{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2021}} {{multiple issues| {{Essay-like|date=September 2024}} {{Promotional|date=September 2024}} }} '''Motiroti''' was a London-based arts organisation. It worked with collaborators in visual and live art, new technology and socially engaged practice, and created public art with the public itself being central to the making and shaping of the work, using emerging social technologies to incorporate multiple perspectives within artworks.{{Citation needed|date=November 2025}} The company fostered the development of a lifelong learning culture, with learning and art production part of the same process, and offered potent opportunities to inspire and develop a dynamic exchange between artists and communities.{{Citation needed|date=November 2025}}
==History== Motiroti means 'fat bread' in Urdu, and the company took its name from one of its earliest projects, ''Moti Roti Puttli Chunni'' - a playful examination of gender stereotypes, presented as live Bollywood musical theatre in east London.{{Citation needed|date=November 2025}} Co-founded by artists Ali Zaidi and Keith Khan, Motiroti was officially registered as a charity in 1996,{{Citation needed|date=November 2025}} although the pair had worked together since the late 1980s. Khan left the company in 2004 to become CEO of the Rich Mix Cultural Foundation.<ref>[http://www.thisisliveart.co.uk/projects/Spill/spill_biogs.html Biography of Keith Khan on Live Art Development Agency website] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070905043943/http://www.thisisliveart.co.uk/projects/Spill/spill_biogs.html |date=5 September 2007 }}. Thisisliveart.co.uk (13 April 2007). Retrieved 19 October 2011.</ref> Ali Zaidi continued as the sole Artistic Director until 2012,{{Citation needed|date=November 2025}} when he left to establish his own freelance practice under the name of Ali Zaidi Arts. motiroti was thereafter led by Executive Director Tim Jones, who joined the company in 2010,{{Citation needed|date=November 2025}} and following its closure operates as an independent consultant and workshop designer, advising on the development of enterprise opportunities and digital capacity in the culture sector.
A catalogued archive of its work from the late 1980s up to 2005 is owned by Future Histories, the UK's first dedicated repository for African, Asian and Caribbean performing arts.<ref>{{Cite web|title=The Discovery Service|url=https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/results/r?_q=motiroti&_hb=oth|website=discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk|access-date=2025-11-27|language=en-GB|first=The National|last=Archives}}</ref>
motiroti presented works in many countries, at venues such as Arnolfini Gallery, Bristol;<ref>[http://www.bris.ac.uk/theatrecollection/liveart/liveart_files/liveart_cityvenue_bristol.doc reference to ''Flying Costumes, Floating Tombs''] on Bristol University website</ref> Barbican Centre, London;<ref>[http://www.barbican.org.uk/media/upload/about%20barbican/012AnnualReport0304.pdf Barbican Centre Annual Report 2003/04]</ref> Bonn Biennale;<ref>http://www.netzeitung.de/feuilleton/kulturnews/290555.html Article about ''Alladeen'' from Netzeitung</ref> Brooklyn Academy of Music;<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20061108165650/http://www.villagevoice.com/theater/0350,sellar,49306,11.html villagevoice.com] Review of ''Alladeen'' from the Village Voice</ref> Edinburgh Festival; Festival Iberoamericano de Teatro de Bogota;<ref>http://www.teatroenmiami.net/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=448&mode=&order=0&thold=0 Article about ''Alladeen'' from Teatro Mundial</ref> Greenwich Theatre; Harbour Front Centre, Toronto; Houston International Festival; Institute of Contemporary Arts, London;<ref>[http://www.newaudiences.org.uk/project.php?id=34 Reference to "Wigs of Wonderment" season at the ICA]. Newaudiences.org.uk. Retrieved 19 October 2011.