ARTA CULTURAL CENTRE
UPCOMING EVENT

OUR VALUES
Integrity
We are honest, open, ethical, and fair.
Quality
What we do, we do well.
Teamwork
We are one team.
Innovation
We dare to be different.
Collaboration
We leverage collective genius.
OUR TEAM
Sahar Khajani
President
Sahar is one of the co-founders of ARTA Cultural Centre. Being influenced from her studies about cultures, linguistics, psychology and art history, Sahar is passionate to serve in cultural and social activities, stimulate relationship within people in the communities. Also, Sahar has always been interested in raising awareness about domestic violence and family services.
Serving as the community leader for more than seven years, Sahar achieved the Community Quiet Achiever Award from the Mayor of City of Adelaide in 2020. She received an Appreciation Award from the Assistant Minister to the Premier in 2019 for her achievement in the successful Silk Road Caravanserai Concert involving 60 artists from more than 20 community groups.

Treasurer / Public Officer
As a proactive board member of an Iranian nonprofit organisation in Adelaide for more than seven years, Suren coordinated and initiated many cultural events to support community members and enhance their social inclusion.
Suren received an Appreciation Award from the Assistant Minister to the Premier, the Hon Jing Lee in 2019 for his contribution in the Silk Road Caravanserai Concert in which 60 artists from more than 20 community groups participated.
Suren is an electrical engineer and project manager who established “Delight Electrical” company in Adelaide in 2016 .He has a Bachelor of Electrotechnic Engineering from Azad University and Electrotechnology from Victoria University.
He is also one of the board members of Multicultural Communities Council of South Australia.
Mandana Shoja
Secretary
Mandana is working in the financial industry at the moment as she is interested in experiencing various fields.
Mandana is mostly passionate about handicraft art and within her last year living in Iran she studied and learned Persian style carpet weaving. Currently, Mandana is studying Interior Design in Australia.
Elyas Alavi
Art Director (Visual Art)
He is the recipient of a 2019 Anne & Gordon Samstag International Visual Arts Scholarship. Alongside his visual art practice, he has published three poetry books in Afghanistan and Iran, receiving critical acclaim and a number of literature prizes. Alavi regularly runs art and poetry workshops in schools and community centres in Adelaide.
Ali Mafakheri
Art Director (Music)
Ali learnt making music instruments at the age of 15 from his father, Abbas Mafakheri, who is one of the most well-known masters in making musical instruments. Ali has been a proactive member of Iranian Music House and awarded “The youngest music instrument maker in Iran”.
Holding a Master degree in Biotechnology, Ali is also passionate about wood artwork. He has collaborated with the Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handcrafts (MCTH) in Iran in a few projects on the restoration of historical and heritage buildings in Isfahan, Kashan, and Tehran.