mission + Vision
Kucheh Kollective is an Iranian collective of artists and activists who use arts and culture to strengthen community ties, reclaim our narratives, and stand in principled solidarity with global movements for justice. Through intentional, long-term infrastructure for art and community, we aim to foster connection, resilience, and strength that is consistent, creative, and liberatory.
values
Liberation over nationalism.
Solidarity over saviorism.
Transparency and care in conflict.
Centering the margins.
Joy, not just survival.
Advisory Committee
Dr. Assal Rad
Dr. Assal Rad is a historian of the modern Middle East and a Nonresident Fellow at Arab Center Washington, DC. She works on research and writing related to U.S. foreign policy issues, the Middle East, contemporary Iran, and Israel/Palestine. Her writing can be seen in Newsweek, The Independent, Foreign Policy and more, and she has appeared as a commentator on BBC World, Al Jazeera, CNN, and NPR. She is the author of The State of Resistance: Politics, Culture, and Identity in Modern Iran (Cambridge University Press, 2022) and Don’t Say Palestine: How the Media Manufactured Consent for Genocide (Vintage, 2026).
Neda toloui-semnani
Neda Toloui-Semnani is an Emmy Award-winning author, journalist, podcaster, and storyteller. Her book They Said They Wanted Revolution: A Memoir of My Parents was published in 2021 by Little A. Currently, she's an assistant teaching professor of Broadcast journalism and an affiliate with the Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies at The Pennsylvania State University.
Dr. Negar Razavi
Dr. Negar Razavi is a political anthropologist and public scholar who works on issues of security, expertise, gender, and US empire. Her forthcoming book The Geopolitics of Expertise examines the role of think tank experts in fueling America's Forever Wars in the SWANA region broadly and against Iran specifically. Razavi has held positions at Princeton, Northwestern, William and Mary, and University of Pennsylvania. She is also a Senior Researcher at Security in Context.
Leadership
Mina M. Jafari
Executive Director
Elham Khatami
Communications Director
Mahsa Payesteh
Programming Director