MEET THE TEAM
Meet the talented individuals who make our organisation possible. Our staff consists of skilled facilitators, imaginative experts, and enthusiastic people who are all committed to having a good influence on young people's lives.
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Our team has a wide spectrum of knowledge and expertise, and we take pride in having developed a culture that encourages cooperation, imagination, and innovation. Together, we create and present programmes that are interesting, educational, and specifically catered to the needs of the young people we interact with.
ALI GHADERI
Founder & Director
Ali is an actor and activist based in London. He has worked with charities and organisations, such as Our Second Home, Counterpoint Arts, and the British Red Cross. He loves helping people, experiencing diverse cultures and learning new languages. As an actor, Ali has performed at The Globe, the National and Leeds Playhouse. As an activist he usually focuses on the problems that refugees and asylum seekers are facing in the UK and around the world, including racism and inequality, and is always looking to fight against negative stereotypes about refugees and asylum seekers.
EMMA BRAND
Co-Director
Emma Brand is a theatre-maker and performer from London. She was inspired by her family's history of being Jewish refugees to the UK, to get involved in Our Second Home, where she is now the Training Lead on the leadership programme. For her artistic work, Emma trained as a theatre-maker at Goldsmiths College, London, where she formed an international performance collective with artists from India and Taiwan. She has also volunteered with young people for over ten years and likes to bring creativity to youth spaces, and a sense of welcoming and playfulness into her theatre projects.
ELLA
Communications Team
Ella is from London and the daughter of a Kiwi immigrant. She has volunteered within the charity sector for over 6 years, spending time working in Jordan, Cambodia and Calais. Her masters’ degree in Global Migrations focused particularly on the use of digital technologies by Palestinians. She also works as a Food Cycle project leader in Kilburn, and particularly enjoys music, eating foods from around the world and foreign-language cinema.
VANISHA
Communications Lead
Vanisha is from UK and has over 5 years of experience in the charity sector. With a passion for social media, digital fundraising, and campaigns, she has worked both domestically and internationally, collaborating with organisations to create positive change in their communities. As a second-generation refugee, Vanisha is personally committed to promoting the rights and dignity of migrants, refugees, and asylum seekers. Currently pursuing a Master's degree in Humanitarian Action, she is passionate about creating meaningful and sustainable impact in the lives of those who are most vulnerable.
HANNAH DUNLOP
Outreach Volunteer
Hannah is an Outreach Volunteer for Babylon Migrants Project. Her background is in music and theatre, having spent the first half of her twenties singing and performing around the UK and Europe and teaching violin and singing. After volunteering in Calais, she was motivated to study a master’s in Humanitarianism, Conflict & Development, believing that human connections are at the heart of understanding each other and the world we share. Community-building through creativity is something she cares passionately about and is excited to be a part of the Babylon Project’s journey!
LERATO ISLAM
Programmes Lead
Lerato is an experienced Applied Theatre and Creative ESOL practitioner, specializing in using drama as a tool for linguistic and psychosocial support with refugee and asylum-seeking communities. She has delivered workshops with NGOs, theatres and organisations working with refugees and asylum seekers across the UK, Greece, Bosnia and Serbia. She also designs and delivers thematic applied theatre workshops across London and globally. She is currently undertaking her PhD at the Centre for Arts and Social Transformation in Auckland, New Zealand. Her research focuses on how to authentically honour and elevate the voices and perspectives of refugees and asylum seekers in creative work.
As Babylon’s Programme and Strategy Lead, Lerato oversees and co-designs Babylon’s programmes, as well as supporting the fundraising team. She is passionate and dedicated to her work with newly arrived young people, and to the development of creative, innovative and fun ways to engage with them and provide them with the skills to thrive. She is also driven by the positive impact the arts can have on young people, and its ability to not only enhance young people’s development, but also their understanding of the world around them. At the heart of her practice, Lerato strives to use Drama and the arts as a tool for sustainable and critical social change.
KEVIN
Theatre Director
Kevin is a theatre director, educator and facilitator born and raised in Vancouver, who lives and works in London. Kevin’s directorial work has been seen around the world in Canada, USA, China, India and the UK with companies such as Canada’s Shaw Festival, Shakespeare’s Globe, LAMDA and the Central Academy of Drama in Beijing. He regularly facilitates workshops for a wide range of participants including asylum seekers, refugees, professional actors, at-risk youth and students with special educational needs.
