Creative Armenia celebrates the successful completion of its signature Artbox Accelerator program, designed to foster the growth of businesses within the creative industries.

From October to December, 2023, 12 creative businesses, representing creative fields of music, fashion, animation, cultural events, and beyond, embarked on their acceleration at Artbox to develop their businesses, expand their audiences, and become more profitable. Over the course of 8 weeks, selected teams worked with mentors including experts and accomplished entrepreneurs from Armenia and around the globe, representing countries such as Estonia, Denmark, France, Switzerland, and Egypt.

The workshops covered a wide range of topics, from assessing business performances, improving their products, optimizing efficiency to developing growth plans and engaging customers.

12 creative businesses accelerated by Artbox are:

• Artuyt (Fashion Brand)
• Berberyan Production Studios (Music Production)
• GALIQUE Heritage Room (Art Space)
• Hovash (Fashion Brand)
• Kelvin Film Lab (Cinema Production)
• NENSI AVETISIAN (Fashion Brand)
• Oberton (Music Production)
• OnOff Studio (Animation Studio)
• Theatre on the Roof (Art Space)
• Tonir Wedding Village (Cultural Events)
• Varem-Marem Art Studio (Art Space)
• Z.G.EST (Fashion Brand)

“Leading creative start-ups toward their growth is the core objective of the Artbox Accelerator program, serving Artbox’s main mission of making art more commercially successful and sustainable. We are happy to have accelerated 12 strong creative start-ups that are now equipped with growth plans and deeper business skills and are thrilled to see how the 9 grant recipients will impact our culture and creative economy,” said Anush Ter-Khachatryan, Director of Programs at Creative Armenia.

The 9 participants that were cumulatively awarded €210,000 to accelerate their creative businesses are:

• Artuyt (Fashion Brand) - €30,000 full grant
  A producer of exquisite scarves that unearths the Armenian cultural tapestry and elevates it for the global markets. Their primary goal is to establish Artuyt as a globally recognized brand. 
• Berberyan Production Studios (Music Production) - €30,000 full grant
  A studio that encompasses the full spectrum of film music composing and sound post-production at the forefront of the industry in Armenia and beyond. Their primary goal is expanding their studio services, upgrading technology, and collaborating with various film-production companies overseas.
• Hovash (Fashion Brand) - €30,000 full grant
  A jewelry producer that crafts exquisite, hand-made pieces celebrating the beauty of nature and individual expression. Their primary goal is to establish a platform where individuals can create their own customized jewelry, expressing their unique personalized stories in the best way. 
• Oberton (Music Production) - €30,000 full grant
  A music company that combines full-house audio production and audio branding services with A to Z music management, promotion, and artist development.
  Their primary goal is to export Armenian music and make Armenian contemporary music more recognizable in the international music market.
• OnOff Studio (Animation Studio) - €30,000 full grant
  A studio that embarks on a mission to create captivating animation products that would distinguish themselves in the global market. Their primary goal is to boost the company's business and creative potential, fostering greater confidence for their presence in the international arena.
• Theatre on the Roof (Art Space) - €15,000 partial grant
  An alternative theater that combines into one unique format theatrical performance, live-concert program, and wine treat. Their primary goal is to integrate their broadened understanding and knowledge into their business model and acquire technical equipment for the theater.
• Tonir Wedding Village (Cultural Events) - €15,000 partial grant
  A cultural business that revives and celebrates traditional rituals, games, cuisine, and craftsmanship by organizing authentic ethnic weddings. Their primary goal is to globalize Armenian culture through international collaboration and to strengthen their concept further and expand their geographical reach.
• Varem-Marem Art Studio (Art Space) - €15,000 partial grant
  A creative workshop in Gyumri that fosters exploration and inspiration for visitors by creating pottery, sculpture, and handicrafts. Their primary goal is to improve the services of their studio, as well as provide new and more comprehensive services.
• NENSI AVETISIAN (Fashion Brand) - €15,000 partial grant
  A clothing and accessories brand fusing Armenian craftsmanship, monumental spiritual architecture, and sustainability. Their primary goal is to boost professional business and strategic brand development, and to propel the brand forward.
  
  “We are thrilled to see these nine impressive projects reach a new level through Artbox Accelerator. As a Creative Accelerator Program, Katapult is all about empowering players in the cultural field to have the tools and know-how to turn creative ideas into sustainable projects and businesses. Katapult was designed to couple financial support and seed funding with powerful knowledge so that those funds can be most effectively managed. We are proud that our incubator is leaving such a strong impact on the sector and we can’t wait to see what our Artbox participants will produce in the upcoming months,” said Anna Gargarian, the head of the KATAPULT Creative Accelerator Program