Sahba Aminikia

For Iranian-American composer and educator Sahba Aminikia, music has always been more than a form of artistic expression. It is a way of communicating across cultures, sharing experiences and bringing people together. Having grown up during the Iran-Iraq War and experienced persecution himself, he understands how conflict can affect people's lives. Today, he is using his creativity to bring music, performance and opportunities for self-expression to children whose lives have been shaped by war and displacement.

Aminikia is the founder and artistic director of the Flying Carpet Festival, an international travelling arts festival created especially for children living in conflict-affected communities. Established in 2018, the festival brings together musicians, dancers, circus performers, storytellers and visual artists from around the world to create performances and workshops for children who might otherwise have little access to the arts.

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Based in Mardin, southeastern Türkiye, close to the Syrian border, the festival works with children from Syrian, Kurdish and Turkish communities, many of whom have experienced displacement and the challenges of growing up in difficult circumstances.

As well as brining performances, the festival also invites children to become part of the creative process. Through music, dance, circus skills, storytelling and visual arts, they can explore their ideas, discover new talents and share experiences. The aim is to give children the opportunity to play, create and connect with others, regardless of their background.

Each year, the festival brings together an international group of artists for a residency before taking performances and workshops into towns and villages across the region. In 2026, 40 artists from 20 countries took part, helping to create opportunities for artistic exchange and cultural connection.

Since its beginnings, the festival has facilitated dozens of performances, hundreds of workshops and nearly 200 artist residencies, reaching children in communities affected by conflict and displacement.

Turning Personal Experience into a Force for Good

Born in Tehran, Iran, in 1981, Sahba grew up during the Iran-Iraq War in a society where music, poetry and artistic expression were important parts of his life, despite restrictions on cultural freedoms.

He was particularly influenced by the poetry of Rumi, Hafiz and Saadi, alongside Persian traditional music, Western classical composers, jazz and rock.

As a member of Iran's Bahá'í community, Sahba also experienced discrimination and was prevented from pursuing higher education in his home country. He eventually moved to Russia to study composition at the Saint Petersburg Conservatory before continuing his education at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music in the United States, where he gained both bachelor's and master's degrees.

As a member of the Baháʼí community, Aminikia faced systemic discrimination, including being barred from higher education in Iran. In 2011, while visiting Iran as a permanent resident of the United States, Aminikia was arrested and subjected to torture by Iranian security forces. He has cited this harrowing experience as a fundamental turning point in his creative life, shifting his artistic perspective toward the plight of marginalized and oppressed communities globally.

Although Sahba had already established himself as a composer, with his music performed internationally by acclaimed ensembles including the Kronos Quartet, he increasingly wanted his artistic work to have a wider social purpose.

Flying Carpet Festival

The idea for the Flying Carpet Festival grew from a belief that children everywhere should have access to music, art and cultural experiences, not just those growing up in more privileged communities.

Working in collaboration with the Sirkhane Social Circus School and its founding organisation, Art Anywhere Association, Sahba helped develop a festival that could travel to communities where opportunities for creative education are limited. For children who have experienced the upheaval of war or leaving their homes, the festival offers a chance to explore a different world through creativity and shared experiences.

The project also brings together artists from different countries and backgrounds, allowing them to learn from one another while working alongside local children and communities. It is an exchange rather than a one-way lesson: the artists bring their skills, but the children's ideas, experiences and creativity are equally important.

Sahba's work has received international recognition. In 2024, he became a TED Fellow and delivered the talk "The greatest show on Earth — for kids who need it most”, and in 2025 he was named a laureate of the Aga Khan Music Awards. The award recognised his vision and leadership in establishing the Flying Carpet Festival and its use of music and the arts to enrich the lives of children in conflict zones.