MEHRAVEH
Facilitator
Mehraveh is from Iran. She has been in UK for over a year, having been recently reunited with family. Mehraveh is currently undertaking a BTech in Science. She is enjoying volunteering in different organisations and charities and is passionate about making new friends and gaining knowledge about other people with diverse backgrounds making everyone special and unique. Mehraveh is also involved with Springboard and Our Second Home.
AMIR
Photographer
Amir is from Afghanistan and now resides in Southend-on-Sea after being evacuated in August 2021. In Afghanistan, Amir worked as a photographer, and he still has a strong interest for it. In 2021, he joined Safe Passage International as a Young Leader, and in 2022, he completed their Leadership Program. In their Fly With Me project, which involved thousands of kites flying at 47 locations across the world, he worked with Good Chance Theatre as a production and marketing assistant.
SILVIA G KEMP
Facilitator
Silvia is originally from Mexico and has lived in the UK for 18 years. She has supported asylum seekers, migrants and refugees for the past three years and now works in the local government supporting local communities and love helping those who need it the most. Silvia speaks English and Spanish and also has management accounting and business skills.
SANAM
Facilitator
Sanam is a poet and activist who strives to use her creativity for social justice. She likes to explore her ethnicity, gender and sexuality through drawing, writing and discussion. She feels most inspired working with diverse communities and tries to create a sense of home wherever she goes. Through her work and studies, Sanam has specialised in facilitating creative writing, storytelling and drama workshops for children, teenagers and adults. She has worked with vulnerable youth in her borough, toddlers at summer camps, unaccompanied young asylum seekers, and care home residents. In her free evenings, she makes fesenjoon (Iranian stew) and cycles through the city for cups of tea and friendly conversations.
Introducing Our LEAP Program and New Facilitators!
We're thrilled to introduce our LEAP program, which has equipped a fantastic group with the skills to become outstanding facilitators. Over five weeks, our participants delved into topics like co-facilitation and program writing. We focused on the essentials of facilitation, setting the stage for an impactful journey ahead. Our new facilitators are now ready to bring creativity and dedication to workshops near you!
HANNAH DUNLOP
Outreach Volunteer and Facilitator
Hannah is an Outreach Volunteer for Babylon Migrants Project. Her background is in music and theatre, having spent the first half of her twenties singing and performing around the UK and Europe and teaching violin and singing. After volunteering in Calais, she was motivated to study a master’s in Humanitarianism, Conflict & Development, believing that human connections are at the heart of understanding each other and the world we share. Community-building through creativity is something she cares passionately about and is excited to be a part of the Babylon Project’s journey!
SUMAYYAH
Facilitator
I’m Sumayyah, I'm an artist and graphic designer student.
I worked with many organizations to help the community and run art workshops for kids, such as Karma Bank, heritage London, artification, and Good Neighbour.
I want to be part of Babylon so I can teach art. I hope I can get out with more skills to help in my future.
SIMON
Facilitator
My name is Simon Calahan. I'm a videographer, film enthusiast and self-proclaimed nerd. I'm passionate about filmmaking and the creative arts as a whole and love to share that passion with people from all walks of life. When I came to the UK I was lucky enough to find a supportive community and a creative outlet in filmmaking and I wish to provide refugees with the same support.
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I hope to continue working with and learning from refugees and asylum seekers and to expand my filmmaking portfolio to reach a wider audience and inspire social change. I also aspire to pursue further education and training in film production and explore new forms and formats of storytelling.
DIBA
Facilitator
Diba is from Iran and currently lives in the vibrant city of London. She studies architecture, interior design and product design. She, who is fluent in four languages and is a social person, enjoys communicating with different people.
In her free time, she enjoys reading and listening to music. She enjoys volunteering for organizations and charities, demonstrating her sincere desire to make a positive impact on society.
She enjoys helping others and spreading happiness to those around her.
AHMAD
Facilitator
Ahmad Kwizera is a young talented Model, writer and Athlete based in London. He has been featured in a number of artist video clips and Brand photo shoots. He is a passionate linguist, who believes that languages are about more than just words and phrases but are essential and the bridge to connect with the world, to understand and explore the beauty of different cultures and to bring us closer together. Kwizera has been involved with a number of different organizations and volunteering is what he enjoys the most. He loves to connect with others. He believes that by working together we can create a better world for all of us. And refugees should not be limited to big dreams, because dignity is for everyone. He is passionate, ambitious and has a love for what he does. His aim is to inspire and motivate others to strive for success and to reach their full potential with an inspirational and positive attitude of always never give up. Reading, different kinds of sports and playing with animals are the things that occupy his free time. Ahmad is an animal lover and also someone who has a passion for cooking.