Art & Culture

Established in early 2020, the Arts and Literature committee is one of the newest IWOO committees. Since then, we have been promoting Iranian art and culture in the community. The main purpose of this committee is based on IWOO’s mission of empowerment and wellness of women and their families. Another purpose is to keep the Iranian art, literature, and culture alive and vibrant for the Iranian Canadian community, especially for the younger generations.

For further info, check our calendar at the bottom of this page.

Current Director: Dr. Narges Mohseni

Our Objective

  • Plan well-organized programs
  • Consider women and their families when planning programs relating to art and literature
  • Realize that art and literature are very close to each other

Our Services

  • Farsi Story Writing Courses; basic and advanced levels
  • Book Club
  • Art Classes
  • Cultural & Social Workshops
  • Library Services
  • Cultural Events
Farsi Story Writing Courses

Farsi Story Writing Courses

For those that wish to share their stories with the world, writing courses are offered. Here the fundamentals of writing in Farsi are taught.

Literary & Book Club

Introduce participants to famous Persian authors and Farsi novels. Participants will read the assigned book and then meet together to discuss its contents and themes.

Literary & Book Club
Art and Mindfullness

Art Classes

Teach participants about Iranian art and also introduce them to mindfulness where they will learn about being in the present.

Led by Mojgan Jafari

Paint Night

Introduce participants to Iranian paintings and teach them about its characteristics while also giving them a chance to try it out.

Paint Night
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Iranian Music Events

Participants get to listen to traditional Iranian music and learn about it.

Calendar of Events

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Want to be the first to know about the next webinar IWOO has instore for you?

Then subscribe to our mailing list today to get an email as soon as we are planning to launch an event that you maybe interested in.

Dr. Noushin Khasteganan

Dr. Noushin Khasteganan is a Certified Canadian Addiction Counsellor and graduated from McMaster University. She has a Medical Doctorate earned in Iran in 1996. With her extensive background as an experienced Medical Doctor in the mental health care field, she brings a wealth of knowledge to her practice and employs a variety of therapeutic models to support the community.

Leyly Mirsanjari

Leyly has a bachelor in French language and language & civilization diploma Aix -en provence faculty,  Event management diploma from CDI college ,Peer leadership certificate from Family service Toronto,Early development (Mother craft college),Child care assistant from TDSB.

She has extensive experience in teaching French.
She also coordinate and facilitates several multicultural groups in various ages, peer support group,senior focus group, women support group focused on violence against women and healthy family healthy community.She worked 10 years at Family service Toronto, as a failitator.
Currently she is working at TDSB as an education assistant.
She has volunteered for Tirgan festival ( as outreach coordinator, guest and dignitaries coordinator and event assistant),Behnam foundation ,Karafarin and Iwoo organization.

Saharnaz Nahidi

Saharnaz has Bachelor of Art and two Master’s Degree in Psychology and research of Art from Iran. She has also studied “Addiction Recovery Support “in Canada. She was a consultant of Psychology in a Psychiatry clinic in Iran and has experience of providing help and relief for addiction, mental disorders and child care here in Canada. She is currently work as a direct support worker full time job at Community Living Toronto with mental health and disabilities residents. Also doing counselling under supervision of Ms.Akerman at Karma cares community in Toronto. Saharnaz joined IWOO as a volunteer in 2017 and has been a member of mental health committee from 2020. She has dedicated herself for educating and helping women and girls to their maximum capacity enabling them overcome barriers. Saharnaz would like to support Farsi speaking women and girls in Iranian- Canadian community.

Yasmin Fouladvand

Yasmin Fouladvand holds a Master of Finance degree from the Schulich School of Business. Through her experience in the banking sector, Yasmin stands out for her expertise in financial analysis and investment strategy development. Her unwavering passion lies in fostering fairness and promoting community growth by overcoming challenges and making a positive impact. Yasmin is passionately focused on meeting the specific needs of women and fostering opportunities for gender equity and meaningful progress.

Amin Azad

Amin Azad is pursuing his Ph.D. at the University of Toronto at the intersection of engineering and entrepreneurship, with the goal of identifying educational tools to promote opportunity identification for venture creation. Amin has previously been a business mentor and educator in this space and has put together various courses and workshops with the purpose of helping entrepreneurial teams identify a need in the market and build a business around it.

Presently, he manages a consultancy service and is committed to supporting IWOO by leveraging his expertise in organizing workshops and encouraging community engagement within the entrepreneurship domain.

Guita Movallali

Guita Movallali, PhD in Psychology and BSc & MSc in Audiology, brings over two decades of diverse experience to her role. A retired Associate Professor at USWR University, she has made significant contributions to academia and nonprofit organizations. Her expertise spans research, education, and leadership, with a focus on supporting the Deaf and Hard of Hearing community.

As CEO and Founder of the Faranak Clinic for Deaf children and Program & Development Manager at VOICE for deaf kids, Guita has championed family support initiatives. She has organized national and international conferences, conducted social media marketing for nonprofits, and initiated Parent-Child programs. Guita’s commitment to positive change is evident in her pivotal role in fostering the Parent-Child Mother Goose program in Canada. With a passion for community empowerment, Guita continues to drive impactful initiatives.

Amir Azad

Amir works at a Toronto-based Private Investment Office to manage assets on behalf of Canadian family offices. Previously Amir worked at a Financial Communication firm, supporting NASDAQ, NYSE, TSX and other Stock Exchanges. Amir has a Bachelor of Business Administration from Concordia University of Edmonton, and a Master of International Business from Queen’s University with a focus on Investments. Amir‘s professional background includes Venture Capital, Private Equity, Investments, and sustainable finance. Amir is the Director of Funding & Grants Committee at IWOO, and he overlooks the grants and fundraising efforts. Amir also has a Golden Retriever named Simba in which he enjoys hiking with.

Hengameh Saberi

Hengameh Saberi teaches at Osgoode Hall Law School. Outside academia, she has served on various nonprofit board of directors, worked as a consultant with a number of human rights institutions and brings to IWOO multi-jurisdictional experiences of organizational design and planning.