Theater Problems in Armenia

Despite the long, rich history and legacy of excellence in the performing arts, theaters in Armenia have fallen on hard times.  The economic crises following independence in 1991 has had a serious impact on theaters and performing arts in Armenia, which are still nearly all state funded. Furthermore, many theater managers in Armenia are not familiar with new developments in theater management and education.  It is the principal goal of this project to expose the participants to modern practices in the theater and arts, to introduce U. S. cultural and management policies, and encourage international cooperation.

The Training Program

The program will include meetings with theater companies, dramatic arts centers, associations, and universities that will involve seminars, round table discussions, talks, and hands-on training covering specific objectives of the program.  These include: modern best management practices in the theater, fundraising techniques, PR and marketing, innovation  and new techniques, education and the theater, cooperation with universities and businesses, attracting young and talented artists, etc. Also included in the program will be a visit to New York City to meet with performing arts professionals from that great city of dramatic arts and theater.

CYSCA Program Director Jack Medzorian commented, “We are privileged to have been selected to organize this exciting project and look forward to hosting our visitors with great anticipation. We are confident that this will be another successful project, our 16th since 1997, hosting professionals from Armenia and are confident the participants will return to their native country with many new ideas and concepts to implement in their society”

The program also includes a cultural component called “Experience America” to expose the participants to American history, culture, values and everyday life as they visit historic and cultural sites in Greater Boston.  Housing will be provided by local volunteer host families.  Anyone interested to host one of the guests may contact Ms. Taya Battelle, program administrator at 617-277-9548. For more information about the project contact Ara Ghazarians, project manager at 781 646-3090.

CYSCA HOSTS MUSEUM MANAGERS FROM ARMENIA

In June 2007 CYSCA was awarded a grant from the World Learning, Inc. to host ten Museum Managers from Armenia for a 24 day comprehensive training program in Greater Boston. The main goal of the program was to provide visitors with professional training on all aspects of museum management including contemporary methods of exhibiting, fundraising, marketing and promotion of museum activities to attract sponsors and visitors, effective PR, youth education and family programs, modern museum design, new preservation methods, as well as promotion of museum management as part of a program to preserve Armenia’s rich and ancient national heritage and improve tourism development.

The ten visitors (six women and four men) arrived at Logan airport on August 2 for a period of twenty-four days of intense training in New England. They were welcomed by several CYSCA members and volunteers and transferred to the Sheraton Commander hotel in Harvard Square. The first three days the group spent in orientation meetings and tours of the city to get familiar with the public transportation system and locations of some of their upcoming activities. Before placing the visitors with their host families, CYSCA organized a lovely welcome reception at the Sheraton Commander hotel attended by CYSCA Board of Directors, professional training providers, host families and volunteers.

The professional training program began on August 6 with presentations by representatives of the New England Museum Association, Harvard’s Peabody Museum as well as Invivia Company in Cambridge specializing in contemporary display and exhibit designs.

Over the next two and a half weeks the Armenian visitors were involved in many activities and events prepared for them by CYSCA according to a very detailed and comprehensive schedule. The Armenian guests attended presentations and workshops and participated in tours and site visits at the following historical sites, museums and cultural and educational institutions: the Lexington and Arlington Historical Societies, the Minuteman Park in Concord, Adams National Historical Park in Quincy, Harvard’s Fogg Museum, Museum of Fine Arts, Northeast Document Preservation Center in Andover, Museum of African American History, the Children’s Museum, the MIT Museum, the Textile History Museum in Lowell, the Institute of Contemporary Art, and the Science Museum. In addition, the visiting group attended detailed tours at the Armenian Library and Museum of America (ALMA) which houses the largest collection of museum objects related to culture and heritage of the Armenian Diaspora as well as at the Armenian Cultural Foundation (ACF) which serves as a repository of rare collection of historical books and priceless artifacts. There were many highlights of the program: during the exit evaluation meeting the visitors mentioned the Children’s Museum and the Museum of Science as the most impressive because both museums feature well-organized and very creative programs for children and families, innovative display techniques, educational programs in science and art, volunteer programs and effective fundraising campaigns. CYSCA was able to arrange very informative panel presentations with participation of department heads and key specialists at both museums, which were followed by a question and answer period and a demonstration of a specific display or an educational program like an electricity exhibit or a live animal demonstration at the Museum of Science. Another highlight of the program was the visit to the MIT Media Lab and the MIT museum. One of CYSCA’s Board members who is employed by MIT arranged for a very exciting visit to show the participants how a cutting edge technology is being developed and used for contemporary museum design and display in this country and abroad.

