A literary shooting star of the 1920s, Michael Arlen (1895-1956) was the chronicler of Mayfair society. He became an international celebrity after the publication of his scandalous novel The Green Hat in 1924. Born into an immigrant Armenian community in Lancashire, following early breakthrough in London he led a millionaire’s life on the Riviera and dabbled in the Hollywood film industry before living out his final years in New York, all but forgotten.

Join us for an illustrated talk about Arlen’s life and career by Philip Ward, based on Ward’s recently published book Encounters with Michael Arlen. Ward will also offer some thoughts on how – and why – this complex individual, born Dikran Kouyoumdjian, reinvented himself as ‘Michael Arlen’.

A unique display of first editions of all of Arlen’s books, held by the Armenian Institute library, will be available for browsing during the event.

There will be the opportunity to purchase the book during the event, cash only please. 

This event is held in collaboration with Troubador Publishing.

Please note that all event tickets are sold online, no tickets are available at the door. To ensure a smooth experience for all attendees, please make sure to register in advance using Eventbrite.

About the Speaker

Philip Ward is a writer with particular interests in literature, music and drama. He worked for many years in the House of Commons Library. His publications include Hofmannsthal and Greek Myth, a translation of Frank Wedekind’s novella Mine-Haha, and studies of the work of Sandy Denny, Laura Nyro and Helen Mirren, as well as a volume of essays Instead of a Critic. He holds MA degrees from the universities of Oxford and London and a PhD from Cambridge, where he is a Senior Member of Wolfson College.

Join us for an Archive Discovery Day with the Armenian Institute and the Wiener Holocaust Library as part of the Holocaust and Genocide Research Partnership.

Discover and explore a wealth of resources, titles, online access to video testimonies, references, and books in different languages, all in the heart of London, to support your studies and research projects. Focus on histories of peoples and genocide, and see how memory is preserved for future generations in these two original institutions. Open in priority to postgraduate students.

Archive Discovery Day Timings:
11:30 AM - 12:30 PM: Introduction to Armenian Institute Archive and Library. This will include a presentation from the AI’s Archivist Kolya Abramsky and Librarians Eddie Arnavoudian and Gagik Stepan-Sarkissian.

12:30 PM - 2:00 PM: Grab some lunch and head over to the Wiener Holocaust Library (24 min walk/19 min public transport).

2:00 PM - 3:00 PM: Introduction to the USC Shoah Foundation Archive at the Wiener Holocaust Library with Dr. Becky Jinks. This session will focus on Armenian oral history testimonies. You will also have the opportunity to view the ‘Genocidal Captivity: Re-telling the stories of Armenian and Yezidi Women’ exhibition.

Please note, that for the session at the Wiener Holocaust Library, we’d recommend bringing a laptop and headphones if you can.

Saving the Survivors: Danish relief workers and Armenian women genocide survivors in the 1920s.

Between 1921 and 1930, 1,880 Armenian survivors who had escaped genocidal captivity were taken in by Karen Jeppe’s Rescue Home, on the outskirts of Aleppo. Most stayed a few months, some just days, some years. For each survivor she took in, Karen Jeppe recorded their names, ages, place of birth, parents’ names, photography, and a short version of their story: ten of these stories of survival are featured in the Wiener Holocaust Library's current exhibition: Genocidal Captivity. We will have a discussion about Jeppe’s work, led by Dr Rebecca Jinks.

There will also be a reading of a play, Sorrow is Turned into Joy, written and performed by a group of Armenian women survivors in 1924, in Thessaloniki, for visiting Danish humanitarians. The play addresses their recent experiences of genocide and loss. The reading is directed by the distinguished theatre and opera director Seta White.

About Seta White:

Seta is a theatre and opera director, theatre maker and actor. Trained at Bretton Hall University College – B.A. (Hons) Theatre Arts - there is a strong emphasis in multidisciplinary work throughout Seta's work, and she has devised work across dance, music and drama, most often in highly collaborative environments. Seta is particularly drawn to developing work with people who otherwise do not have a voice, to find their stories & discover how they want their stories told.

