Gerard Houghton is a writer, art-critic and videographer based in London. Graduating from Churchill College, Cambridge, he spent two years in West Africa working as an interpreter. In 1980, he moved to Japan where he taught Literature and Linguistics at two of Japan’s more prestigious universities. On his return to London, in 1994, he became Director of Special Projects at October Gallery, a central-London gallery specializing in contemporary art from around the planet. As well as writing essays, articles and catalogues he has edited a number of publications on the many international artists October Gallery represents. Since 2000, he has documented ancient traditions of dance in the Himalaya region, helping create a trove of 500 plus hours of dance footage held in the NYPL archives and available online.