Category: 2023

A ‘Katapult’ to revitalise the creative economy in Armenia

Nyrie Kalashian

“Armenia is full of art.” says Shoghakat Mlke-Galstyan. In every family there is someone who paints, plays, sings… When an Armenian speaks about Armenia, the second or third word is about art.” And yet, the arts are among the least studied fields, and artists face constant challenges and issues that distract them from their creativity, suppressing the potential of the field.

Shoghakat Mlke-Galstyan is the Communications and Events Coordinator of the Katapult Creative Accelerator Programme, a three-year EU-funded initiative that aims to overcome some of these challenges. The programme was launched in April 2022, at the initiative of the Armenian General Benevolent Union (AGBU) and the Creative Armenia Arts Foundation with the aim of empowering artists and promoting the ecosystem of cultural and creative industries. It has a total budget of €3,750,000, of which €750,000 comes from the AGBU, while the main donor is the European Union.

When the artist meets the market…

One of the components of the Katapult Creative Accelerator Programme is to offer the artist financial stability and empowerment. Shoghakat Mlke-Galstyan explains what this means and why it is important.

“The identity of the artist is threatened when dealing with the market, and this is a serious issue in Armenia. For example, an artist wants to make money, which is great, but there are very few opportunities to make money doing exactly what they want to do. More often than not, they have to adapt their styles to the market. We all know what that means, what kind of songs are in demand in restaurants, what works of art hang in houses, etc… And here we understand that the artist has a fragile personality; after several such orders it seems to them that they have betrayed their identity, which is why they say: the market is a bad thing, I need to stay away from it… There are many cases when an artist works as a trader, teacher, or does various administrative tasks, but does not allow the market to touch his art,” says Shoghakat and adds: “The vision of Katapult is that the artist is not in a financial, but in a creative search.” But how?

From individual solutions to systemic improvements

Observations of international and local trends, study of curricula, focus group discussions, telephone and Internet surveys, and economic analysis preceded the launch of the Katapult Creative Accelerator Programme to somehow illustrate the issues of the cultural industry.

The first issue that greatly harms creative people is the infringement of intellectual property rights. Shoghakat Mlke-Galstyan is certain that in Armenia copyright is violated in 90 percent of cases, and royalties are extremely low. The first Global Intellectual Property Forum, held on April 29, 2023, was aimed at addressing this issue. The Forum and other similar events, seminars, and training sessions are at the heart of the Katapult Programme.

Another challenge for the creative industry is the regulation of online shopping. In the case when the state does not see how much money art brings in, that is, when the real potential of the creative industry is not reflected in GDP, there is little incentive to implement reforms. Why focus on an industry that generates very little turnover? According to Shoghakat, there are no relevant payment systems in operation in Armenia, legal solutions have not yet been found, and online sales are often carried out illegally. “Let’s say you liked something on Instagram and bought it; you most likely set up an Idram account, card number and were asked to make a transfer. You liked the purchase, everything was very nice, but it was an illegal transaction, since you were not provided with a receipt for the purchase. But if the artist decides to make the process completely legal, he must issue you an online invoice, and you will be required to provide passport data… Imagine that you are buying a small toy for your child worth 5000 AMD, and you are asked for passport details. Would you go through with the transaction?”

Shoghakat says that in order to make it easy and convenient for artists to enter the market legally, and ensure that they are protected, strategic approaches must be developed, because “no one in the world, be it a German or an American, likes to pay taxes”. “If I tell an artist that you have to register 5,000 dolls you have made, he will ask me why should I register this if I live well and do not pay taxes. And this is an important question. There are different models in the world that provide an answer to this question, for example, in the German model, the more professional expenses an artist reports about, the less tax he pays,” says Shoghakat Mlke-Galstyan.

The third major issue in the creative industry is the complexity of transportation. The fact is that before the goods can be produced and dispatched to the customer, the artist still needs to obtain materials. There are many great and small issues in this supply chain, the sector is not coordinated, or even if it is coordinated, people in the same sector often have conflicting information on the same issue.

Shoghakat Mlke-Galstyan, the Communications and Events Coordinator of the Katapult Creative Accelerator Programme, emphasises that not a single solution found by the artist is wrong. It’s just that these decisions are unique to the individual, and this greatly hinders the industry. “Our only goal is to see how you found individual solutions, whether they can be adapted to the system, so that we have systematic solutions. We aim to avoid situations where problems are solved only by the strong, courageous and resourceful, and to promote the system as a whole to support the artist.”