We are delighted to invite you to a private, curator-led tour by Dr. Rebecca Jinks of the Wiener Holocaust Library’s latest exhibition, Genocidal Captivity: Retelling the Stories of Armenian and Yezidi Women. This exhibition explores stories of Armenian and Yezidi women held in genocidal captivity, using humanitarian records of Armenian survivors from the 1920s and recent interviews with and compelling portraits of Yezidi survivors in Iraq. The exhibition, co-curated by Dr. Rebecca Jinks and Dr. Christine Schmidt (Deputy Director and Director of Research at the Wiener Holocaust Library), is hosted jointly through the Holocaust and Genocide Research Partnership with Free Yezidi Foundation and is part of an AHRC-funded research project led by Dr. Rebecca Jinks. It is also generously supported by the Ernest Hecht Charitable Foundation. The exhibition runs from 21 Feb - 31 May 2024.

Learn more about the exhibition here.

About Dr. Rebecca Jinks

Dr. Becky Jinks is a historian of comparative genocide and humanitarianism at Royal Holloway, University of London. This exhibition, which she has co-curated with Dr. Christine Schmidt (Deputy Director and Director of Research at the Wiener Holocaust Library), forms part of her AHRC-funded research project Genocidal captivity: (Re)telling the stories of Armenian and Yezidi women survivors, 1915 and 2014. The project builds on her earlier work on international humanitarian organisations’ treatment of ‘absorbed’ Armenian women in the aftermath of the genocide.

Join us for an exciting opportunity to connect with fellow creatives, reminisce about the connections and collaborations forged during our past events, and explore each other's upcoming projects.

Whether you're an actor, director, writer, designer, poet, painter, composer, musician, choreographer, producer, craftworker, or any other creative actively shaping the arts landscape, we invite you to join us for coffee and the chance to network with other Armenian creatives.

As in the past, this gathering is hosted by theatre director Ed Stambollouian and playwright Abi Zakarian, with the gracious support of the Armenian Institute.

EngageArmenia Forum 2024: Revitalize your engagement with Armenia

In Armenia, the challenges are great, the times uncertain. To increase our engagement and get everyone involved, the Engage Armenia Forum 2024 is a call to action aimed at Armenians worldwide to come together, regardless of their expertise or experience, and play a pivotal role in shaping the future of Armenia.

The tour is scheduled for March 6-13, 2024, and will span eight European cities: London, Amsterdam, Brussels, Paris, Alfortville, Geneva, Lyon, and Marseille.

Why engage with Armenia

The question of why one should engage with Armenia may already be on the minds of many in the Diaspora. Some have long standing connections, while others are considering this opportunity for the first time. The Engage Armenia Forum 2024 provides a platform to rethink, revitalize and put into practice your engagement with Armenia.

What the Forum offers

It features a diverse range of individuals, organizations, and programs, each offering valuable insights into how you can actively participate in Armenia's development.

Notable speakers at the Engage Armenia 2024 tour include:

● Vartan Marashlyan (Repat Armenia)

● Nelly Poliakov (H. Hovnanian Family Foundation)

● Sevan Kabakian (Birthright Armenia/Armenian Volunteer Corps)

● Nazareth Seferian (Impact Hub)

● Sisian Boghossian (RA State Tourism Committee)

● Gevorg Poghosyan (ReArmenia)

● Hrayr Barsoumian (Optimize Consulting)

● Garik Gevorgyan (Move2Armenia)

● Shoushan Keshishian (Hub Artsakh)

● Marie Lou Papazian (TUMO)

Engage Armenia 2024 has two key components: panel discussions and networking. The panel discussions provide a platform for speakers to share their personal experiences and insights. Topics will include volunteering, internships, expertise sharing, supporting projects, higher education opportunities, career options and business investments, repatriation and integration in Armenia. This interactive format allows attendees to ask questions and engage with the panelists directly.

By participating in #EngageArmenia 2024, you are taking a significant step towards reshaping your connection with Armenia.

You are invited to join us for an exclusive evening celebrating exceptional Armenian women throughout history. Tatiana Der Avedissian, the chair of trustees at the Armenian Institute and a champion of women’s rights, will take us on a journey evoking the lives of inspiring women, from mythical and historical figures such as goddess Anahit and Shajar al-Durr, sultana of Egypt, to contemporary divas hailing from Armenian roots, like iconic stars Cher and Kim Kardashian, and remarkable figures such as Agnes Joaquim, a 19th-century gardener who created the orchid hybrid that is now Singapore’s national flower, the delicate Vanda ‘Miss Joaquim.’

