• To promote inter-cultural dialogue, engagement and understanding by demonstrating reconciliation between East and West, the traditional and the modern, and Muslims and people of other faiths and traditions;

• To assist in developing cultural capital and currency for Muslim communities that will facilitate greater and more inclusive socio-cultural stakeholding and integration and challenge Islamophobia and extremism from all quarters.

Company Directors

Luqman Ali: Artistic Director 

Luqman specialised in the languages (Arabic, Persian and Urdu), literature and cultures of the Middle East and the Indian Sub-continent. He then spent a decade working as a linguist, writer and translator before serving for 3 years as programmes manager for a London-based humanitarian NGO where he raised funds from European GO's and NGO's in order to deliver humanitarian projects for refugees and displaced persons in the Middle East with DFID and UNHCR.

In 1997, Luqman co-founded Khayaal, the first professional theatre company dedicated to the exploration of classic Muslim literature through contemporary stagecraft as a means of fostering greater intercultural and interfaith engagement and understanding. He adapted and produced Khayaal’s award-winning debut production, Conference of the Birds, in London in 1998. He went on to pioneer the adaptation of the works of an array of Muslim litterateurs as well as folktales from African, Arabic, Turkish, Chinese, Persian and Urdu cultures, staging these works at The Globe’s Shakespeare and Islam Season (2004) and at The British Museum’s critically acclaimed Hajj Exhibition (2012) and its Albukhary Foundation Gallery of the Islamic World launch events (2018) as well as in theatres, corporations, schools and communities throughout the UK and beyond (Morocco, Pakistan, Sudan, Switzerland, UAE and USA).

Luqman is currently working to nurture an inclusive humanitarian discourse of story and dream in Muslim communities and between those communities and wider society through Khayaal’s national on-demand Theatre-without-Walls programme that includes themed adaptations of wisdom tales from Hinduism, Judaism, Christianity, Islam and Sikhism #HilfAlFudul while also developing the company’s next medium scale production exploring the intersection of Britain and Islam in the story of coffee.

Luqman served as founding convening adviser and trustee of Amal from 2016-2024. He is a fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and an alumnus of the Windsor Senior Strategic Leadership Programme.

Eleanor Martin: Associate Director 

Eleanor obtained a BA Hons. in Drama & English Literature prior to training as a professional actor at Mountview Theatre School. She went on to work in theatre, film and television in Britain and abroad including parts in popular television drama series.

As a founding member of Khayaal, Eleanor has researched, produced, devised, directed, and performed for the Company since its inception. She co-directed and performed in the Conference of the Birds, Khayaal’s award winning debut production and has since played a pivotal role in all of Khayaal’s productions. For four years Eleanor toured Khayaal’s one woman play, Sun & Wind.
Eleanor has worked extensively as a storyteller, performing everywhere from schools to living rooms to a circus top and at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

As an educator she has devised bespoke workshops for Goldsmith University, Shakespeare’s Globe and The British Museum. She is thrilled to be currently laying the foundations for continuous drama education provision for disadvantaged Muslim children through Khayaal's Drama Academy.

Saba Qureshi: Associate Director

Saba Qureshi is a highly accomplished and versatile designer with over two decades of experience in the global retail and manufacturing sectors including senior design executive and management positions in London, Hong Kong, Dusseldorf, Cape Town and Colombo. She has demonstrated her commercial acumen and creative flair across various product categories, working with international brands such as C&A, Marks & Spencer, Gap Inc, Calvin Klein, Athleta, Victoria Secrets and MAS. Saba excels at leading and mentoring design teams, fostering collaboration, and translating market trends into innovative, commercially successful products that have serviced global customer brands including La Senza, Old Navy, Mey, HBI, Spanx and Ultimo.

A founding member of Khayaal, Saba served as costume designer for the 13 characters of our award-winning debut production, Conference of the Birds at The Tabernacle, London in 1998. More recently, she served as archive researcher and designer-in-chief on the innovative projection stream in Khayaal’s Edhi Means Love online stage play during the pandemic. Over the lifetime of Khayaal, Saba has either delivered or advised on an extensive range of design projects and briefs across stage, web, print, and screen.

Mo Sesay: Associate Director  

Mohammed Sesay trained as a professional actor at the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art. In his career, Mohammed has played leading roles in theatre at the National Theatre and Shakespeare’s Globe, in TV; ‘Soldier, Soldier’, ‘Holby City’ and ‘Eastenders’ and in film; ‘Bhaji on The Beach’ and ‘It’s A Wonderful Afterlife’, directed by ‘Bend it Like Beckham’s’ Gurinder Chadha, to name a few. Mohammed is also a freelance director and writer for theatre and film and has several projects in development. He is a founding member of Khayaal, played the lead role of the Hoopoe in its debut, Conference of the Birds, and has written, directed and performed for the company over many years. Mohammed currently teaches Acting Technique at some of the UK’s leading drama schools, including LAMDA, Rose Bruford and Fourth Monkey training both B.A. and M.A. students.

Awards & Commendations

• American Folklore Society Aesop Accolade 2019

• Community Interest Luton Arts Award 2018

• European Union Theatre-in-Education Best Practice Case Study 2010

• DCLG Community Leadership Award 2008

• Muslim News Alhambra Award for Excellence in Art 2000

Testimonials

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