Connecting the Culturally Curious

How we work

We believe arts and culture is vital in shaping individual and collective personality; igniting conversation, incubating local and global ideologies, and binding communities. We are trusted navigators and translators of a complex art world.

We work with the most ambitious of businesses and individuals who want to unearth their cultural DNA to create new conversations with global impact and lasting legacy.

Our mission is to build connections and communities and help individuals, brands and organisations understand the importance and impact of arts, culture and design in our daily lives and commerce.

About The Founder:

London born British-Sri Lankan entrepreneur Katy Wickremesinghe founded KTW consultancy in 2014, following a decade at Freuds. A specialist in the art world eco system and the global luxury brand, corporate and entertainment space, KTW has become the go-to for those looking for navigation, translation, and connection in a layered and complex art market.  Katy is committed to future trends in publishing, marketing and PR – utilising the latest techniques and know-how to integrate new models and ways of working across clients. As a result Katy and KTW have placed in the top 10 PR Week Powerbook of Luxury and Leadership 2020, 2021, 2022).

A committed cultural advocate and philanthropist, Katy serves as a V&A Young Patron, a member of Future Contemporaries with The Serpentine and a mentor for AWITA.  She also holds prominent advisory board roles including: The Line – London’s first public art walk, and sits on the editorial committee as a cultural advisor for CogX.  In December 2020 Katy was appointed the youngest ever Trustee of the Dulwich Picture Gallery.

In 2021 Katy founded The Wick - a cultural content hub which is a navigator of the art world developing "culturally curious audiences" and dynamic specialist content and programming. The Wick is fast becoming known as the voice of culture amplifying and uniting voices of expertise and long-time established experts with new dynamic talent.

Katy is a regular moderator across arts and business, and talks have included: London Tech Club at Sotheby’s NFT’s Uncovered; Kate Bryan interview at Fortnum’s The Art of Love; Goal’s House The Healing Power of Art to mark the 75th Anniversary of the United Nations; Collect Art Fair with Stephen Webster Jewellery as an Art Form; AWITA Strategies in a Time of Crisis; and interviewing key note speaker Misan Harriman at Walpole Luxury Summit 2022.

How we work

 

Strategic Communications

For individuals and global brands looking to create roadmaps into the art market as well as developing both collector engagement and institutional positioning.

 

Creating eco-systems and public profile for owners and leaders seeking to resonate in credible meaningful ways in the cultural and news agenda.

Reputation Management

 

Working with individuals and organisations to unearth and unleash new revenue opportunities as well as act as an extension of the in house team to create meaningful viable roadmaps and team plans.

Business Development

 

Global Brands

Having amplified and launched hundreds of global brands and destination spaces to market, KTW advises on how to navigate the art world and build authentic relationships and conversations in which to root strong communications strategies.

 

Expert handlers in identifying, engaging, and connecting key influencers and stakeholders who will advocate for our clients authentically. We are strong negotiators and we work to identify, conceptualise and activate powerful aligned partnerships to enrich our clients’ profile and customers

Partnerships & Connectivity

 

Audience Development and Delivery

Working with galleries or specialist brand-art projects to develop audiences (IRL and digitally), create experiential and dynamic marketing content with artists enabling impactful PR and multi-channel outputs.

 

Holding strong relationships across grass-roots, institutional and commercial art world, KTW works regularly to input into content and show strategies across the gallery, exhibition, and curated show arena.

Artists & Curatorial Development

 

Using rigorous media management experience and intricate guest list curation and management to make your moment or event “famous” and chiming well with the core audience.

Event Exploitation

 

Testimonials

  • Ewan Venters, (former) CEO Fortnum & Mason, CEO Hauser & Wirth

    Smart, creative and effective - that’s what the team at KTW bring to their work. A total pleasure to work with and highly recommended.

  • Trino Verkade, Sarabande Foundation

    Sarabande foundation engaged KTW to help navigate our first major fundraiser in September of 2019, a difficult project due to the scale and multiple objectives of the event. We not only wanted to create a buzz about in the cultural landscape, but we were focused on the financial success of the evening and how specific communication targets could help activate future partnerships and lead into future revenue. The KTW team were amazing in bringing in requested high level international titles, as well as a dynamic mix of social, luxury, and art media. This was the perfect event for KTW’s approach and strong network across the art and cultural landscape. The KTW team felt personally invested in the events success and would check in on the Foundations day-to-day activities leading up the fundraiser. And their event management on the evening was both sensitive and showed off their professionalism to make the event and the evening seamless.

