San Jose Performance
RAD Arts Foundation & Diaspora Arts Connection, proudly presents Trust Me!!! on October 9 at 8pm at the Montgomery Theater, a compelling contemporary Persian-language theatrical production directed by acclaimed filmmaker and theater director Maziar Miri.
As part of the 10th anniversary of Let Her Sing®: A Celebration of Female Voices, Diaspora Arts Connection & Farcinema present a special program of films at YBCA on Sunday, October 11, 2026, exploring the lives of women who refuse to let censorship, social expectations, and restrictions on artistic expression silence their voices.
Diaspora Arts Connection presents the 10th anniversary of Let Her Sing®: A Celebration of Female Voices, returning to YBCA in San Francisco on Saturday, October 17, 2026 at 7:00 PM.
Rooted in a commitment to amplifying women’s voices across cultures and borders, Let Her Sing was founded on the belief that music can be a powerful force for connection, healing, and social ..
For the first time in San Diego, Diaspora Arts Connection, in collaboration with the Persian Cultural Center of San Diego, presents Let Her Sing®: A Celebration of Female Voices on Saturday, October 24, 2026.
Diaspora Arts Connection proudly presents the Music in-Takht Ensemble on Saturday, November 14 2026 at 8:00 PM at Mountain View Center for Performing Arts' SecondStage.
Immerse yourself in a captivating musical adventure with an enchanting concert featuring the brilliant Egyptian ensemble, Music in-Takht. Taking the audience on a transcendent journey through time, the performance gracefully traverses the evolution of Egyptian instrumental music, starting from the era of King Farouk, the last king of Egypt, and culminating in the vibrant landscape of contemporary Egyptian sound. Music in-Takht skillfully showcases the evolution of their nation's musical heritage from the classic elegance of past eras to the dynamic fusion of today's global influences.
Have a story you’ve always wanted to tell, but never knew how to begin? Led by Shayan Ravandoust
This interactive storytelling workshop, led by Shayan Ravandoust of Third Culture Tales, offers participants an introduction to the craft of personal storytelling and live performance. Drawing from years of experience producing and hosting storytelling events in the Bay Area and internationally, the workshop will guide participants through the fundamentals of developing a compelling story, finding emotional clarity, shaping narrative structure, and connecting authentically with an audience.
The Berkeley Open Stage is an open and welcoming evening of live storytelling where community members are invited to share true personal stories in front of an engaged audience. Whether participants are first-time storytellers, attendees of the festival workshop, or experienced performers, all are welcome to bring their voices, perspectives, and lived experiences to the stage
The Berkeley Storytelling Festival culminates with a special edition of Third Culture Tales, the live storytelling series created by Diaspora Arts Connection that centers stories shaped by migration, identity, belonging, and life between cultures.
Featuring a curated lineup of storytellers, artists, performers, and community voices, the evening explores the deeply human experiences that connect us across backgrounds, histories, and cultural boundaries. Through personal narratives that range from humorous and intimate to reflective and emotional, storytellers will share experiences of family, displacement, memory, language, love, community, and finding home in an increasingly interconnected world.
📍 Impossible Stage – 2033 University Ave, Berkeley
🗓️ September 20
🕖 6:00–8:00 PM
🎟️ Tickets available below
The Berkeley Storytelling Festival culminates with a special edition of Third Culture Tales, the live storytelling series created by Diaspora Arts Connection that centers stories shaped by migration, identity, belonging, and life between cultures.
Featuring a curated lineup of storytellers, artists, performers, and community voices, the evening explores the deeply human experiences that connect us across backgrounds, histories, and cultural boundaries. Through personal narratives that range from humorous and intimate to reflective and emotional, storytellers will share experiences of family, displacement, memory, language, love, community, and finding home in an increasingly interconnected world.
📍 Impossible Stage – 2033 University Ave, Berkeley
🗓️ September 20
🕖 6:00–8:00 PM
🎟️ Tickets available below
The Berkeley Storytelling Festival culminates with a special edition of Third Culture Tales, the live storytelling series created by Diaspora Arts Connection that centers stories shaped by migration, identity, belonging, and life between cultures.
Featuring a curated lineup of storytellers, artists, performers, and community voices, the evening explores the deeply human experiences that connect us across backgrounds, histories, and cultural boundaries. Through personal narratives that range from humorous and intimate to reflective and emotional, storytellers will share experiences of family, displacement, memory, language, love, community, and finding home in an increasingly interconnected world.
