Sama as a Pedagogue and Facilitator
My work as a theatre pedagogue and facilitator has become a deeply meaningful part of my artistic practice. After years of working professionally as an actor and director, I felt a growing desire to take theatre beyond traditional performance spaces and into communities where voices are often unheard. This led me to pursue a degree in Theatre in Social Context at the University of Applied Sciences and Arts in Ottersberg, Germany—an experience that transformed both my methodology and my sense of purpose.Since then, I have developed and led projects with non-professional artists from a wide range of backgrounds, including immigrant families, women in marginalized communities, and youth navigating social and cultural displacement. Many of these individuals had little to no experience with theatre, yet the creative process gave them a powerful platform to express, reflect, and connect.As a pedagogue, I’ve witnessed the profound impact of theatre education: how it fosters creativity, nurtures self-confidence, and builds empathy. These projects have not only helped participants find their voices—they have reshaped my own understanding of what it means to make theatre.Facilitating these processes is more than teaching; it is about co-creating spaces of safety, vulnerability, and transformation. In these moments, theatre becomes a tool for personal and collective growth—one that continues to inspire my practice across artistic, educational, and social contexts.
Documentary Theatre An Encounter 2025 Toronto, Canada
Documentary Theatre: An Encounter was a workshop series in Toronto, dedicated to exploring multiple forms of documentary theatre. Over several sessions, participants engaged with autobiographical performance, lecture performance, verbatim theatre, non-acting approaches, and community-based performance, combining theoretical frameworks with practical experimentation.Together with my colleagues Amin Azimi (theatre director, dramaturg, and PhD candidate in Drama, Theatre, and Performance Studies at the University of Toronto) and Jaber Ramezani (director, playwright, and artistic director of “The Hole Studio” Theatre Company), I mentored participants through step-by-step exercises that encouraged them to uncover memories, personal experiences, and testimonies, and to shape these into authentic performance.The workshop fostered a collaborative and intercultural exchange, bringing together diverse immigrant artistic voices to investigate how documentary theatre practices can transform lived experiences into collective reflection.
Mask-Making, Character Creation, and Performance Workshop 2017, Tehran, Iran
In 2017, together with my Austrian colleague Christoph Pauger and Iranian colleague Hamid Pourazari, I co-led a mask-making and character creation workshop at Tehran’s Roo Be Roo Mansion. Inspired by the traditions of the Lucerne carnival, participants designed and crafted their own masks, each infused with deeply personal emotions. The characters that emerged reflected inner experiences and transformed them into a shared artistic expression.The workshop culminated in a public, interactive performance at Roo Be Roo Mansion, where participants brought their masks and characters to life, engaging audiences in a vibrant and collective exploration of storytelling through performance.
Helden der Zukunft 2016 Ottersberg, Germany
(Heroes of the Future) is a collaborative theatre project in Ottersberg,Germany supported by the ambulanter Erziehungshilfen association, with participants aged 14 to 25 hailing from Syria, Iran, Somalia, and the Ivory Coast. As the director and researcher of this project, my focus is on weaving the personal stories of these young refugees, ensuring that each participant shares only what they are comfortable with.In partnership with Christoph Pauger, we aim to explore the individual and everyday experiences of these refugees, interweaving themes of heroism and contemplating the future of integration. As an artist committed to addressing social issues, I contribute my skills to facilitate effective communication in English, Persian, and German, creating a vibrant and collaborative atmosphere.Our diverse cast, including three Iranians, two Syrians, one Somali, and two young men from the Ivory Coast, passionately engage in this Ottersberg theatre project. Through language diversity and the exchange of ideas, “Helden der Zukunft” promises a dynamic and colorful exchange with spontaneous scenes.
Link to the article – Link to the article
The Hero's Journey 2016 Bremen, Germany
The project “The Hero’s Journey” is a mask-making workshop created and conducted at the Bürgerhaus Vegesack in Bremen, Germany. Originally conceived by Christoph Pauger, it was later executed by me for young people aged 11 to 16, including a mix of local kids and refugees from Syria. It was my first experience as a theatre pedagogue, working with individuals who had no previous experience in theatre.During the workshop, participants begin by sketching to develop a character. They then proceed to create a mask, further develop their character, and learn to improvise in free play. I was actively involved in the entire process, supporting and guiding the participants alongside Christoph. This included assisting them in building their masks and developing their characters.This hands-on approach proved beneficial, as it fostered a sense of collaboration and trust among the participants, ultimately enhancing their performance in the final showcase.The culmination of this project was a performance presented at the Auswärtsspiel Theater Festival in Bremen, Germany.