CYSCA conducted three Action Plan meetings during which the participants discussed many ideas for follow on projects that they would try to implement in Armenia based on the knowledge and experience they have gained during their stay in the US.

In addition to all the site visits and museum tours the guests participated in a joint forum organized by CYSCA and the Armenian Library and Museum of America. This event gave the participants the opportunity to talk abut their perspective museums, problems and challenges they face and answer many questions by a wider community.

It is worth mentioning that this particular group stood out compared to other groups hosted by CYSCA over the past 10 years: this was a talented vocal group: several guests were excellent singers with beautiful voices – they would sing in the van en route to a site or at a dinner/barbeque, or together with someone whom they just met. While at the Museum of African American History in downtown Boston one of the presenters was so impressed by the group that she sang a beautiful Gospel song in honor of the visitors. This was another highlight of the program which the guests would surely remember for a long time.

CYSCA organized many cultural activities for the guests on weekends and some evenings. They included tours of Harvard Square and Boston downtown, two cookout/barbeque dinners hosted by host families and Board members, additional visits to Boston museums and attractions as well as a sightseeing tour to Boston Harbor Islands. For three weeks the Armenian guests were living with volunteer host families in the Greater Boston area which made it possible for them to experience home life, customs, traditions, diversity and history of the US. Many host families developed a very good relationship with their guests, they became close friends and are planning to go to Armenia for future visits. One of the visitors was a double amputee, disabled person who could move around in a wheelchair. All her needs were completely satisfied thanks to CYSCA’s outstanding volunteers Jirair and Carol Babikyan who covered many challenging logistics.

At the end of the program CYSCA held a comprehensive Evaluation and Action plan meeting. The participants went over many aspects of the program and filled out detailed Evaluation forms that were mailed to the World Learning immediately after the planned schedule of activities was completed.

As has been CYSCA’s long-standing tradition, the end of the program in Boston was marked by a lovely farewell dinner for the guests, their internship providers, host families, CYSCA Board and many volunteers. During the farewell dinner all the visitors expressed their gratitude to the US funding organizations: the USAID and the World Learning for providing financial support for such important projects and to CYSCA for successful organization and implementation of the professional training program. Many beautiful Armenian songs were sung at the dinner, and in general it was a warm, emotional and very inspiring event.

The group departed on August 24, 2007 back to Armenia after warm and heartfelt good-byes at Boston Logan airport.

Grant received for new school-to-school dialogue on the Nile River Basin.

From February to April 2006, student after-school clubs at Cambridge Rindge & Latin High School and School #190 in Yerevan will address a topic that is farther afield from their own daily concerns, and far from their own national boundaries, but is of global significance. They will research and take on the roles of the ten African countries that depend on the water of the Nile Basin. Through email they will enter into a mock negotiation to agree on how to share access to the water. The advisor in Cambridge will be Aren Ghazarian, an alumnus of the CYSCA summer program who has experience working in a number of international settings, and a deep interest in conflict resolution. Overall Coordinator is Joanne Hartunian.

Partial funding for this project was received through a grant given by Hewlett Packard to Sister Cities International to fund four sister-cities partnerships to promote global citizenship and community leadership in young people worldwide. The other partnerships are: Rice Lake, Wisconsin with Zamberk, Czech Republic; San Diego, California with Jalalabad, Afghanistan and Sebastopol, California with Chihirin, Ukraine . In addition, four students from each partnership will be selected to take part in SCI's 50th Anniversary International Youth Summit on Global Citizenship in July, which is part of SCI's 50th Anniversary Conference.