  • The Rt Hon. Lord Vaizey Parliamentary Committee

    I’ve had the pleasure of working with Katy as both a collaborator and partner on numerous panels and projects – all at intersections in which art meets wider world conversation. For example, in the fields of health, business and technology. KTW is a highly nimble, connected business with a wide strategic lens. I’ve always found Katy’s judgement to be astute and her knowledge deep in all the areas I’ve been lucky enough to work with her on.

  • Paula Fitzherbert, Group Director Of Communications, Maybourne Hotel Group

    We have worked a several projects with Katy Wick and her team at KTW and have found them to be one of the most professional and knowledgeable partners we have ever experienced. Always thinking out of the box and trying to go beyond expectations, Katy has led the way in the Art PR world and has held our hand on several occasions when we needed guidance and a good steer. I would not hesitate to recommend her to anyone.

  • Dylan Jones, author and journalist

    In a very short time, Katy Wick and her lean team at KTW have become an invaluable conduit in the art world. I have worked with Katy both as a consultant and as a partner, while also being on the receiving end of her relentless PR skills; in every capacity she has been a joy to work with. Her knowledge of and interest in contemporary art, especially in Britain, is formidable, while her curiosity has created a genuine eco system for her company. When you walk in a room in London and you see Katy, you know you’re almost certainly in the right place.

  • Isobel Dennis, Collect Art Fair

    I had the pleasure of meeting Katy through our 2021 virtual VIP Programme for Collect art fair. I liked her straight away and was really impressed with how fast she grasped the subject matter and the care she took to ensure everything was being presented in the best possible way. Katy is a joy to work with, personable and intelligent, approaching what she does with integrity. I am looking forward to when our paths can cross again.

  • Kate Bryan, Sky Arts & Head of Collections at Soho House

    Working with KTW was so useful I fear it is addictive. The team don’t just perform what you hope they will, they do all the things you hadn’t even thought of yet. Leading a global art fair with 6 months’ notice was a huge task and KTW helped to create clarity, focus and structure where previously there had just been noise and too many ideas. I am so impressed at how quickly the company has gained a foothold across several competitive industries, carving a real niche by elegantly stitching new areas of interest together.

  • Tim Yip, Oscar-Winning Artist and Film Director

    I have always found it difficult to succinctly define PR. It can deliver the deeper value of an artist and create understanding around their practice. It’s a close relationship in which a vision for the future is formed. Over the years, KTW have approached challenges with positivity, intelligently balancing the artistic and the practical. KTW has a warm and highly effective team who have come together on this incredible journey to make things happen in our time.

  • Helen Beard, Artist

    I am writing to thank you for the incredible job that you and your team did on promoting my new show at Unit London, the work you did really focused on the issues that are important to me such as Body Positivity and Female Pleasure and the importance of a discourse on Female Sexuality. The team could not have done a better job, and for me it was such a positive experience, particularly getting the cover of the Independent despite Boris’s antics! You have some amazing women working alongside you.

  • Joe Kennedy Gallerist, Unit London

    KTW have this incredible ability to combine the magic and ambition of their ideas with the structure and rigour that makes them effective. Their attention to detail, insightful understanding of cultural trends, and their tenacity in delivering results for their clients is infectious and has renewed my faith in PR. Beyond that, they are great, committed, passionate people and an amazing team to work with!

  • Chris Levine Studio

    The whole team at KTW are brilliant, endlessly enthusiastic and energetic and bring dynamism and creativity to every project. We worked with them for over 5 years on varying projects from small scale installations and studio previews to large exhibitions during Frieze. They deliver across the board on communications strategies and positioning. We see KTW as friends who share similar perspectives to us on life as well as work and they are a pleasure to work with.

  • Megan Piper, The Line

    Katy is a joy to work with. Her strategic thinking, creative outlook and practical approach are a potent combination and she's been an invaluable support to The Line since she joined our Advisory Board in 2019. She's highly respected and has strong professional relationships which mean she is able to bring people together to facilitate inspiring conversations and strategic partnerships. I couldn't recommend her more highly.

  • Philip Colbert, Artist

    I’ve worked with the KTW team for the past few years across major gallery shows and global brand collaborations and strategies. As well as working together, we have become great friends. I find the team informed, friendly and hardworking and I’ve always found them to be a brilliant addition to our projects. They have great positive energy and am looking forward to future projects.