The Berkeley Open Stage is an open and welcoming evening of live storytelling where community members are invited to share true personal stories in front of an engaged audience. Whether participants are first-time storytellers, attendees of the festival workshop, or experienced performers, all are welcome to bring their voices, perspectives, and lived experiences to the stage
Have a story you’ve always wanted to tell, but never knew how to begin?
This interactive storytelling workshop, led by Shayan Ravandoust of Third Culture Tales, offers participants an introduction to the craft of personal storytelling and live performance. Drawing from years of experience producing and hosting storytelling events in the Bay Area and internationally, the workshop will guide participants through the fundamentals of developing a compelling story, finding emotional clarity, shaping narrative structure, and connecting authentically with an audience.
What does Berkeley sound like through the voices of the people who have lived it?
Stories of Berkeley is an evening of live storytelling featuring artists, residents, activists, students, longtime community members, and cultural voices sharing personal stories connected to Berkeley across generations, decades, and perspectives. Through stories of movement, memory, protest, creativity, belonging, and everyday life, the program explores the layered identities and lived experiences that have shaped the city over time.
Circle of Love & Light
Healing Community Drum Circle • Sacred Chanting • Inner Balancing
Diaspora Arts Connection invites you to join us for a transformative afternoon of rhythm, connection, and collective healing led by Amir Etemadzadeh, an accomplished percussionist, composer, educator, and founder of Amir School of Music. Born and raised in Iran and now based in the Bay Area, Amir has spent decades studying and teaching frame drums, Persian percussion traditions, rhythm, and the healing power of music. Through his performances, workshops, and community gatherings, he has helped bring people together across cultures through the universal language of rhythm and sound.
Join acclaimed musician Mohammad Khodadadi in Los Angeles on August 28 for an unforgettable evening of Afro-Iranian music and the vibrant dance music traditions of Southern Iran. Featuring a powerhouse live ensemble, this high-energy performance celebrates the rich cultural heritage of the Persian Gulf through infectious grooves, soaring melodies, and masterful musicianship. Rooted in the Afro-Iranian traditions of Bushehr and the southern coast of Iran, the performance blends the expressive sounds of the ney and neyanboon with percussion, guitar, bass, keyboard, and vocals to create a joyful, immersive concert experience that honors centuries of cultural exchange between Iran, East Africa, and the Indian Ocean. This is music meant to be experienced together—an evening that will have audiences on their feet dancing from beginning to end.
San Francisco Performance
RAD Arts Foundation & Diaspora Arts Connection, proudly presents Trust Me!!! on August 23 at 8pm at the Brava Theater, a compelling contemporary Persian-language theatrical production directed by acclaimed filmmaker and theater director Maziar Miri.
Voices of Women for Change and Diaspora Arts Connection proudly present a unique screening of the documentary film "Second Breath" (Nafas-e Dovvom), directed by Mojgan Ilanlou, on Saturday, August 22, 2026 at 4:00 PM, followed by an online Q&A with the director. Join us!
Circle of Love & Light
Healing Community Drum Circle • Sacred Chanting • Inner Balancing
Diaspora Arts Connection invites you to join us for a transformative afternoon of rhythm, connection, and collective healing led by Amir Etemadzadeh, an accomplished percussionist, composer, educator, and founder of Amir School of Music. Born and raised in Iran and now based in the Bay Area, Amir has spent decades studying and teaching frame drums, Persian percussion traditions, rhythm, and the healing power of music. Through his performances, workshops, and community gatherings, he has helped bring people together across cultures through the universal language of rhythm and sound.
Stories, Songs & Imagination with Dr. Bahram Ghadiri
Join us for a delightful morning of storytelling, music, and imagination as we celebrate the children's books of Dr. Bahram Ghadiri.
Designed for children ages 3–11 and their families, this special event will feature live readings from Dr. Ghadiri’s beloved books brought to life through music and performance by educator and musician Sanaz Boroujerdian. Through stories, songs, and interactive engagement, young audiences will be invited into a world of creativity, learning, and adventure.
Light snacks will be provided following the program. We look forward to welcoming families for a joyful morning where stories, music, and imagination come together.
Everyone has a story worth telling. This immersive, hands-on workshop is designed to help participants discover a meaningful personal story, shape it into a compelling narrative, and bring it to life through performance.
