San Francisco Comes Together in Sahba Aminikia's The Language of the Birds

In the 12th-century Persian poem The Language of the Birds (also known as The Conference of the Birds), the parallels between birds and humans are obvious, says composer Sahba Aminikia, who has been in residency at the North Beach nonprofit arts organization 836M for the past five months, working on a multimedia adaptation of the poem. Now, Aminikia’s piece is set for its world premiere, May 31 – June 1 at 836M. (Both performances are currently listed as sold out.)

About 4,500 lines, The Language of the Birds is by the mystic Attar of Nishapur, a mentor of Rumi’s, whom Aminikia deeply admires. He loves what the poem says about unity.

“It tells the story of a large number of birds, and they represent humanity and us,” the composer says. “They have everything — they have beauty, they have power, but they’re deeply dissatisfied with something, and there is some sort of gap inside that they’re all trying to fill in.”

A prophet, a hoopoe, guides the other birds toward Simurgh, a legendary bird. At the end of the story, only 30 birds are left. The word for 30 birds in Farsi is, in fact, the name of that legendary bird.

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Rumi’s favorite 12th century epic comes to musical life in ‘The Language of the Birds’

When nonprofit arts organization 836M announced Sahba Aminikia as its first composer-in-residence last December, a centuries-spanning collaboration began to take shape. The Iranian-born composer brought with him The Language of the Birds (May 31 and June 1), a project inspired by the 12th century poem bearing the same title by Farid ud-din Attar, a Persian mystic revered by the 13th century poet Rumi and many others.

After hundreds of years and with the support of 836M, which was co-founded by Julie & Sébastien Lépinard and Agnès Faure and named for its gallery at 836 Montgomery Street. A remarkable lineage, extending from Attar to Rumi to Aminikia to 2024 audiences, will give birth to a new work of art.

Such durability suggests that these mere words, written on a page or spoken, chanted, or sung aloud, must have heft. Not necessarily complexity, but weight, eternal truth, universality. The ideas they express must offer a kind of timelessness that has left hundreds of years of witnesses saying, “This is so now.”

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Honored to be a 2024 TED Fellow: A New Chapter for the Flying Carpet Festival

I’m incredibly honored and humbled to share that I’ve been selected as a 2024 TED Fellow! This is an exciting moment, not just for me, but for everyone involved in the Flying Carpet Festival and the community that has come together around our shared vision. The TED Fellows program celebrates a diverse group of thinkers, artists, and innovators from around the world, each committed to tackling some of society’s biggest challenges in meaningful ways. Being part of this community is truly inspiring, and it energizes me to continue my work with renewed passion:

https://blog.ted.com/meet-the-2024-class-of-ted-fellows/

As an Iranian American composer, I’ve always believed in the transformative power of art, especially when it’s made accessible to the most vulnerable. My journey with the Flying Carpet Festival has been driven by a desire to decentralize and decolonize the arts. I’ve seen firsthand how beauty, music, and creative expression can be life-changing, particularly for young people affected by trauma and displacement. In Turkey, the festival has become a bridge for Syrian refugee youth, offering them a stage to share their skills and passions, and helping to break down social and cultural barriers that often divide us.

The Flying Carpet Festival has brought Circus Heroes to the forefront, celebrating their dedication and talent as artists and integrating them into the local community. Watching these young artists perform and shine reminds me of the importance of our mission, and I feel grateful to play a part in creating spaces where art can heal and inspire unity. In a world often defined by division, I believe that creativity and connection are the keys to fostering understanding.

Becoming a TED Fellow means that this story, our story, will have the chance to reach new audiences worldwide. Through TED, I hope to amplify the festival’s impact and invite others to join us in exploring how art can be a powerful tool for social cohesion and healing. I’m looking forward to sharing more in my TED Talk, which will soon be published on TED.com, where I’ll delve into the journey of the Flying Carpet Festival and how we can continue creating spaces where beauty and hope thrive, even amidst adversity.

This recognition is a testament to the collective spirit of everyone involved in the festival, and I can’t wait to see where this new chapter leads. Thank you to TED for this incredible honor, and to each of you who believe in the power of art to change lives. The journey continues!