Leila Kashani-Sabet is a queer Iranian artist, actor, and facilitator. As the first-generation in her family to be raised in the colonial empire, her artistry & life’s work embrace her position in the in-between—straddling two countries’ histories and legacies. She creates and devises new work in addition to acting in theatre and film. As a facilitator, she offers different services ranging from anti-oppression workshops to community arts healing spaces.

As a creative, she is passionate about using theater and art as a vessel for personal and collective transformation. She uses her artistry to tell transformational stories about QTBIPOC communities as a way to heal and dream up new worlds.

As a culture building facilitator, Leila uses her 8+ years of experience to deliver practical and values-aligned solutions to your company, organization, or community. She offers a range of DEI workshops on anti-oppression practices. She centers joy and care in her work, creating hands-on processes for everyone to get involved in.

As a community facilitator, Leila facilitates intentional spaces and workshops for QTBIPOC communities. She builds containers to foster and deepen connection, community building, identity exploration, artistry, and so much more. She sees creativity and theater as essential to our healing, integrating it into her community work. Leila’s approach is based on cultivating liberated spaces and ways of being in the now. As part of this line of work, she works as a Teaching Artist in NYC public schools created queer, social justice devised theater with youth.

Leila graduated from Brown University, with Honors in Modern Culture and Media and Magna Cum Laude. Her thesis, a devised play rooted in oral histories and cultural traditions, was awarded the department prize.

Leila roots her work in and pays deep homage to the ongoing and ever enduring legacy of Black women pioneers and freedom fighters who have always paved the way.