Collaboration

The launch of the ‘Katapult’ programme was marked by the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the AGBU, the EU, the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports, the Ministry of Economy and the Ministry of High-Tech Industry of Armenia. The MoU is based on the school of thought that universal changes should be tangible and can only be achieved as a result of joint efforts. According to Shoghakat Mlke-Galstyan, “We want to carry out serious reforms, but the sector is not ready for fundamental changes, we are not ready, the country is not ready, and small changes are often more feasible. For example, there are many unregistered individual artists; freelance artists are a very big driving force in the field of culture, but we do not have the term “freelance artist” in the legal field. During COVID, we realised that they were simply ignored by all programmes.”

Varvara Hovhannisyan, adviser at Ministry of Economy, says she takes pleasure in being part of the discussions with “Кatapult”. She highlights the work done in the focus groups and emphasises that the transparency of the AGBU lays the foundations for effective development. Svetlana Sahakyan, Head of the Contemporary Art Department of the RA Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports, also said that in the first year of Katapult, a lot had been achieved, i.e. a database of active figures and organisations in the field was created, for which workshops and discussions were regularly organised, a forum on copyright was set up, collaborations and networks were established with filmmakers and film producers, and the most successful initiative of the programme was the Katapult expo.

Katapult Pavilion

Visiting Katapult’s creative industry expo in late April, towards the end of its month-long residence at the HayArt cultural centre in Yerevan, the venue wasn’t crowded, allowing visitors to take their time in inspecting the exhibits. According to those working there, the first weeks of the expo were much more crowded, with the most popular exhibit being was the fashion capsule, which also generated the most sales.

At the Printing and Books sub-booth, Albert Avagyan explained that some of the samples selected for the exhibition were either not for sale or had limited copies, which makes the stand more interesting. Albert added that, in addition to the Katapult, the HayArt building itself was also a discovery for many visitors. “The round building on Mashtots Avenue is very well known, but some visitors had never seen it from the inside; the building was also interesting for guests from other countries. We were visited by embassies, delegations, the Mayor of Lyon, students, artists, passers-by… The Katapult Pavilion was a good opportunity for both authors and publishers. We have books that are truly unique – you won’t find them anywhere else. For example, we have silk-screen prints of Dadivank that were made shortly after the war. Look, at the very end there is a part of the imprint on clay. It is interesting that each copy is different, this book has historical and cultural value,” says Albert.

Another particularly impressive booth was the creative technology capsule presented by :DDD Kunst House. This is a unique exhibition that explores how technology is slowly erasing the human presence through applied art and installations. The capsule featured two apps and one installation: Damyansky’s Goodbye Camera, a post-human camera that removes a person from an image, Nare Petrosyan’s How to be an Artist app, which allows anyone to become an artist, and Sasun Margaryan’s Beyond Online interactive installation on the importance and fragility of physical interventions.

Curator Teresa Davtyan said that her motivation for participating in the Katapult creative industry expo was that she recently began to actively study technological art, build relationships with artists who have extensive experience in this field, and intends to undertake steps to try and create a bridge between local and international artists for exchange. “It’s strange to sell your work, but it’s the only way to be independent…” Teresa quotes the artist Raphael Roosendaal and adds: “The Katapult creative industry expo, one of the goals of which is to create opportunities for the sale of works of art themselves, was an important professional experience for me and the artists I chose to show.” Teresa says that there are many obstacles in the field of contemporary art and art in general, but she tries not to lose the artist’s “pure joy” in these difficulties and has always sought and found the way of free and healthy cooperation that she imagined.

Author: Armine Hovhannisyan

Article published in Armenian by Hetq.am

https://euneighbourseast.eu/news/stories/how-katapult-revitalises-the-creative-economy-in-armenia/

Bilyaletdinov unsurprised Man City, Newcastle scouts watched Spertsyan in Armenia action

Jane Topchian

Former Everton midfielder Diniyar Bilyaletdinov isn't surprised by major Premier League interest in Krasnodar midfielder Eduard Spertsyan.

It's emerged Manchester City and Newcastle United scouts have checked on the Armenia international over the past fortnight's Euro 2024 qualifiers.

Bilyaletdinov told Metaratings: "Is Newcastle and Manchester City interested in Spertsyan? Perhaps they are viewing a hundred people, specifics are needed.

"I don't know if the Premier League will suit him. But it seems to me that in terms of the style of play, Eduard will be more suitable for City.

"If the transfer takes place, then there are things in which Spertsyan will need to improve – physical condition, ability to defend, keep up the pace. If everything works out, then you can try, why not?