The event will celebrate Armenian women like never before to help mark International Women’s day and history month.

We hope you can join us and amplify the stories of these wonder women. Expect delicious food provided by Jakob's restaurant, as well as music, drinks, and plenty of surprises! Proceeds from the event will go towards supporting The Armenian Institute's mission to foster dialogue and connections with Armenia, the diaspora, and the cultures of the wider region, while collaborating with a diverse range of academics, artists, and creatives to deepen our understanding and awareness of Armenian culture. Please join us and support our efforts to make Armenian history and culture a living experience.

Thanks to the generous support from Armenian House and Jakob's.

About the Speaker:

Tatiana Der Avedissian, Chair of the trustees of the Armenian Institute, is a communications specialist who is passionate about sustainability, human rights, history, politics and philanthropy. Der Avedissian is head of business development for Economist Impact's World Ocean Initiative and sits on The Economist Group's sustainability steering committee. Outside of work, she uses her expertise to advise and support other organisations with their strategic communication and business needs. She is a trustee and co-president of Alkionides UK, co-president of the Harvard Kennedy School Women's Network, and sits on the board of the UK-Cyprus Enterprise Council. Der Avedissian has taught ethics and politics for the Escuela de Gobierno Universidad Hemisferios in Ecuador as a guest professor.

The podcast series “The Lost Voice: Aurora Mardiganian” is an investigation into what happened to the Armenian genocide survivor who became a film star, Aurora Mardiganian. The podcast recounts her story, Hollywood exploitation, her resilience, and reflects on how the movie, which broke box office records in America, is now officially a “lost film.” It also delves into the UK's position on the Armenian Genocide, by speaking with Tim Loughton, MP, who has been fighting for recognition in the country.

Join us at the Armenian Institute to discover this work and meet its creator, Maxim Saakyan, who will tell us more about the process of making the podcast and the importance of archiving. Conversation and debate about the important questions it raises will be encouraged.

The newly launched Uncovering Roots podcast is thought of as a journey into lesser-known narratives from the SWANA (South West Asia and North Africa) region and indigenous people across the globe. Each episode is crafted to immerse listeners in a creative and personal storytelling experience. It has already received recognition, as Spotify featured it as #1 documentary and The Guardian chose it as their podcast of the week on 14 December 2023.

This event will be in-person and online.

About Maxim Saakyan

Maxim has a diverse background ranging from mathematics to story telling. His multicultural background and Armenian heritage sparked a passion in telling “must-be heard” stories from those who do no have the privilege to bring their stories to life.

Join us for an enchanting journey through the lyrical realm of award-winning Sarah Mnatzaganian's acclaimed poetry. In this intimate hour, Sarah gracefully celebrates her most recent book, Lemonade in the Armenian Quarter, taking the audience from the serene landscapes of her English upbringing to the vibrant tapestry of her Armenian heritage in Jerusalem.

Mnatzaganian's poetry is a feast for the soul —delicious, thought-provoking and unapologetically sincere. It brims with richly evocative imagery, depicting childhood, motherhood, and family dynamics, always attuned to the nuanced meanings embedded in food, clothes and community traditions. Sarah's words, woven into a narrative unlike any other, exude a captivating allure, crafting vivid portraits that rouse the senses.

About Sarah Mnatzaganian

Anglo-Armenian poet Sarah Mnatzaganian lives in Ely. Her work has been published widely in literary magazines and anthologies. Her first book, Lemonade in the Armenian Quarter, won the Saboteur Award in 2022 and has recently inspired a song cycle by the composer Noah Max. A special hand-stitched edition of cello themed love poems will be published in May 2024.

Get insight into life in Gaza in the 1940s-1970s through the work of Kegham Djeghalian.

Of Armenian descent, Kegham Djeghalian (1915-1981) moved to Palestine in the 1940s where he eventually set up a photo studio in Gaza in 1944. A prominent photographer, he documented everyday life in the city through turbulent periods of transition until the 1970s. From studio portraits and family gatherings to images of refugee camps and military personnel, his work is varied, giving insight into the social and political development of Gaza in that period.