Led by Dr. Persis Karim—award-winning writer, poet, editor, and educator whose work has centered on literature, creative writing, and the stories of diaspora communities for more than two decades—and Shayan Ravandoust, founder and host of Third Culture Tales, participants will explore both the craft of writing and the art of oral storytelling. Dr. Karim has taught creative writing, world literature, and diaspora literature at San José State University and S
Circle of Love & Light
Healing Community Drum Circle • Sacred Chanting • Inner Balancing
Diaspora Arts Connection invites you to join us for a transformative afternoon of rhythm, connection, and collective healing led by Amir Etemadzadeh, an accomplished percussionist, composer, educator, and founder of Amir School of Music. Born and raised in Iran and now based in the Bay Area, Amir has spent decades studying and teaching frame drums, Persian percussion traditions, rhythm, and the healing power of music. Through his performances, workshops, and community gatherings, he has helped bring people together across cultures through the universal language of rhythm and sound.
🗓️ Saturday, July 11, 2026
🕕 7:00–9:00 PM
📍 Impossible Stage, 2033 University Ave, Berkeley, CA
Third Culture Tales is back in the Bay! 🌍✨
Born from a deep need to connect beyond borders, languages, and inherited identities, this traveling series brings stories and music to center stage—celebrating the lived experiences of those who exist between cultures.
Join us for an evening of real stories and soul-stirring music, shared live by a powerful lineup of Bay Area artists. Whether you’re an immigrant, a child of immigrants, or someone shaped by movement, memory, and multicultural experience—this event is for you.
Diaspora Arts Connection is proud to present George McGlynn: Reflections of Light, a special fundraising exhibition celebrating the life, work, and artistic legacy of George McGlynn. Held at Impossible Stage in Berkeley, the exhibition features a collection of original paintings generously donated by the artist’s family in support of Diaspora Arts Connection’s cultural programs and community-based arts initiatives.
Diaspora Arts Connection proudly presents "Women's Monologues, Based On the Alphabet," a play written and directed by acclaimed Iranian director, Afshin Hashemi.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, when theaters were closed, Women's Monologues Based on the Alphabet was written for home performances, requiring no theatrical stage or technical facilities and social media became the venue.
Diaspora Arts Connection proudly presents "Women's Monologues, Based On the Alphabet," a play written and directed by acclaimed Iranian director, Afshin Hashemi.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, when theaters were closed, Women's Monologues Based on the Alphabet was written for home performances, requiring no theatrical stage or technical facilities and social media became the venue.
Diaspora Arts Connection proudly presents "Women's Monologues, Based On the Alphabet," a play written and directed by acclaimed Iranian director, Afshin Hashemi.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, when theaters were closed, Women's Monologues Based on the Alphabet was written for home performances, requiring no theatrical stage or technical facilities and social media became the venue.
Diaspora Arts Connection proudly presents "Women's Monologues, Based On the Alphabet," a play written and directed by acclaimed Iranian director, Afshin Hashemi.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, when theaters were closed, Women's Monologues Based on the Alphabet was written for home performances, requiring no theatrical stage or technical facilities and social media became the venue.
Diaspora Arts Connection proudly presents "Women's Monologues, Based On the Alphabet," a play written and directed by acclaimed Iranian director, Afshin Hashemi.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, when theaters were closed, Women's Monologues Based on the Alphabet was written for home performances, requiring no theatrical stage or technical facilities and social media became the venue.
Co-presented by Diaspora Arts Connection & The Freight
Join us for a powerful evening of music, poetry, and cultural expression featuring two internationally acclaimed artists, Marjan Vahdat and Sahba Motallebi.
Rooted in Persian classical and regional traditions while shaped by contemporary expression, their collaboration creates a deeply immersive musical experience. Drawing on the poetry of Hafez, Rumi, and Forough Farrokhzad, the program weaves together voice, instrumentation, and storytelling into a rich and evocative journey.
Diaspora Arts Connection proudly presents the Iranian fusion band Axiom of Choice on the occasion of the band’s 30th anniversary.
At a time when the people of Iran continue to face profound challenges and the tragic loss of civilian life, this performance is held in solidarity with their struggle and in affirmation of their right to peace, safety, and dignity. Through music, we gather not only to celebrate artistic legacy, but to hold space for reflection, connection, and shared humanity.