"But Newcastle are also a very good team. Again, you need a specific proposal, and they will make it if they are really interested."

https://www.tribalfootball.com/articles/bilyaletdinov-unsurprised-man-city-newcastle-scouts-watched-spertsyan-in-armenia-action-4461992

Viva-MTS presents the latest volume of the book series "The Armenians of the World”

Aram Torosian
Armenia –
Viva-MTS has presented the book series “Armenians of the World” in partnership with the Panarmenian Geographic Association.

Recently, the 13th volume of the book series, dedicated to Armenian philanthropists of the world, was presented to readers’ attention. Those presented in the volume are people who personify true humans whose characters guide us as role models in today’s life.

This volume tells about Calouste Gulbenkian, Alexander Mantashyants, Mikael Aramyants, Paul Chater, Hovhannes Lazaryan, Poghos Nubar, Alex Manoogian, Kirk Kerkorian, Charles Aznavour, and Gerard Cafesjian.

The first four volumes of the book series “Armenians of the World”, published since 2011, are dedicated to about 800 Armenian monuments unveiled all over of the world. Then the series continues with publications dedicated to Armenians of the world (Armenian musicians, artists, filmmakers, influential women of the world). Among them, are both well-known personalities, as well as people known to only few. The book series is not for sale, but is available on the company’s website.

https://itel.am/en/news/14553

Armenian soldiers killed by Azerbaijani forces in Nagorno-Karabakh

Liana Toganian

Four Armenian soldiers were killed on Wednesday by Azerbaijani fire in Nagorno-Karabakh, said separatist authorities in the breakaway region, which has been at the centre of a decades-long territorial dispute between the Caucasus enemies.

On Wednesday morning, "units of the Azerbaijani armed forces opened artillery fire" on Armenian positions, the Artsakh Defense Army said, adding there were "four servicemen who were killed in action as a result of another provocation by Azerbaijan". 

In a later statement the group said that the situation along the border was now "relatively stable".

The news came as the United States mediates three days of new peace talks between Armenia and Azerbaijan, in its latest attempt to quell a conflict that has flared repeatedly.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken opened closed-door talks with the adversaries' foreign ministers just outside Washington on Tuesday, in the second such negotiation session he has led in as many months.

Russia has historically been the mediator between the two former Soviet republics but the United States and European Union have been increasingly active as Moscow gets bogged down in its invasion of Ukraine.

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Armenia has repeatedly accused Russian peacekeepers of failing to live up to promises to protect ethnic Armenians in line with a 2020 ceasefire negotiated by Moscow after six weeks of fighting left thousands dead.

Russia last week pressed Azerbaijan to let traffic through the Lachin corridor that links Armenia to Nagorno-Karabakh – a predominantly ethnic Armenian area effectively controlled by Yerevan since war during the collapse of the Soviet Union.

The International Committee of the Red Cross said Azerbaijan had blocked access for convoys delivering aid to Karabakh, raising concerns of shortages of food and medicine.

Azerbaijan has insisted that civilians and aid convoys can travel through.

(AFP)

https://www.france24.com/en/europe/20230628-four-armenian-soldiers-killed-by-azerbaijani-forces-in-nagorno-karabakh-separatists-say

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In Jerusalem, talking about violence against Christians is risky

Vatche Chakhmakhchian
June 21 2023
Recent university conference in Jerusalem on increasing acts of violence against Christians in the Holy City nearly canceled over accusations of antisemitism
By Nicolas Rouger | Israel
June 21, 2023

"Why Do (Some) Jews Spit on Gentiles?" That was the provocative title of a recent conference in Jerusalem aimed at understanding the increasing acts of violence against non-Jews in the Holy City.

But the event – which was organized by the Center for the Study of Relations Between Jews, Christians and Muslims at the Open University of Israel – almost didn't take place after a key aide of Jerusalem's mayor forced the Tower of David Museum to cancel it. Originally scheduled for June 15, the conference was held next day at the Armenian seminary. But only with a reduced number of people were allowed to participate.

The man who forced the cancellation was Arieh King, one of the city's seven vice-mayors who is known for his hostility to the Christian presence in Jerusalem.

In the eye of the storm was Yisca Harani, a Jewish academic and an energetic woman, whose deeply pious father was also a renowned intellectual and one of the founding forces behind the interfaith meeting in Jerusalem.

Harani knows Christians well; she rubs shoulders with monastic communities in the Holy City and often shares their daily lives. As a researcher, she has also become a witness to the physical, psychological and verbal violence to which those recognized as Christians are subjected.

"I became an activist against my will," she explained.

Recording the incidents
The conference on the rise of violence was an opportunity to encourage people to officially note these incidents. Victims, for example, don't often lodge a complaint after being spat at, let alone when their stay in Israel depends on the goodwill of the authorities.

But Harani said that at least one attack, perhaps even more, takes place every day in Jerusalem.

