Persian library & book club کتابخانه
A lending library of Persian-language books for children and adults, and Persian literature in translation — with a monthly book club that reads in Persian and argues in whichever language wins.
Preserving culture · برنامههای فرهنگی
The poems, the music, the food, the stories. Kept alive by using them.
A culture survives abroad only if it's practised, not just remembered. These programs put Persian culture in people's hands every month of the year — most of them online via Zoom or Teams, some in person in Coquitlam and Langley.
Poetry nights شب شعر
Hafez, Rumi, Saadi, Forough, Shamlou, Sepehri — read aloud, explained, argued over. Monthly, with tea. Newcomers to Persian poetry are the guests of honour.
Music circles موسیقی
Setar, tar, santur, tombak and daf: beginner circles taught by community musicians, a choir that sings at the festivals, and listening sessions on the history of Persian classical and folk music.
Calligraphy خوشنویسی
Nastaʿlīq for beginners: the reed pen, the ink, the slant, the patience. Eight-week courses, with an exhibition of everyone's best line at the end.
Cooking workshops آشپزی
Tahdig that comes out in one piece. Ghormeh sabzi from the herb chopping onward. Samanu stirred through the night before Nowruz. Family recipes, taught by the families, and eaten together.
Film screenings سینما
Iranian cinema old and new, subtitled, followed by a conversation — sometimes with the filmmaker on a screen from the other side of the world.
Oral history project تاریخ شفاهی
We sit with elders in our community and record their lives: the village, the revolution, the war, the flight, the first winter in Canada. Recordings are archived with the family's consent and shared with permission. Volunteers are trained in interviewing and Persian transcription.
Heritage for kids میراث برای کودکان
Storytelling hours, Shahnameh puppet shows, Nowruz crafts and a children's choir — the culture arriving as play. Often paired with Farsi classes.
Exhibitions & artists هنر
Wall space and an audience for Iranian-Canadian painters, photographers and craftspeople, in partnership with local galleries and libraries.
The festivals
And six times a year, the whole community in one room.
Nowruz, Sizdah Bedar, Tirgan, Mehregan, Chaharshanbe Suri and Shab-e Yalda: the Persian calendar is the spine of everything we do. The programs on this page feed into them — the choir sings at Yalda, the calligraphy class letters the Nowruz banners, the cooking workshop makes the samanu.
Share what you know
Teach a circle, tell a story, lend a book.
Every program here started with one person who could do something and was willing to show others. Musicians, cooks, calligraphers, storytellers, elders with a life to tell: we'd like to meet you.
Lead a programJoin in
Get the monthly program list.
Cultural programs are announced monthly by email and at every festival. Tell us which ones interest you and we'll keep you posted.
Get the list