Artivista

documented cIRCA '86:
immigration reform turns Thirty

Producer, Community Engagement
Coordinator

Documented cIRCA '86 is a multimedia oral history and public engagement project that celebrates the lives and accomplishments of immigrants who were legalized through the Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA) of 1986. IRCA recipients will proudly share their life stories and speak back to hateful stereotypes and dehumanizing representations of immigrants by demonstrating the invaluable contributions that they have made in every aspect of American society.
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WE ARE NEW YORK

Emmy-award winning scriptwriter
Designer of community conversation initiative Creator of educational comic book

A 9-episode broadcast TV drama created with the NYC Mayor’s Office of Adult Education used as an English language and civic engagement tool for immigrant New Yorkers. She created a linked, community-based conversation initiative that brought thousands of immigrants, throughout the five boroughs, together to practice English in volunteer-led conversation groups. http://www.nyc.gov/html/weareny

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publications

Articles, Books, Plays and other Writing

A wide variety of resources and creative writing that exemplifies art and storytelling to change the world.

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JACKIE 'N' THE BEANSTALK

Playwright – Performer
Designer of Community Engagement
and Outreach

Jackie 'n' the Beanstalk, a new play for children by Kayhan Irani, is an environmentally conscious  fairytale with a South Bronx twist. A fast-moving feast for the eyes, this theatrical circus show features acrobatics, aerial dance and fun for all ages! Jackie 'n' the Beanstalk has engaged over 1,000 Bronx residents in discussions about making positive change in their communities. It has been used as a classroom teaching tool, and as public health awareness and education tool.

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7 Women, 7 Heavens

Playwright
 

Originally commissioned by the American Society for Muslim Advancement (ASMA) in 2006, Kayhan Irani's play 7 Women, 7 Heavens explores the complexity of women’s experiences within various Islamic contexts and realities.  The play provides a loving, realistic, and painful picture of women struggling to live big lives despite cultural, religious, and societal barriers.  Directed by Jonathan Cerullo and presented at the inaugural WISE conference – Women’s Islamic Initiative in Spirituality and Equity.

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WE'VE COME UNDONE

Playwright – Performer
Designer of Community Engagement
and Outreach

We've Come Undone is a series of monologues inspired by stories from the Arab, Muslim, American and South Asian communities, interweaving drama, dance, music and multimedia. From a young girls' bewilderment at her father's disappearance, to an INS agent's rant and a Sikh woman's conversation with an arsonist, the characters' truths aim to enlighten, activate and inspire, as well as explore the trauma of detention, disappearance and deportation.

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