"I think Arieh King found himself in a bad position after targeting evangelicals," said one of the conference's organizers.

Indeed. King led a small gang of teenagers to Jerusalem's Western Wall on May 30 to protest against a group of Zionist evangelical Christians.

"Go home, missionaries," they shouted at the demonstrators.

According to the same source in the organization, King used the conference as a pretext to fuel his argument about antisemitism and the defense of Jewish identity, which would be threatened even from within.

Ancient fears
The historical origins of the fear of Christians, which encourages these hate reflexes, are fueled by violence and anti-Semitism. But they are also encouraged by the resilience of the Jewish people in their perpetual status as a minority in history. It's a status that the State of Israel has changed.

"Today, the Jewish people must adapt to their role as the majority," insisted Karma Ben-Yohanan, professor at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. She said "the circle of fear" must be broken.

But various observers say these attacks on Christians, which are aimed at gradually erasing their presence and silencing their representatives, are the work of a radical minority. They also say they are immoral and illegal under Jewish religious law.

"Solutions must be found at the source, in education, in the atmosphere in which children grow up," said Alon Goshen-Gottstein, a rabbi who is active in interfaith dialogue.

Political context
Yet Israel's national political climate does not seem conducive to this.

"Violence is on the rise partly because of our new far-right government. It encourages such acts, even indirectly," worried Yossi Havilio, another vice-mayor of Jerusalem, centrist. Havilio, who is a centrist, attended the conference in an act of solidarity.

The phenomenon seems to be increasing. A man was arrested on June 15 after throwing a rock that shattered a stained-glass window in Jerusalem's Cenacle on Mount Zion. And Jewish activists have used magic markers to cross off the names of Christian sites that are indicated on an information board at the entrance to the Old City. Unfortunately, the acts are not limited to Jerusalem.

The Discalced Carmelites at the Stella Maris Monastery at the foot of Mount Carmel in Haifa have been facing the intrusion of ultra-Orthodox Jews the past two weeks who have come ostensibly to pray in the church's grotto known as the Prophet Elijah's cave. Hundreds of people gathered in front of the church on June 18 to show their support for the Catholic friars.

 

Pashinyan reiterates readiness to host Armenia-Greece-Cyprus summit in Yerevan

Nyrie Kalashian

 13:27,

YEREVAN, JUNE 28, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan has sent a congratulatory letter to Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on his decisive victory in the general election.

Below is the letter published by the Prime Minister's Office. 

“On behalf of the Government of Armenia, I cordially congratulate and extend my best wishes to you on the occasion of your decisive victory in the national elections of the Hellenic Republic. The victory of the political force led by you is the best assessment of the results of many years of devoted work. I am sure that your tenure will once again be distinguished by your quintessential vigor and determination to achieve goals. Dear Mr.  Mitsotakis,  I am convinced that the bilateral excellent cooperation anchored on centuries-old friendly traditions, as well as common values and approaches of the Armenian and Greek peoples will gain new momentum soon. I would like to take this occasion to once again thank you, the top leadership of the Hellenic Republic, as well as the brotherly Greek people for once again standing by the Armenian people and the unconditional support at difficult times. Our matching approaches around existing issues in international relations guide us to more closely and comprehensively develop partnership between our two countries. Armenia is committed to expand and deepen partnership with the Hellenic Republic in both bilateral and multilateral platforms. In this regard, we once again reiterate our readiness to host the Greece-Cyprus-Armenia trilateral summit soon in Yerevan. Honorable Mr. Prime Minister, taking this opportunity, I extend wishes of robust health and productive work to you.”

Pashinyan urges int’l community to take action amid high risk of destabilization in South Caucasus

Alex Nanijanian

 14:22,

YEREVAN, JUNE 28, ARMENPRESS. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has called on the international community to take action to protect the rights and security of the people of Nagorno Karabakh amid a high risk of destabilization in the region.

“Urging international community to take practical steps to ensure rights & security of Nagorno Karabakh people. Meanwhile Lachin Corridor remains illegally blocked, tonight as result of Azerbaijani attack with use of UAVs there are 4 casualties. High risk of destabilization in South Caucasus,” Pashinyan tweeted Wednesday, hours after an Azeri attack in Nagorno Karabakh killed four troops.

Azerbaijani forces bombarded Nagorno Karabakh military positions with artillery and drone strikes in the early hours of June 28.

Lachin Corridor, the only road linking Nagorno Karabakh to Armenia, has been blocked by Azerbaijan since December 2022.