</ref> Ikon Gallery, Birmingham; It's Queer Up North,<ref>[http://www.motiroti.com/work/projects/project.php?data_id=23 Description of the exhibition ''Fluid'' at It's Queer Up North on [http://www.motiroti.com/ motiroti.com] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080212194059/http://www.motiroti.com/work/projects/project.php?data_id=23 |date=12 February 2008 }}</ref> Manchester; Kannonhallen, Denmark; Krannert Center, Illinois;<ref>http://www.news.uiuc.edu/NEWS/05/0415calendar.html Reference to ''Alladeen'' season on University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign website</ref> La Ferme du Buisson, France; Leeds Mela; London International Festival of Theatre; Lille 3000; Melbourne Festival;<ref>https://theatrenotes.blogspot.com/2004/10/miaf-alladeen-and-failing-kansas.html Review of [http://www.alladeen.com ''Alladeen''] from [https://theatrenotes.blogspot.com/ Theatre Notes blog]</ref> Midlands Arts Centre; Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago; Museum of London; National College of Arts, Lahore; National Gallery, Cape Town; National Theatre, Islamabad; Natural History Museum, London; New Art Gallery, Walsall; New Haven Festival of Arts and Ideas; Notting Hill Carnival; Oval House Theatre, London; Queen Elizabeth Hall, London; REDCAT, Los Angeles;<ref>[http://redcatweb.org/season/worldview/motiroti.html REDCAT website] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070612074532/http://redcatweb.org/season/worldview/motiroti.html |date=12 June 2007 }}</ref> Romaeuropa Festival, Italy; Royal Albert Hall, London; Royal Court Theatre, London; Royal Festival Hall, London; Royal Geographical Society with IGB,<ref>[http://www.culture24.org.uk/art/sculpture+%2526+installation/art39198 Information about "Priceless" exhibition on Culture24]. Culture24.org.uk (11 August 2006). Retrieved 19 October 2011.</ref> London; Royal National Theatre, London; Science Museum,<ref>http://www.goethe.de/ins/gb/lon/acv/bku/2006/en1355567.htm Information about Priceless exhibition on Goethe-Institut website</ref> London; Serpentine Gallery, London;<ref>https://www.timeout.com/london/park_night/3189/motiroti.html ''Time Out'' website</ref> Sibikwa Theatre, Johannesburg; Singapore Arts Festival; Tamaseel Theatre, Lahore; Tate Liverpool; Tate Modern; Theatre Royal Stratford East; Tramway Theatre, Glasgow;<ref>http://www.edinburghguide.com/aande/theatre/reviews/a/alladeen_motirotibuildersassoc.shtmlReview of ''Alladeen'' from [http://www.edinburghguide.com/ EdinburghGuide.com]</ref> V&A;<ref>http://www.vam.ac.uk/files/file_upload/30737_file.doc Department for Culture, Media and Sport/V&A funding agreement 2005/06 – 2007/08 referencing the ''Priceless'' exhibition with motiroti</ref> Warwick Arts Centre;<ref>http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/newsandevents/news/ne100000008680/ Information about ''Alladeen'' at the Warwick Arts Centre from ''University of Warwick'' website</ref> West Yorkshire Playhouse; Whitney Museum,<ref>http://whitney.domanidev.com/exhibition/americaneffect.shtml Information about ''The American Effect'' exhibition from Whitney Museum's website</ref> New York.
==Productions== * ''Multiwalks''' (2013–14) – a suite of artist-led creative walks through 3 city neighbourhoods (Vauxhall and Waterloo in London, England; Santa Croce in Reggio Emilia, Italy; Gronland and Bjorvika in Oslo, Norway). Developed by motiroti in partnership with Do Tank Studios, Mondinsieme and Oslo Intercultural Museum, Multiwalks is a free mobile app available on iOS and Google Play.{{Citation needed|date=November 2025}} * ''Potluck: Chicago'' (2011-2012) - a residency process at Columbia College Chicago which drew upon art, food, design, urban planning, technology and social enterprise to offer a toolbox for making 'The Local' more vibrant.{{Citation needed|date=November 2025}} * ''Streets of Gold'' (2012)- An installation at the Museum of London. Creatively directed by artist Daniel Saul, Streets of Gold offered a fresh vision of London through migrant eyes, and a reminder that cities are built on the dreams of successive newcomers.{{Citation needed|date=November 2025}} *''Journeys of Love and More Love''{{dead link|date=March 2025|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}} (2009-2011) - A live film and media installation with edible interludes, co-production with Napoli Teatro Festival Italia, performed in Italian. Later shown at Lilian Baylis at Sadlers Wells in London in 2010. Presented at Art House within Melbourne Festival in October 2011 and at the National Museum of Singapore for its last iteration. * ''360°'' (2007–2010) – Bringing to light a rounded contemporary picture of the cultural dynamics between Britain, India and Pakistan. The three-year programme consists of 60x60 Secs, three international Arts Residency Labs and a new collaborative work.