The open call for the
Flying Carpet Festival 2025
is now live!
August 30th-September 9th, 2025 | Turkish Syrian border
Before you apply, please read the following:
This form will remain open until February 1, 2025, at 11:59 PM (PST). Selected candidates will be contacted for interviews by March 1, 2025. Interviews will take place in March, and by early April, the final participants will be informed. Please refrain from contacting us before these dates.
The festival will be held from August 30 to September 9, 2025 in Mardin, a city in southeastern Turkey. Arrivals are scheduled for August 29, with departures on September 10. If you are traveling from distant regions, such as the Americas or Australia, you will need to depart on August 28 to arrive in Mardin on time.
We are a non-political, non-religious, and non-ideological collective. Discussions of these topics are strictly prohibited during the festival.
All flights will arrive at and depart from Mardin Airport (MQM). While most artists apply for financial aid, we are a small organization, and any assistance you can provide with fundraising for your airfare would be greatly appreciated. However, your ability to contribute financially will not affect the selection process. The festival will cover housing, food, transportation, and logistics, but please note that we are a volunteer-based collective and do not offer artist fees.
We strongly believe in the democratization of the arts and strive to include artists from diverse backgrounds. Factors such as your location, ethnicity, or gender are not part of our decision-making criteria. We value artistic excellence and believe that exceptional talent can be found in every community. Diversity is an inherent outcome of our process, and we do not impose quotas or artificial considerations.
Please note that Mardin is considered a "red zone" by many governments. However, we guarantee your safety, and over the past seven years, we have successfully hosted 193 artists without any incidents.
As a performer, you will participate in creating a storytelling production involving live music, dance, circus arts, puppetry, visual projections, lighting, and costume design. You will collaborate with various artists throughout the year in online meetings. The entire production will be finalized in just two days and then performed at seven different locations. Musicians will also take part in two additional JAM sessions, featuring both improvised and composed music with local artists.
If you are interested in conducting workshops, please include detailed descriptions in your application form. This should include the title, process, educational outcomes, required materials, the number of children who can participate at a time, and the age range you wish to work with.
If you have any further questions, please contact Cynthia at cynthia@flyingcarpetfestival.org.