Kayhan International Culture Desk

TEHRAN - The organizers of the first Art Festival for Persian Speakers Living in Europe plan to allocate part of the proceeds this year to the victims of the recent earthquake in Kermanshah province.

The Festival is the first of its kind in association with the Persian Cultural Association, formed by Persian, Tajik, and Afghan speakers active in the arts and culture of the Persian speaking world. It will be held in January in Paris with artists from Iran, Tajikistan, and Afghanistan attending. The organizers say 5 percent of all proceeds will go to the quake victims to help rebuild their shattered communities and lives.

The association has launched a number of cultural projects in Europe in recent years with the main goal of promoting the rich Iranian culture which dates back to thousands years ago. The association includes a spectrum of members from various Persian-speaking populations including Iranians, Tajiks and Afghans. It is mainly focused on the promotion of the Persian culture and language across the globe.

The organizers hope the festival can play a role in introducing Iranians’ rich culture and language to the world and establish direct connections with the Iranian artists inside and outside of the country to exchange art and cultural experiences.

* Over 430 people were killed in the recent earthquake in Kermanshah province.