The Artist
I am Joachim Keke — A multidisciplinary artist whose practice spans dance, theatre, fashion, and community-rooted storytelling. Drawing from Afro-fusion movement and contemporary performance, my work explores how the body carries identity, memory, and cultural heritage.
My artistic journey began in Nigeria, where I first developed as a performer and choreographer long before relocating to the UK. Movement has always been my first language; before I ever had the words for it, my body was already expressing joy, resilience, culture, and belonging. That embodied truth continues to guide everything I create.
My work unfolds across performance stages, festivals, devised theatre productions, and community-led projects. Whether I am choreographing, performing, designing, or facilitating, my focus remains the same: to make work that centres people and honours lived experience.
I believe art is more than expression — it is a catalyst. It can heal, question, ignite, and bring communities together across culture and experience. Through my practice, I aim to create spaces where people feel seen, where stories of identity and resilience are honoured, and where creativity becomes a pathway for connection and meaningful change.
Fashion & Costume Design
Creative Strategy & Direction
Dance & Theatre Direction
Artistic Approach
I blend African and Afro-fusion movement, contemporary theatre techniques, storytelling and spoken word — all rooted in community and lived experience.
"I don't separate art from people — I build with them."
Values I Stand On
Representation Matters
Every voice deserves space — not permission. Visibility is a right. I create work that centres those who are too often overlooked, unheard, or erased, using art to honour stories the world does not always make room for.
Culture is power
Culture is inheritance — creativity is how we carry it forward. My work is shaped by the stories, rhythms, and traditions passed through generations. Through movement, performance, and design, I honour where we come from while reimagining how those histories live, breathe, and evolve in the present
Art should disrupt and heal
Art should shake something loose — then help us put it back together. Transformation begins when truth meets vulnerability. Art can challenge us, comfort us, and open space for restoration. My practice embraces both the disruption and the healing.
Community is the stage
I don’t perform for people — I build with them. My work is rooted in collaboration, shared experience, and collective storytelling. Whether in a studio, a street, or a festival space, I create environments where people move together, connect, and see themselves reflected in the story.
The Journey
Performer & Choreographer
Key credits include Brighter Still, Upswing’s Bloom, BAFA Festival, BRAVE Festival, Dance On, Still I Rise, Clinic of Remembering, and youth dance workshops for Bradford Arts Centre and Phab Club.
Creative Director & Lead Artist (Nigeria → UK)
Led community-rooted performance projects with Bradford 2025, Common Wealth Theatre, and youth theatre work with 29 Festival and Northern Broadsides — creating work grounded in identity and collective care.
Creative Development (Nigeria → UK)
Expanded a multidisciplinary practice across theatre, performance, creative consulting, and choreographic research during transition years between Nigeria and the UK.
Costume Designer & Creative Fashion Consultant — Lagos
Founded a fashion and costume brand rooted in Afrofusion aesthetics and indigenous cultural wear, designing for theatre, performance, runway and private clients. Continues to consult online on costume direction and cultural styling.
Foundational Years — Lagos Theatre & University of Lagos
Trained as a dance and theatre artist through a BA (Dance major) and MA in Theatre Arts at the University of Lagos. This period included early directing, choreography, stage management, and youth workshops with Thespian Family Theatre — forming the core grounding of my artistic and performance practice.
Let's Build Something Meaningful
Open to collaborations, commissions, and creative partnerships that push boundaries while staying rooted in purpose.