<ref>http://www.360degrees.tv/ {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080826085924/http://www.360degrees.tv/ |date=26 August 2008 }} 360° website</ref> * ''Priceless'' (2006) ''Priceless'' brought together high-profile art and science institutions together. A multi-site large-scale project involving video and graphic installations, road-shows, mobile units, guided tours to secret archives and major launch event in and around Exhibition Road. Commissioned by the Serpentine Gallery, Platform for Art and The Exhibition Road Cultural Group (Natural History Museum, Science Museum, Royal Geographical Society and V&A, Imperial College London, and Goethe-Institut London).{{Citation needed|date=November 2025}} * ''Alladeen'' (2002–2005) – A co-production with The Builders Association which weaved between the ancient legend of Aladdin from ''1001 nights'' and identity-blurring phenomena found in the teeming metropolises of Bangalore, London and New York.<ref>[https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=990DE1D61F3BF933A05752C1A9659C8B63 Article about Alladeen] from the ''New York Times'' (30 November 2003). Retrieved 19 October 2011.</ref> * ''Celebration Commonwealth'' (2002) – A parade highlighting the Commonwealth of Nations and its contribution of peoples and cultures to the United Kingdom for Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom's Golden Jubilee Weekend.<ref>http://www.culture.gov.uk/Reference_library/Press_notices/archive_2006/dcms016_06.htm Biography of Keith Khan on Department for Culture, Media and Sport website referencing Celebration Commonwealth</ref> * ''One Night'' (1997) – A piece of visual theatre exploring the shifts between Indian courtesan culture, first-generation British Asians and contemporary student life in the United Kingdom.{{Citation needed|date=November 2025}} * ''Wigs of Wonderment'' (1995–1999) – A performance installation challenging the notions of beauty, objectification and the 'exotic' in Western culture.<ref>[http://www.csa.com/discoveryguides/perform/overview.php "Performing Identity in the Digital Age" by Rhiannon Armstrong from [http://www.csa.com/ CSA website]. Csa.com. Retrieved 19 October 2011.</ref> * ''Maa'' (1995) – An audacious mix of odd mythic creatures, melodrama, snatches of film, towering carnival costumes and scratch animation.{{Citation needed|date=November 2025}} * ''The Seed The Root'' (1995) – A series of site-specific installations and performances exploring gender and cultural imbalances, created in collaboration with local businesses in Brick Lane and international and British artists.{{Citation needed|date=November 2025}} * ''Moti Roti, Puttli Chunni'' (1993–1994) – The United Kingdom's first Bollywood musical. Winner of Time Out Performance Award.{{Citation needed|date=November 2025}} * ''Flying Costumes, Floating Tombs'' (1991) – An extravagant spectacle inspired by the Hosay Festival in Trinidad. Winner of Time Out Performance Award.{{Citation needed|date=November 2025}}
==Notable collaborators== Mina Anwar,<ref name="motiroti.com">[http://www.motiroti.com/work/projects/project.php?data_id=10 Cast list for ''Moti Roti, Puttli Chunni'' from [http://www.motiroti.com/ motiroti.com] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080131193300/http://www.motiroti.com/work/projects/project.php?data_id=10 |date=31 January 2008 }}</ref> Christophe Berthonneau, Sonia Boyce,<ref>[http://www.newaudiences.org.uk/project.php?id=34 Information about the "Plain Magic" project from New Audiences website]. Newaudiences.org.uk. Retrieved 19 October 2011.</ref> dbox,<ref>{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20061015035512/http://www.asiansinmedia.org/news/article.php/events/1456 Article title]}} Article about screening of motiroti/dbox collaboration ''cutout II'' from Asians in Media website</ref> Shahram Entekhabi,<ref>[http://www.entekhabi.org/texts/freshazan.html Description of "Fresh Azan", a collaboration between Shahram Entekhabi and motiroti from Entekhabi's website]. Entekhabi.org. Retrieved 19 October 2011.