Zoya Sardashti

Born in Denver, Colorado to an Iranian father and American mother, Zoya spent most of their childhood in the southern part of the United States. In school, raising a hand to declare the family name, Sardashti, evoked an invisible mark of displacement.

However, participating in theatre offered community. A person’s ability to create movement and play with words held more significance than the origin of a name.

Zoya Sardashti is a performance researcher, socially engaged artist and cultural mediator. Across the last 12 years, Zoya has engaged communities in Seoul, London, Los Angeles, Glorenza, Venice, Florence, Bolzano, Milan, and San Diego.

They have a MA in Performance & Creative Research from the University of Roehampton and MS in Conflict Management & Resolution from the University of San Diego. This year they are completing a doctoral dissertation entitled, Formulations of Assembly: A Practice-Based Approach to Performing Nonviolence under the supervision of Dr. Judith Butler at the European Graduate School.