dance commissioned Akram Khan to develop Turning of Bones over nearly three seasons beginning in 2025, representing a significant independent commission.
• Royal Commission for AlUlacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Royal Commission for AlUla commissioned Thikra: Night of Remembering, AKC's final touring production, which premiered in January in AlUla before embarking on a global indoor tour.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Phoenix Dance Theatre: Leeds-based UK contemporary dance company of similar headcount and touring profile, also working with major venues and education partners. A natural structural peer for AKC's mix of national portfolio touring and learning programmes.
• DV8 Physical Theatre: London-based contemporary dance-theatre company with a comparable international profile and creative-producer model. Comparable peer in scale, UK footprint and culturally distinctive artistic voice targeting similar festival and theatre circuits.
• Hofesh Shechter Company: London-headquartered contemporary dance company of comparable size, international touring footprint, and award profile (multiple Critics' Circle and Olivier/Bessie recognition). Both are founder-led, run lean UK teams and tour productions through agents at top global venues.
• Shobana Jeyasingh Dance: UK-based contemporary dance company with a similar South Asian / cross-cultural choreographic identity. Both companies operate at the intersection of Indian classical dance vocabulary and Western contemporary forms, and both tour internationally while running educational/legacy programmes on comparable scales.
• Wayne McGregor Company: UK contemporary dance company recognised internationally for innovative choreography, multi-award pedigree, and Residencies at major venues (Sadler's Wells). Structurally and artistically one of the closest parallels to AKC's positioning and scale.
• Siobhan Davies Dance: London contemporary dance company of similar size with an active education/legacy arm and an international touring presence. Closely comparable peer on operating model, scale and audience-development orientation.
• Jasmin Vardimon Company: UK contemporary dance company with international tour activity and strong educational/legacy programming. Closely comparable in size, founder-led model and mix of theatrical touring and audience development work.

Broad incumbents

• English National Ballet: UK ballet company that is both a commissioner of AKC's choreographic work (Giselle, Creature) and a structural peer as a UK dance charity reliant on Arts Council funding and touring productions. It anchors the institutional ballet ecosystem within which AKC operates as a contemporary choreographer.
• Ballet Rambert (early Rambert / contemporary repertoire): Historic UK dance company with a substantial contemporary repertoire that commissions external choreographers — relevant comparable for AKC's strategy of placing works into the ballet/company repertory as a durable revenue and brand-extension channel.
• Rambert: The UK's oldest and largest contemporary dance company, with a much bigger headcount, touring apparatus, and annual budget than AKC. Overlapping in UK contemporary dance presenting but operating at a substantially larger scale.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/akram-khan-company

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Akram Khan Company