</ref> Guillermo Gómez-Peña,<ref>http://213.161.73.222/news/news074 Information on masterclass with Guillermo Gomez-Pena on inIVA website</ref> Shobna Gulati,<ref name="ReferenceA">[http://www.motiroti.com/work/projects/project.php?data_id=17 Information about ''The Seed, The Root'' from [http://www.motiroti.com motiroti.com] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080212194053/http://www.motiroti.com/work/projects/project.php?data_id=17 |date=12 February 2008 }}</ref> Pen Hadow,<ref>[http://www.penhadow.com/testimonials_spk.htm Testimonial from Pen Hadow's website] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070629144221/http://www.penhadow.com/testimonials_spk.htm |date=29 June 2007 }}</ref> Indira Joshi,<ref>[http://www.motiroti.com/work/projects/project.php?data_id=27 Cast list for ''One Night'' from [http://www.motiroti.com motiroti.com] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080210042652/http://www.motiroti.com/work/projects/project.php?data_id=27 |date=10 February 2008 }}</ref> Isaac Julien, Akram Khan,<ref name="ReferenceA"/> Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan,<ref>[http://www.motiroti.com/work/projects/project.php?data_id=13 Information on Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan in Concert from [http://www.motiroti.com/ motiroti.com] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080212193755/http://www.motiroti.com/work/projects/project.php?data_id=13 |date=12 February 2008 }}</ref> Jamila Massey,<ref>[http://www.motiroti.com/work/projects/project.php?data_id=10 Cast list for ''Moti Roti, Puttli Chunni''] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080131193300/http://www.motiroti.com/work/projects/project.php?data_id=10 |date=31 January 2008 }}</ref> Robin Rimbaud,<ref>[http://www.newaudiences.org.uk/project.php?id=34 Information about "Plain Magic" project from New Audiences website]. Newaudiences.org.uk. Retrieved 19 October 2011.</ref> Sunetra Sarker,<ref>[http://www.motiroti.com/work/projects/project.php?data_id=27 Cast list for ''One Night'' from [http://www.motiroti.com/ motiroti.com] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080210042652/http://www.motiroti.com/work/projects/project.php?data_id=27 |date=10 February 2008 }}</ref> Shri,<ref>http://www.wexarts.org/info/press/db/119_nr-alladeen_elec.pdf Press release for [http://www.alladeen.com ''Alladeen''] from Wexner Center for the Arts website</ref> Jasmine Simhalan,<ref>http://redcat.org/about/press/2.12.04alladeen.html Press release for [http://www.alladeen.com ''Alladeen''] from REDCAT website</ref> Talvin Singh,<ref>[http://www.motiroti.com/work/projects/project.php?data_id=25 Information about the ''Anokha'' project from [http://www.motiroti.com/ motiroti.com] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080210013918/http://www.motiroti.com/work/projects/project.php?data_id=25 |date=10 February 2008 }}</ref> Nina Wadia,<ref name="motiroti.com"/> Benjamin Zephaniah. Nila Madhab Panda,<ref name="ReferenceB">{{cite web|url=http://www.motiroti.com/work/projects/current.php?data_id=60 |access-date=8 November 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080219073017/http://www.motiroti.com/work/projects/current.php?data_id=60 |archive-date=19 February 2008 |title=Motiroti current projects }}</ref> Shalalae Jamil,<ref name="ReferenceB"/> Daniel Saul.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.motiroti.com/work/projects/project.php?data_id=53 |access-date=8 November 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080404002042/http://www.motiroti.com/work/projects/project.php?data_id=53 |archive-date=4 April 2008 |title=Motiroti projects }}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist|colwidth=30em}}
==External links on the UK web archive== * [https://www.webarchive.org.uk/ukwa/target/204013595/source/search summary archive of Motiroti's work] * [https://www.webarchive.org.uk/ukwa/target/27525124/source/search website for Alladeen], motiroti's OBIE award-winning multiplatform collaboration with the Builders' Association; * [https://www.webarchive.org.uk/ukwa/target/27525125/source/search 360° website], including links to sixty one-minute films created in India, Pakistan and the UK as the 60x60Secs project.
{{Authority control}}
Category:English artist groups and collectives Category:British contemporary artists