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Pravesh Kumar MBE is the Artistic Director and Chief Executive of award winning Rifco Theatre Company. He started the company in 2000 to make a different kind of theatre for a community that could not see themselves represented on English stages. He has been at the forefront of bringing new British South Asian audiences into theatres in their thousands, often for the first time by making entertaining and accessible theatre.
Pravesh has a background in film and worked in the commercial Indian film industry often called Bollywood for many years. His theatrical directorial debut was in 2000 with a UK tour of Bollywood - Yet Another Love Story. He has gone on to achieve critical acclaim for Rifco’s productions.
His short film, Gods on Mountains was nominated for the Satyajit Ray Short Film Award. Pravesh is currently writing an ambitious new main stage musical and his debut feature film Little English, based on a Rifco play, premiered at London Indian Film Festival at BFI Southbank to sold out screenings.
Pravesh leads on the Rifco Associates programme finding new British South Asian voices of the future. Pravesh was awarded an MBE for services in theatre in the New Year Honours List 2022.
Ameet has been a professional actor in the UK for over 27 years with credits that range from appearing on stage for the Royal National Theatre to playing a principal character in the BBC’s flagship soap opera Eastenders for over 2 years. Some film credits include feature films Bend it Like Beckham, Run Fatboy Run and the Black Prince.
In 2009 he trained as a Director / Film Maker at The New York Film Academy (Los Angeles Campus). He has worked extensively with Rifco Theatre Company as a trainee director through their Rifco Associates programme, curating the British Asian Festival in 2016 and as a Director and Assistant Director on new works including Pyar Actually, Laila and Back in the Daytimers. Ameet has recently been appointed Associate Director to the company, a new role which will steer the Associates programme and lead the digital arm of the company’s work.
Ameet can currently be seen in Life of Pi in the West End.
George worked as a script developer for Scottish Screen, Summit Entertainment (now Lionsgate), Nutopia, and Sky Drama, before literally running away to join the circus and producing for worldwide sensation Gandini Juggling from 2015-2018. His subsequent career has included work with puppet musical makers Monstro Theatre, new writing specialists Metal Rabbit, and sonic theatre company ERRATICA, for whom he also produces the podcast Soundwolds. He has toured productions across the USA, Europe, Australia, and Asia and holds a diploma in script development from the National Film and TV School.
Prior to gaining a Masters in Creative Producing, Amy initially trained in Musical Theatre, graduating with First Class Honours in 2019. Since then, Amy has worked in various roles across the Theatre sector, including Creative Learning Producer at Richmond Theatre, part of the Ambassador Theatre Group.
Amy is proud to have now joined the team at Rifco in the role of Producer, working on some very exciting projects with the team.
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Shamima has eight years of experience in marketing and communications within the arts and cultural sectors, working with organisations such as Leeds Playhouse, Yorkshire Dance, Phoenix Dance Theatre, The Amplify Project, Horizon Showcase, and Fuel.
Before her career in the arts, she completed a BA in English Literature and Masters Degree in Postcolonial Literary and Cultural Studies from the University of Leeds. Shamima is a CLORE Leadership Emerging Leader (Cohort 2021), a Creative Access Alumni, and a member representative for the Arts Marketing Association. She is thrilled to be returning to Rifco, having previously worked with the company during the pandemic.
She is also a freelance writer and has written articles, essays and programme materials for organisations such as Leeds Playhouse, Opera North, Wasifiri and Phoenix Dance Theatre.
Sweekriti Khatiwara is a multi-lingual producer, director, and writer with over eight years of experience spanning film, television and documentary across the UK, India, and Nepal. Her screen work includes independent short films, documentaries, micro-documentaries, and feature films. Her first short film was shortlisted for the Sikkim International Film Festival in the tribal shorts category. Her student film also received an honorary mention in Brighton Rocks Film festival.
Alongside her film career, Sweekriti has a background in journalism, having worked as an English News Editor in Nepal. She holds a First-Class BA in English, a Gold Medal–winning MA in Peace and Conflict Studies, and an MA in Screen and Film Production from Met Film School, Brighton. She also holds postgraduate qualifications in Women and Gender Studies and Human Rights.
Deeply committed to socially conscious storytelling, Sweekriti has delivered guest lectures on prostitution, menstruation, and gender issues at universities in India and Nepal. Her work is shaped by a strong ethical lens, cultural fluency, and an ability to navigate complex human narratives with empathy and clarity.
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Vedi Roy (they/them) is the current Development Lead at Rifco Theatre Company.
They trained at Pineapple Arts, NLDS the College, The Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts and RTYDS.They are a multi-disciplinary artist and producer, who is Queer, South Asian and disabled, working in a range of theatrical and filmed capacities, with a particular focus on community-driven, devised, movement, music-based and holistically explorative work.
In the world of fundraising, producing and acquisition they have successfully won bids, contracts and sponsorships for charities and companies such as VCCP, Controlling Chemsex, Rifco Theatre Company and independent projects across the world, often bridging gaps between corporate, public and the third-sector with their personable flare and in-depth knowledge of how to execute amicable and cross-beneficial relationships.Their relationship with Rifco Theatre Company started in 2015 where they were selected to be a part of the cast of Laila The Musical. Since then Vedi has worked with Rifco regularly over the years as Pinky in Miss Meena and the Masala Queens, wrote, performed and hosted for the British Asian Festival, worked with Rifco as a director and choreographer for their corporate training days and frequented the office to assist with producing and other creative exploits!They are currently based outside of the UK, continuing to create projects benefitting society, taking their learning of how acquisition works in other economies, to bring new vigor and knowledge to the third-sector economy in the UK.