A view from IYDA

Mariam, a member of the IYDA management committee and former member of the youth group tells us what Stay Close means to them.

When we were approached to take part in the Stay Close project we knew it would be an exciting and rewarding opportunity for both our community and members. Established in 1989, IYDA was created to serve the needs of the Iranian and extended Farsi speaking community in south London. Our group is far from uniform, ranging from British born children with mixed heritage to recently arrived refugees from Iran and Afghanistan. Beyond all these variations our sole aim is to bring people together to create an integrated and flourishing community within the UK. Stay Close as a project works perfectly with these aims. Our members, ranging from 4-60 years of age, are asked to explore their culture and identity through music and we can’t wait to see the results and the final piece that we have helped to inspire.