Diaspora Arts Connection proudly presents the Iranian fusion band Axiom of Choice on the occasion of the band’s 30th anniversary.
At a time when the people of Iran continue to face profound challenges and the tragic loss of civilian life, this performance is held in solidarity with their struggle and in affirmation of their right to peace, safety, and dignity. Through music, we gather not only to celebrate artistic legacy, but to hold space for reflection, connection, and shared humanity.
(This program is entirely in Persian.)
In days when the body feels tired and the heart feels heavy, this is a space to pause — and gently begin moving again, with grief, not against it.
We gather to move slowly through gentle yoga, conscious breathing, meditation, music, and song in Persian. This is not a space to silence sorrow or rush toward feeling “better.” Instead, we practice walking hand in hand with grief — allowing it, honoring it, and giving it room.
There will be a circle for reflection and shared presence. You may speak or simply sit in quiet. Tears are welcome. Silence is respected. The breath is our guide.
This is a non-political space created with the intention of calm, presence, and emotional support for the Iranian community.
🗓️ Saturday, April 11, 2026
🕕 7:00–9:00 PM
📍 Impossible Stage, 2033 University Ave, Berkeley, CA
Third Culture Tales is back in the Bay! 🌍✨
Born from a deep need to connect beyond borders, languages, and inherited identities, this traveling series brings stories and music to center stage—celebrating the lived experiences of those who exist between cultures.
Join us for an evening of real stories and soul-stirring music, shared live by a powerful lineup of Bay Area artists. Whether you’re an immigrant, a child of immigrants, or someone shaped by movement, memory, and multicultural experience—this event is for you.
در این جلسه با ایجاد فضایی امن و با استفاده از تمرینهای آگاه به فرآیند تروما در بدن، مراقبه، تمرکز ذهن، حرکات ملایم بدنی و نقاشی شهودی، سیستم عصبی بدن را آرام میکنیم و ابزارهایی برای مقابله با اضطراب به دست میآوریم.
Two separate offerings — choose your preferred language:
🕙 English Session: 10:00 AM – 12:30 PM
🕑 Persian (Farsi) Session: 2:00 PM – 4:30 PM
In these times more than ever, we need spaces of safety, grounding, and connection.
This trauma-informed intuitive painting circle is designed to support nervous system regulation through guided meditation, gentle movement, and intuitive art-making. Each session is held in a safe, supportive environment where participants are invited to reconnect with their inner resources and sense of presence.
(This program is entirely in Persian.)
In days when the body feels tired and the heart feels heavy, this is a space to pause — and gently begin moving again, with grief, not against it.
We gather to move slowly through gentle yoga, conscious breathing, meditation, music, and song in Persian. This is not a space to silence sorrow or rush toward feeling “better.” Instead, we practice walking hand in hand with grief — allowing it, honoring it, and giving it room.
There will be a circle for reflection and shared presence. You may speak or simply sit in quiet. Tears are welcome. Silence is respected. The breath is our guide.
This is a non-political space created with the intention of calm, presence, and emotional support for the Iranian community.
The City of Richmond, The West Contra Costa Unified School District, and Diaspora Arts Connection present Norooz*, A Celebration of Spring and Solidarity on Saturday, March 7, 2026 from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM at De Anza High School in Richmond. This event is free and open to the public. We will gather around the arts to find solace in community and bring light to these dark times by embracing the beauty of togetherness as spring begins. This is a family event and will feature arts & crafts, activities for children, music, dance, and food.
In solidarity with the people of Iran, join us for a night of music of Southern Iran with Mohammad Khodadadi.
Saturday, February 21, 2025, Doors at 7:30, Show at 8:00 PM
Askhenaz, 1317 San Pablo Avenue, Berkeley
About the artist: Mohammad Khodadadi, born in 1979 in Bushehr, Iran, is a Ney player and a composer who has studied composition of western classical music at the university of Anton Bruckner in Linz/Austria. Mohammad started playing Ney from the age of 15 through strong self-discipline and coaching of Masters of Ney such as Mr. Hassan Kassai, and Mr. A. Afsharnia. He has also studied the Persian radif and techniques of singing with Master Hatam Askari & Seddigh Tarif. He learned to play the piano with Rosita Shaker and Tamara Dolidze in Iran and continued with Andreas Taller in Austria. Mohammad learned composition with Master Alireza Mashayekhi, Professor Soyka and Erland Freudenhaler. He has performed at various US stages.