Join us and his grandson, artist and educator Kegham Djeghalian Jr, take us through the life and legacy of one of Gaza’s most important photographers.

In partnership with The Barakat Trust and The Photographer’s Gallery.

Djeghalian has been a faculty member at Paris College of Art (PCA) since 2016 and is one of the faculty members who premiered the Master of Arts program in Fashion Film and Photography in 2016. He was the Acting Pedagogic Director of the Master of Image Design in fashion at l’Institut Français de la Mode (IFM) in 2018 & 2019. Moreover, he has been leading workshops and master classes in various educational and cultural institutes internationally since 2011. Djeghalian studied Image Design in Fashion at l’Institut Français de la Mode (IFM), Visual Arts at the American University of Cairo, Visual Culture and Design at Goldsmiths College University of London, and Fashion Studies at Central Saint Martins and London College of Fashion. Djeghalian’s work was internationally exhibited in group and solo shows, and his shoots and articles were published in diverse print and online magazines. Four of his photo-shoots have won international awards. He has consulted and collaborated with many fashion houses and designers the likes of Dior, Kenzo, Louboutin, Hermès, Okhtein, Dior MajaS. In 2014, his short film ‘To Schiap with Love’ was selected and shown at Diane Pernet’s ‘A Shaded View on Fashion Film 7’ at the Centre Pompidou in Paris. In 2020, he was appointed as the Creative Director of the Egyptian footwear brand Zee with a mission to revamp and restructure its identity, image and product.

On January 19, 2007, the world was shaken by tragedy when Hrant Dink, a Turkish-Armenian intellectual and the esteemed editor-in-chief of Agos newspaper, fell victim to a fatal shooting perpetrated by a misguided 17-year-old nationalist. This year, with the specter of his assailant's release from prison, the call for dialogue and reflection resonates with increased urgency.

Join us for our annual commemoration of Hrant Dink's life and ideals. Our event will feature a multidisciplinary presentation with the participation of author and actress Nouritza Matossian, Harvard University Fellow Ohannes Kılıçdağı, and the voice of Noemi Ducimetière.

About the speakers:

Nouritza Matossian

Nouritza Matossian, friend and documentarist of Hrant Dink has memorialized his life every year since his death in 2007. She recorded his innermost thoughts and feelings in conversations editing them later for the award winning video portrait, Hrant Dink, Heart of Two Nations.

Her acclaimed biographies on Iannis Xenakis, composer and Black Angel, A Life of Arshile Gorky, Armenian American artist were both made into films. She performed the story of Gorky in a one woman show internationally in three languages and 100 productions. She is a founder and former director of the Armenian Institute in London. Wife and partner of composer Rolf Gehlhaar.

Ohannes Kılıçdağı

Ohannes Kılıçdağı is a visiting fellows at the Center for the Middle Eastern Studies of Harvard University. After completing double major BA degrees from sociology and political science departments of Boğaziçi University, Istanbul, Turkey; continued to his doctoral studies at the department of history of the same university. He joined the research fellows of the Near Eastern Studies of University of Michigan, Ann Arbor in 2012-2013. He received his PhD in 2014 with his dissertation titled “Socio-political Reflections and Expectations of the Ottoman Armenians after the 1908 Revolution: Between hope and Despair”. From 2003 to 2017, he extensively lectured at İstanbul Bilgi University Sociology Department on social and political history of the late Ottoman Empire and modern Turkey as well as history of Ottoman-Turkish social and political thought.

Noémie Ducimetière

Noémie Ducimetière is a multi-instrumentalist, composer and performer. Formerly lead vocalist of band Gentle Mystics now spearheads projects under the alias Noum, overlapping the experimental with the traditional. Her soundtracks featured in over 40 renowned festivals: Falling Tree, NOWNESS, REAL STORIES, GREENPEACE and BFI. Noémie studied Old Roman chant with expert Marcel Pérès of the Organum Ensemble, sang in monasteries in the mountains of northern Greece, trained with Corsican composer, researcher and specialist of Medieval music Thomas Fournil, and Palestinian-British oud player Kareem Samara and Greek modal professor Evgenios Voulgaris.