Katapult

Katapult Pavilion is the flagship annual event and marketplace of AGBU’s Katapult Creative Accelerator Program, showcasing a diverse array of products and projects from Armenia’s creative communities. The inaugural “Scenius” edition took place in Yerevan March 31 - April 30, 2023 and was organized in partnership with Hay Art Cultural Center and the ARé Performing Arts Festival, generously supported by the European Union.

During the expo, over 130 Armenian creatives presented their work across various fields including visual art, creative technologies, design, architecture, fashion, print, and the performing arts. The exhibition took place at Hay Art Cultural Center, where we also hosted 59 events, ranging from workshops and performances to talks and interactive experiences.

The expo attracted over 3,400 attendees from Armenia and other countries. Moreover, the event generated 8,400 Euros of sales that went to the artists, designers, and publishers showcase. The number of visitors and amount of sales are impressive especially  for Armenia and thus reflect the remarkable success of this event and the significant impact it had on the country’s creative communities.

Katapult Talks is a series of panel discussions where creative experts share practical, behind-the-scenes industry knowledge that is seldom taught in educational institutions.

The Fall 2022 and Spring 2023 editions commenced with two talk series titled “Investment in Creativity” and “Cultural Export: Expanding the Market.” Overall, these series featured four in-person panel discussions and six online discussions, with a total  of 36 experts who reached 4,407 audience. These one-hour sessions included topics about entering the global marketplace, developing creative infrastructure, and strategizing cultural diplomacy, informed by first hand experiences across the fields of design, tech, music, marketing, illustration, and animation.

Katapult is committed to elevating Armenian creatives' presence in the media. Through strategic networking and partnerships, we have generated 61 articles in local and international press, showcasing the remarkable achievements of artists, designers, and performers. Our collaborative efforts celebrate Armenian creativity and inspire the next generation of talents while fostering global recognition for their innovative works. By promoting cultural exchange and creative expression, we aim to amplify the impact of Armenian creatives on the world stage.

Katapult x ArtNexus is a newfound partnership between AGBU’s Katapult Creative Accelerator Program and ArtNexus Sweden. The primary goal of this collaboration is to bolster cultural policy in Armenia by incorporating Swedish strategies while also expanding resources and opportunities to cultural practitioners. 

The ArtNexus project aims to support [Armenian and Swedish] creatives and state actors by fostering exchange across the two countries. Through this initiative, both nations can mutually benefit from sharing insights, experiences, and expertise in the cultural domain. 

ArtNexus is funded by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) and part of the Swedish Arts Grants Committee. To learn more about ArtNexus:  

ArtNexus - Swedish Arts Grants Committee (konstnarsnamnden.se) 

The following are events hosted by Katapult x ArtNexus: 

March 4-6, 2023

The Katapult Creative Retreat hosted an Intellectual Property (IP) workshop with the goal of assisting Armenia’s creative professionals with gaining substantive, transactional, and litigational knowledge and skills in the field of IP. Throughout the workshop, 16 lawyers received training, 15 creative cases were provided with consultation, and 29 case studies were examined.

April 29, 2023

“Intellectual Property and the Challenges of Technology”

This Global IP Forum brought together businesses, the legal community, the scientific community, government officials, and individuals interested in intellectual property [rights] and technology. The forum discussed the latest trends, strategies, and innovations in intellectual property . It hosted six panels and masterclasses with 20 guest speakers, and 120 participants.

The IP Global Forum was organised with the "Association of Armenian Intellectual Property Lawyers" NGO and was included in the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) list of events taking place around the world on the occasion of the World Intellectual Property Day.

At Katapult, we connect Armenia's Creative and Cultural Industries (CCI) sector through three key initiatives. First, our multi-stakeholder committee, comprising representatives from relevant ministries and the European Delegation, fosters comprehensive collaboration and targeted focus. Second, we are actively working towards creating a cutting-edge Citizen Platform for the CCI sector, already making significant progress with a comprehensive strategy and impactful branding approach. Third, our data-driven research, including in-depth focus group discussions, an economic study, and national surveys, provides valuable insights to fuel the growth and development of the CCI sector. Moreover, we strive to build healthy relationships between the government and artists, creating an ecosystem of mutual support and encouragement. Through collaboration, innovation, and research, we are dedicated to propelling the CCI sector in Armenia towards excellence.

Multi Stakeholder Committee:

Within the program, a multi-stakeholder committee meeting was established, comprising 34 members from the Ministries of the Economy, High Tech, Education, Culture, Science and Sport, as well as the European Delegation. Three working committees were formed to address various aspects of the program.

Citizen Platform:

One of the primary goals of the program is to create a Citizen Platform for the Creative and Cultural Industries (CCI) sector. This platform will serve as a valuable resource to support and promote the CCI sector. During the first year, significant progress has been made, including the development of a comprehensive CCI platform strategy and the design of an effective branding strategy.

Research:

The Katapult Creative Accelerator Program is characterized by its data-driven approach. As part of this commitment, we conducted the first-ever extensive research for the CCI sector in Armenia. This extensive  research included the following key components:

• 19 focus group discussions involving the CCI sector and related enabling sectors, with a total of 200 participants.
• 1 in-depth economic study on the CCI sector.
• 1 national survey with 400 responses, providing valuable insights into the sector's dynamics and challenges.
• 1 survey targeting informal individuals involved in the CCI sector.

This research initiative has yielded essential data and knowledge that will inform our strategies and decision-making processes to further enhance the growth and development of the CCI sector in Armenia.

A fab lab (fabrication laboratory) is a small-scale workshop offering digital fabrication. Katapult aims to empower CCI sector creatives by FabLab laboratories within the cultural institutions in Yerevan and other big cities in Armenia.

Artbox is Creative Armenia’s signature program designed to incubate and accelerate creative ideas, individual careers, projects, and institutions with potential for commercial success. As a one year result, the program has incubated for 24 cultural businesses, boosted 24 entrepreneurs with in total 34 grants worth 160.000 Euro.

The AGBU Katapult Innovation Grants prioritize equipment upscaling by covering the costs of purchasing and procuring new technical equipment for cultural institutions in Armenia. Our goal is to empower cultural workers with improved working conditions and innovative tools that enhance the quality of their performance and operations. By investing in technological equipment, we aim to strengthen and professionalize cultural institutions, enabling them to offer better services, experiences and products to the Armenian public.