  • Cj Hendry, Artist

    For our first exhibition in the UK we asked two UK based collectors if they had an PR recommendations for us - both of them came back with KTW and the team have been fantastic start to finish. Not only were the team extremely good at what they do, offering advice and guidance in a new market for us, they were also respectful of what we wanted at the end of the day. The KTW team were easily accessible during the campaign when everything was moving quickly and were always a pleasure to deal with. The results speak for themselves with amazing coverage. Will definitely work with KTW again.

  • Matthew Burgess, Acting Head of Fair, Goldsmith’s Fair (The Wick)

    Knowing what the KTW team are capable of I couldn’t wait to bring them in to help expand the Fair’s reach to wider audience across the creative industries. The Wick’s packages made it simple and easy to understand the activation, the costs and the intended results, and we were able to tailor the package to benefit the campaign. KTW went above and beyond to make sure the event was a success both digitally and in-person. I felt very comfortable that the team understood the various parts of the campaign and were an extension of my team from start to finish.

  • Carrie Scott, curator

    I have worked with a ton of top shelf PR agencies over the last 18 years, and watched artists and galleries pay out thousands of pounds and get ok results. What I have never, ever seen are results like those that KTW brought in. From pre-exhibition buzz to event coverage, and the added bonus of expertly shot and edited video content created for her own channels, there was so much good media traction I almost lost sight of it all. Katy is a serious talent and a complete superstar! Her team are all wonderful, helpful, professional and, what’s more, talented! I will be calling KTW for the next event I put on!

  • Martina Batovic (Former) Director, Dorotheum, Founder & CEO, Artisan Art Intelligence

    I have been working with Katy and her team intensively for over a year now, and working them has been a joy from day one. No idea is too big or impossible, and no problem too complicated for them to handle, which in the creative industries is a must. The expertise which they bring across communications, event planning, promotion and execution of tasks from simplest events to complex negotiations is as easy as it is fun. I have been able to be far more creative in my role because of the support I had from the Team, together with their infectious energy, endless enthusiasm and never-wavering optimism. I look forward to every new project we do together

  • Jolyon Fenwick, Photographer & Historian

    I just wanted to thank KTW for their superb work on Zero Hour. I’ve worked with what must be almost hundreds of companies and individuals over the years on various projects both large and small. Some were surprisingly useless; some were unsurprisingly average and a handful have been really great. You may well be on your own for being more than great and an absolute pleasure to work with to boot. I, like most people, incredibly rarely feel sufficiently exercised to recommend anyone’s work to somebody else but I have to say I even bring KTW up unprompted in conversation just because I’m thrilled that some professional people still do an exceptional and charming job that is worth every penny.

  • Zia Zareem-Slade, Customer Experience Director, Fortnum & Mason

    Working with the KTW team has been brilliant. Intelligent, curious, creative and challenging – the team took on their brief and after much rigorous challenge, discussion and debate quickly became a natural extension of our team and set about to deliver excellence with great gusto and pride.

  • William Ling, Gallerist & Art Dealer

    Katy is determined, tenacious and works with considerable insight and enthusiasm. She gets results.

  • Harry Blain, Blain|Southern

    I have had the pleasure of working with KTW since the business started and I have always found them to be reliable, highly professional and a pleasure to work with. KTW’s in-depth knowledge and genuine relationships with key influencers across a wide range of areas mean that they are able to execute and deliver even the most ambitious communications strategies operating at a level few others could match. KTW will always go the extra mile to make something extraordinary but what is remarkable is that she has been able to install that drive and culture throughout her entire team. I would recommend KTW to everyone, except my competition.

  • John & Monique Davidson, Founders, J&M Davidson

    KTW were an extension of the J&M Davidson family for several years. They are a dynamic addition, plain spoken with an excellent creative flair and a strategic mind. The partnership has been a key part of our success and we love working with KTW. If you have a team, you want KTW on your side.

  • Johan Van Mullem Artist

    I must say that I have been very impressed by the extreme high quality of all events, organising and people working on it giving the possibility to perform all together with finally a big smile and make it contagious. I’ll will have a lot of warm souvenirs of all that... Congratulations for the results and many thanks to everyone.

