The Hakawati Project

The Hakawati Project Hakawati is a social justice vehicle that uses the art of storytelling to heal while preserving cultural heritage.

We aspire to empower and help un-silence the silenced and amplify the compassionate humanity of all of us.

With deep gratitude, we wish to acknowledge the supporters who made our recent Memory Lab workshop possible.We are thank...
30/11/2025

With deep gratitude, we wish to acknowledge the supporters who made our recent Memory Lab workshop possible.
We are thankful to Byblos Bank Armenia, whose support for travel and accommodation allowed our international team to gather in Yerevan and work closely with the collection.
Our sincere appreciation goes to the Sardarapat Ethno-Museum for hosting the opening session of the workshop and for generously sharing their knowledge about Armenia’s historic puppet traditions.
We also extend our heartfelt thanks to the Folk Arts Hub for welcoming our guests and offering their beautiful space for the hands-on sessions, where the full collection of 180 puppets made their appearance.
We are equally grateful to Anteb Restaurant, MOV Restaurant, and Academia Café, whose hospitality and support added warmth and care to our days of intense work and collaboration.
To all who believe in Hakawati’s mission, thank you. Your support allows us to care for this heritage with dignity, curiosity, and responsibility.
If you are moved by what we do, please make a donation to our fundraising campaign - link in bio.

30/11/2025

Day three and the final day of Refugee Illuminated Memory Lab by Hakawati
focused on the upcoming phase of research with the Karagöz shadow puppet collection of Armenian Genocide survivor Abkar Knadjian. We reflected on the work ahead, grounding our learning in care, responsibility, and shared memory.

Thank you to Dr. Anthoula Chotzakoglou, Dr. Hala Qasqas, Dr. Tamar Hayrapetyan, Dr. Talin Suciyan, Tamar Sarkissian, Dr. Tigran Amiryan and Ayhan Hulagu for joining us on this journey.

Stay tuned as we share more from this meaningful and beautiful workshop.

Something from last week.
24/11/2025

Something from last week.

HAKAWATI: MEMORY LABWe’ve begun the delicate work of archiving and digitizing Abkar Knadjian’s 120-year-old Karagöz pupp...
22/11/2025

HAKAWATI: MEMORY LAB
We’ve begun the delicate work of archiving and digitizing Abkar Knadjian’s 120-year-old Karagöz puppets; survivor objects (from pre-1915 Urfa to mid-1900s Aleppo).
Led by photographer and archivist Tamar Sarkissian, with Raffi Niziblian and Sona Tatoyan building the temporary catalogue, this phase prepares us for an unprecedented international workshop in Yerevan bringing together scholars from Greece, Syria, Turkey, and Armenia ... a first of its kind.
We can’t wait to share the stories of collaboration, dialogue, and shared cultural memory that emerge from this living archive.
Support our work. DONATIONS welcome_link in bio.

Բոստոնից Երևան․ «Սիրո նամակ Հայաստանին» ներկայացումը կբացի Երևանյան միջազգային թատերական փառատոնըՆոյեմբերի 19 և 20-ին՝ ժ...
18/11/2025

Բոստոնից Երևան․ «Սիրո նամակ Հայաստանին» ներկայացումը կբացի Երևանյան միջազգային թատերական փառատոնը
Նոյեմբերի 19 և 20-ին՝ ժամը 19:00

Կարդալ ավելին՝ https://shorturl.at/BKced
🎟️Տոմսերի համար՝ https://shorturl.at/TeVIw

Բոստոնից Երևան․ «Սիրո նամակ Հայաստանին» ներկայացումը կբացի Երևանյան միջազգային թատերական փառատոնը: 19 և 20 նոյեմբերին, ժ...
16/11/2025

Բոստոնից Երևան․ «Սիրո նամակ Հայաստանին» ներկայացումը կբացի Երևանյան միջազգային թատերական փառատոնը:
19 և 20 նոյեմբերին, ժ.19:00-ին:

Կարդալ ավելին ➡️ https://shorturl.at/5KnLJ
🎟️Տոմսերի համար ➡️ https://shorturl.at/GzCBf

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WHO HOLDS THE STORY, HOLDS THE POWER

Hakawati: origin, Arabic - Storyteller

The Syrian War has impacted the lives of millions of people: Syrians, Lebanese, Jordanians, Turks, Kurds, Iraqis, Armenians and the Europeans who have opened their doors to refugees. The media around the crisis rests largely in the hands of those who view it from the outside. As a result the narratives are theirs. We hear the word “refugee” constantly and perhaps forget that we are talking about human beings who have lost homes, dreams, lives, dignity. Human beings who have been lost and confused amidst the stories their lives have become and have much to say and express in creative ways. Human beings who stayed in their country and live today under ferocious economic sanctions, crumbling buildings and futures.

Taking place in Armenia, The Hakawati Project is a 2 month comprehensive filmmaking lab in various disciplines of cinema that work in concert to produce 6 short films made under the mentorship and in collaboration with A-list international talent. In collaboration with The Sundance Institute, we aim to foster the creative expression and sharpen the filmmaking tools of those impacted by the Syrian crisis, showcase their talent and offer alternative narratives to the ones mainstream media amplifies. This process will be healing and educating for both the talent involved and the receiving audience among the international community.

At this very moment Armenia has become a beacon of democracy for the world. In the spring of 2018 a corrupt government, tied to and deeply influenced by Russia, was overthrown by a peaceful, non-violent Velvet Revolution. This is why we believe that the country makes it possible to inspire and create the platform for other nations like the Syrians who must now deal with their own calamity and overcome the impacts of war and injustice. Armenia has turned poison into medicine, darkness into light.