The United Nations’ highest court – the International Court of Justice (ICJ) – ordered Azerbaijan on February 22 to “take all steps at its disposal” to ensure unimpeded movement of persons, vehicles and cargo along the Lachin Corridor in both directions. Azerbaijan has so far ignored the order. Furthermore, Azerbaijan then illegally installed a checkpoint on Lachin Corridor.

Pashinyan, Erdogan discuss normalization and land border opening deal

Emil Lazarian

 14:55,

YEREVAN, JUNE 28, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan spoke by phone today with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

PM Pashinyan congratulated President Erdogan on Kurban Bayramı (Eid al-Adha), while the latter conveyed congratulations on upcoming Vardavar, the holiday celebrating the Transfiguration of Jesus Christ, to the Armenian leader, the Prime Minister’s Office said in a readout.

The Armenia-Turkey normalization process was discussed. In this context, the course of implementation of the agreement on opening the land border for diplomatic passport holders and citizens of third countries was discussed.

BTA. Defence Minister: Bulgaria must integrate firmly with its allies to ensure common security

Emil Lazarian

 15:03,

YEREVAN, JUNE 28, ARMENPRESS/BTA.Our future is to integrate firmly with our allies to ensure our common security, Defence Minister Todor Tagarev told journalists at the Tsrancha Training Complex. He observed a demonstration within the framework of the Stealth Dagger – 23 exercise together with Prime Minister Nikolay Denkov.

Chief of Defence Admiral Emil Eftimov commented that in the last year NATO has been working hard on planning for collective defence that targets specific regions. In his words, not only the grouping of Bulgaria and Romania in terms of the regional special forces command is being discussed, but also the headquarters of a multinational division in Bulgaria, "which is a clear demonstration of Bulgaria's commitment to collective and national security".

"I am optimistic about what we have to do together in building capabilities. Bulgaria faces the same dangers that NATO faces," said NATO Special Operations Command Commander Lieutenant General Antonio Fletcher.

(This information is being published according to an agreement between Armenpress and BTA.)




Nagorno Karabakh asks for UN Security Council intervention over Azerbaijan’s genocidal goal of achieving depopulation

Emma Nadirian

 15:13,

YEREVAN, JUNE 28, ARMENPRESS. Azerbaijan seeks to achieve a complete depopulation of Artsakh (Nagorno Karabakh) with its genocidal actions, the Artsakh Parliament said in a statement adopted on June 28.

The parliament said that the latest ceasefire violation – the unprovoked attack by Azeri forces in the early hours of June 28 – which left four Nagorno Karabakh troops dead, attests that Azerbaijan seeks to achieve a complete depopulation of Artsakh with its genocidal actions, with the use of military, political and economic levers, under fake agenda of peace and dialogue, and in complete disregard for calls by reputed international organizations.

The fact that this latest ceasefire violation by Azerbaijan took place amid ongoing U.S.-mediated foreign ministerial talks between Armenia and Azerbaijan is noteworthy, it added. “This certainly once again proves that these “peace treaty” talks are actually an imitation of the formation of an environment of lasting peace and stability in the region as part of so-called international efforts.”

The parliament of Artsakh expressed deep concern over the dangerous reality and made the following appeals to the UNSC, the leaders of U.S., France, Russia and Armenia.

“To the UN Security Council, the leaders of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairing countries, to take concrete practical steps aside from statements of empathy, calls and advice, particularly, apply sanctions against Azerbaijan to suppress its aggressive aspirations. We are convinced that the double-standards style of conduct further emboldens Azerbaijan and makes it more uncontrollable and unleashed. To the Russian Federation, as part of the peacekeeping mission, to take stronger measures to stop Azerbaijan’s inhumane and genocidal actions. To the delegation of the Republic of Armenia in the Washington negotiations, to immediately halt the talks until a complete ceasefire is established in the line of contact with Artsakh and the borders of Armenia, and a provision of documented guarantees on preserving it, otherwise the continuation of the talks would mean to encourage Azerbaijan’s aggressive behavior and giving it an international level privilege.”

“We bow before the memory of our four martyrs who sacrificed their lives for our homeland, and we are ready to continue their sacred mission,” reads the statement.

Azerbaijani forces bombarded Nagorno Karabakh military positions with artillery and drone strikes in the early hours of June 28.

Lachin Corridor, the only road linking Nagorno Karabakh to Armenia, has been blocked by Azerbaijan since December 2022.

The United Nations’ highest court – the International Court of Justice (ICJ) – ordered Azerbaijan on February 22 to “take all steps at its disposal” to ensure unimpeded movement of persons, vehicles and cargo along the Lachin Corridor in both directions. Azerbaijan has so far ignored the order. Furthermore, Azerbaijan then illegally installed a checkpoint on Lachin Corridor.