  • Gerry Farrell Founder, Sladmore Contemporary

    Having worked with many PR and marketing operations over the years I can honestly say that for sheer professionalism, hard work and achieving genuine measurable and obvious results, KTW is impossible to beat. Just way ahead of the others. They really understood the brief and surpassed all expectations in achieving a high level of the very best kind of coverage in top of the range media. A pleasure to work with and fun as well.

  • William Ling, Gallerist & Art Dealer

    KTW are determined, tenacious and works with considerable insight and enthusiasm. They get results.

  • Fru Tholstrup Art Ltd

    I have worked with KTW on various projects and can genuinely say that their huge success was very much down to the extraordinary service, commitment, dedication and incredible passion from the whole team. They were absolutely indispensable for all of my projects and not only understood the brief immediately, but their creative input was really genius. I really felt that the team and their very organised and dedicated approach enhanced every aspect of our collaborations and I have continued to recommend KTW to many other clients who have also been delighted. I cannot wait to join forces again; I wouldn’t want to get involved with any other projects without them on board!

  • Sarah Hardie, artist

    Working with KTW was great! It was brilliant to, for a change, not worry about contacting press myself and leave it to people with contacts and networks which achieved an array of press for me and really got news of my work out to the masses via mainstream news websites, as well as more specialist publications such as The Art Newspaper, which is a dream come true of mine to feature in. It was also great to do my first BBC radio interview as a result of their work, and my first podcast interviews. I really rate their attention to detail (which is a rare find!) and work ethic. They really care and you can tell.

Clients & Collaborators

 
 

A content platform created by Katy Wickremesinghe, The Wick is a hub to connect the culturally curious. Breaking open the art world and offering access to expert and new perspectives, The Wick is on a mission to enable individuals and businesses to understand the impact of arts, culture and design on our daily lives and commerce to make them more art engaged and responsible.

The KTW Collective

 

KTW & The Wick works as a nimble team of expert specialists, client handlers and content producers to deliver best in class work.

The Collective includes:

 
 

Martha Mosse General Manager, formerly GM at Sarabande Lee Alexander McQueen Foundation; Matt Hyde, CFO formerly CFO Freuds; Tani Burns Consultant Media Relations with specialist expertise working with galleries, artists and museums; Lydia Higton, Content and Marketing Co-ordinator; Laura Colonnese, Consultant Partnerships & Design Specialist; Harriet Quick, Editor & Journalist, Lucy Scovell Contributing Editor The Wick, formerly Editor of Christie’s Online; Jess Kelham-Hohler Contributor and writer The Wick formerly Content Manager Soho House; Hayley Lleaver Contributing Editor The Wick formerly Editor Vogue Business; Jodine Davies as accounts.

Our matrix consultancy approach sees us harness our network, built over 18 years, to support our in-house talent and enable a wide range of clients to navigate the worlds of art and culture via carefully engineered business strategies. Our world includes Founders, CEOs, Collectors, Museum Directors, Artists, Creators to Cultural game changers. Our access means we are able to combine the expertise of these individuals in ways which are viscerally engaging, intellectually curious, and politically astute to support you and your business. This way of working at KTW, makes the top creative echelon of industry experts your team too.

 
 
 

THE WICK x Interview

Artist Sarah Maple, with curator, arts broadcaster and Head of Collections for Soho House, Kate Bryan in conversation with KTW & The Wick founder, Katy Wickremesinghe.

 
 
 

The Wick x The Design Museum, Sneakers Unboxed: Studio to Street

The Wick goes behind the scenes for a preview of Sneakers Unboxed: Studio to Street in collaboration with StockX, open at the Design Museum in London until 24 October 2021. Katy Wickremesinghe meets Tim Marlow OBE, Chief Executive and Director, Ligaya Salazar, Curator and Kish Kash, Cultural Archivist.

 
 

Walpole UK's British Luxury Summit 2022 | A Radical New Vision, 23 May 2022

Entrepreneur, activist and founder of WhatWeSee Misan Harriman gave a compelling interview at Walpole’s annual British Luxury Summit 2022 – in conversation with Wick founder, Katy Wickremesinghe. The pair discussed Harriman’s iconic British Vogue Cover, the widely shared Civil Rights images of 2020 Black Lives Matter and what diversity in luxury really means. The conversation explored Harriman’s curatorial role with Tezos, being the biggest collector of African NFT artists, his role as Chair of the Southbank Centre and the new media and collecting space enabling democratisation in the art space.

Connect with KTW London & @TheWickCulture

Navigators of the art world and cultural space, we are a communications, content and development consultancy based in London with a global remit.