Armenia boasts some of the most sophisticated artists and culture shapers in the world. To maximize the potential of human capital and talent, AGBU Armenia is working in partnership with Creative Armenia and with the funding of the European Union to invest in a new and critical program: Katapult Creative Accelerator Program.
With the aim of vitalizing the Creative and Cultural Industries (CCI) ecosystem in Armenia, Katapult empowers creative professionals with education, entrepreneurial skills and visibility, and bridges gaps in existing support services, technology, institutions and infrastructure to ensure a sustainable and thriving cultural industry.
Promoting creative products and talents is critical to opening new opportunities and markets. Katapult Pavilion, will launch annual expos in and outside of Armenia attracting international audiences. In addition, Katapult Talks, a bi-annual one week virtual summit, will invite a global network of creative experts to share experience and insights on how to build up a sustainable and thriving creative industry in Armenia.
Katapult will support up to 135 culture creators by investing and developing in at least 60 business ideas through the Artbox cultural incubator designed and implemented by Creative Armenia. Offering expert feedback in business design, project management, marketing and more, grantees will have the opportunity to introduce and sustain concepts as cultural businesses.
Infrastructure investments to support the technical and operational upgrade of cultural institutions in Armenia will be supported through Katapult's Innovation Grants. In addition, 3 Artbox Hubs across Shirak, Yerevan and Syunik will transform local institutions into cultural hotspots. Finally, Katapult will introduce the first FabLab in Armenia to facilitate digital prototyping and innovation for arts capacity building.
Through roundtable discussions and the establishment of a Creative and Cultural Industries Council (CCI Council), Katapult will create public-private dialogue platforms to advocate for the sector and legislative change, with a target of proposing 4 concrete reforms to parliament for improving sector sustainability. The CCI Council will take shape as an online platform for direct democracy.
The ASA Forum brought together representatives of the creative sector, providing a platform for experience exchange and professional discussions with local and international experts. During the forum, two panel discussions took place, covering topics related to the legal frameworks of culture and cultural investments.
We are thrilled to announce the Textile Academy 2024 Bootcamp in Armenia! Intensive week of hands-on workshops with international and Armenian experts! We are preparing for the soon to be opened FabLab at the Gyumri State Academy of Fine Arts.
Beyond Data invites eight artists and art collectives to interpret AGBU Katapult Creative Accelerator Program’s newly published research on the state of Armenia’s creative economy. Visitors can walk through, listen to, touch, feel, and contribute to parts of the research.
Excited about exporting or bringing artworks to Armenia? Our guide, has you covered! Get all your questions answered. Our recent workshop collaboration with RA Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport, ArtNexus, and Katapult provided expert insights on Art dealing, valuation, packaging, transportation, insurance and customs clearance!
At the Limited Edition Art Fair 2024, Katapult Pavilion showcased unique Armenian talent in the fields of print, sculpture, ceramics, and textile arts. This project is a partnership with The Main Design Store. It hopes to create a dynamic dialogue between East and West by sharing and positioning Armenian art within international discourse.
On January 17, we hosted a talk about music export and copyright, engaging in a dynamic conversation. We discovered beats that transcend borders and explored the symphony of copyright in the modern age. Katapult Talk is implemented by AGBU Armenia and made possible with funding support from the EU and ArtNexus Program Sweden.
Association of Intellectual Property Lawyers collaborates with AGBU’s Katapult to provide training sessions and consultations for authors and IP stakeholders. The aim is to bolster legal understanding among creatives, fostering a culture that respects artistic intellectual property rights.
On November 27, a virtual conversation took place on the Challenges and Opportunities of National Cultural Institutions and Agencies in the Digital Era. We explored how institutions and agencies can develop effective digital governance that balances innovation with accountability, transparency, and policymaking.
Exciting debut at WOMEX 23, October 25 - 29, 2023! 2,600+ music professionals from 90+ countries convened in A Coruña, Spain. AGBU's Katapult showcased 20+ Armenian talents, fostering global connections. Highlight: JINJ's stellar performance.
A series of workshops was conducted for creatives focusing on grants writing, led by the experienced workshop leader, Irina Mkrtchyan. During these workshops, participants delved into the various opportunities available and the specifics of applying for arts grants. Additionally, they discussed strategies for cultivating donor relationships.
AGBU's Katapult and FabLab Armenia on the 25 th of August, presented the results from the Living Art residency program that took place from August 14th-24th. Workshop leader Florent Aziosmanoff, AI and digital art expert, guided a group of 10 artists to explore meaningful ways of integrating technology into their practice.
MEDS took place in Gyumri with the theme Archquake. The workshop featured eight physical and two visual projects. One of the projects was HAY, designed by Kris Drieghe, Tinne Beirinckx, and Pieter Daenen, sponsored by AGBU's Katapult. HAY seeks to connect young designers with the agricultural landscape and traditional crafts.
Join Katapult Talks for an online conversation on Arts Grants with representatives from the Swedish Arts Grants Committee, the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, and Creative Armenia. Panelists dived into the topics of how to submit better applications, and why grant giving to the arts was fundamental to any cultural ecosystem.
To commemorate the one-year anniversary of AGBU’s Katapult, we shared the results of our nationwide research on Armenia’s Creative and Cultural Industries. The presentation highlighted the achievements accomplished in the first year and presented key findings from our economic research, national survey, and focus group discussions.
Association of Intellectual Property Lawyers together with AGBU Katapult Program conducts a series of training and consultations for authors and individuals dealing with intellectual property. During the trainings, authors and creative individuals gained valuable insights into the provisions of intellectual property legislation relevant to their activities.
On the 12th of July, 2022 AGBU launched the Katapult Creative Accelerator Program, an EU funded project co-implemented with Creative Armenia to catalyze Armenia’s creative economy. The launch event started with the official signing ceremony of the Memorandum of Understanding between Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport, Ministry of Economy, Ministry of High-Tech Industry, EU delegation to Armenia and AGBU.
AGBU has spent the last century funding Armenian creativity and cultural heritage preservation, from supporting cultural institutions like the Matendaran, the Armenian National Philharmonic Orchestra and Artsakh Chamber Orchestra to supporting individual artists through scholarships, performance opportunities and the Creative Armenia-AGBU Fellowship program.
Today, we are building on this legacy with Katapult to further impact our impressive cultural talents and vitalize Armenia’s creative economy.
For additional information about the program, please email katapult@agbu.am.
