Pervaiz Khan profile of local filmmaker and multimedia Artist.

Pervaiz Khan is a Birmingham theatre director, filmmaker and multi-media artist whose work has shown nationally, in Europe and the USA. He came to Britain with his mother from the Mirpur District of Kashmir in Pakistan when he was a one year old, joining his father who had previously served in the British and Pakistani army.

When he first came to England he lived in High Wycombe where an uncle had married a Scottish woman. Aunt Betty taught Pervaiz nursery rhymes and he was speaking English before he went to nursery school. In Birmingham he attended Christ Church (C of E) school in Sparkbrook. At first Pervaiz was the only Asian boy in his class. He grew up with Bengalis, Indians, Irish, Jamaicans, Italians and Poles as neighbours, an experience providing him with an understanding difficult to obtain elsewhere.

By the age of 7 he was the family translator and interpreter for visits to doctor and solicitors. He has memories of participating in harvest festivals and morning assemblies. Occasionally a Salvation Army officer who travelled abroad came to speak of 'natives' in far off lands. He enjoyed school and thought of himself as British.

Golden Hillock Secondary School was different. On his first day he was called a black bastard and was bullied for the first time. Repatriation was a live issue and Enoch Powell had a lot of support. Racism was respectable. Teachers were not overtly hostile but some had difficulty coming to terms with ambitious young Asians who wanted to become more than factory workers like their parents. He became disenchanted with formal schooling. Good teaching, though, stimulated his interest in English, in which he obtained a grade A "O" level.

After school he secured a place on a Youth Opportunities' Programme in an adventure playground. He enjoyed the work and was sponsored by Birmingham City Council to improve his qualifications. Instead of entering youth and community work, Pervaiz temporarily moved to London becoming an actor. On return he became involved in a community arts projects where he participated in poetry, photography and filmmaking. Work has taken Pervaiz to Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, Europe and USA, but Birmingham remains home.

One of his earliest memories is standing with his brother on a broken fence in Sparkbrook. In the distance they could see a green-domed building. Was this the homeland of Pakistan which his parents descibed? It was, in fact, the office of a bakery in Small Heath. Pakistan was many miles away but the memory demonstrated the interconnection of cultures, which Pervaiz sees as a major strength of Birmingham.

For Pervaiz, Birmingham is becoming a unique city. Young Asians grow up speaking a mixture of Jamaican Patois, New Yorkese, Punjabi and Brummie. There are young Caribbeans and whites who converse in fluent Punjabi. A key ingredient is a vibrant cultural life, reflected in popular music - Steel Pulse, UB40, Apache Indian and Bangra - and contemporary club culture.

Originally published in the Millennibrum Supplement, "Birmingham and the Wider World", The Birmingham Post, December 27 2000

Comments (2)

Show/Hide comments ... : Charles Harry Dear Mr Khan I have just read your biography on the site and am very interested in your background. I work at a fifth and sixth form college in Birmingham (MPW) and we are currentlly looking into possible speakers for future events. I was wondering if you offer this kind of service. The majority of our students are from an Asian background and we are keen to promote subjects in areas other than medical-related. You cleary have been extremely successful and influential in your fields which makes you an ideal candidate for us. If this is at all possible and of interest to you, please contact me at my email address. We very much look forward to hearing from you. Best wishes Charles Harry Head of Faculty of Arts MPW Greenfield Crescent Edgbaston Birmingham Edgbaston September 14, 2007 ... : Tariq Hanif Dear Pervez Khan We are looking for a Patois speaker? Can you help? 0870 350 350 172 3 December 13, 2006

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