On Friday, February 17, Creative Armenia announced the 24 selected participants who will join Artbox Entrepreneur as well as the 10 winners of the Artbox Incubator seed funding grant during its official Artbox celebration event. The event welcomed Creative Armenia’s community of artists and creators, Artbox Incubator alumni, the Creative Armenia-AGBU Fellows, and the newly selected participants of the Artbox Entrepreneur program, along with representatives from European Union delegation in Armenia, AGBU Armenia, and GIZ Armenia.

The evening marked the beginning of the new edition of Creative Armenia’s Artbox program – Artbox Entrepreneur. The program is an online career accelerator that will run from February to April of 2023. Selected 24 talented artists from across the arts will go through an 8-week career acceleration process, during which they will meet and learn from world-class mentors and leading creators, strengthen their skills in business planning, market analysis and communications and develop an individually tailored career acceleration plan which they will bring to life through the €2,500 Artbox grant.

The 24 artists to take part in Artbox Entrepreneur program are:

• Anahit Petrosyan, graphic designer and Illustrator
• Andranik Berberyan, composer and music producer
• Anush Ghazaryan, Fashion designer
• Armen Papyan, Musician, sound designer, and composer
• Artak Kostandian, Visual artist
• Artush Mikayelyan, Theater director
• Emma Harutyunyan, Art curator and cultural manager
• Gayane Aslanyan, Pianist and composer
• Hayk Pijoyan, Musician and composer
• Karine Dulyan, Artist and architect
• Mariam Stepanyan, Experimental visual artist
• Mariam Tovmasyan, Visual artist and illustrator
• Mary Hovsepyan, Illustrator and comics artist
• Mher Gaboyan, Visual artist and graphic designer
• Mikayel Simonyan, Fashion designer
• Shamiram Khachatryan, Comics artist
• Shushan Hyusnunts, Musicologist and sound artist
• Siranush Mkhitaryan, Artist and designer
• Siranush Vardanyan, Photographer and filmmaker
• Svetlana Amatuni, Designer and ceramist
• Tatevik Vasilyan, Toys designer
• Valeri Ghazaryan, Rapper
• Varder Baghdasaryan, Visual artist
• Veronika Barseghyan, Ceramist

Creative Armenia and AGBU Armenia, in frames of KATAPULT Creative Accelerator Program, are also delighted to announce the winners of the Artbox seed funding grant, the 10 creative projects that have successfully completed the 12-week Artbox creative incubator and showcased artistic excellence combined with strong market potential.

From October to December of 2022, for 12 weeks, the selected teams, representing cutting-edge projects in theater, music, design, and beyond,worked with international and local mentors and keynote speakers to develop various aspects of their creative projects – from market analysis and marketing plan to financing plan and legal rights – and to create their signature project deck and pitch.

Out of total 23 projects incubated at Artbox, the 10 projects that received Artbox seed funding grant are:

• Bebook Bus Theatre, a mobile theater of interactive shadow and puppet performances for children by Ani Yeremyan and Ruzanna Petrosyan.
• DASEIN, an independent magazine about the contemporary Armenian presence, culture, and aesthetics by Vanane Borian, Ina Abrahamyan, and Anna Vahrami.
• DIARIES, a creative agency focused on the electronic music and digital art scene by Harmik Mackertoomian.
• Doon Doon Art House, a hub for communities to come together through performing arts by Nour-Ani Sisserian.
• Dk.tsk Live, an authentic record label and music collective by Hranush Arakelyan and Hovsep Aghjian.
• Maestro, a mobile application that makes learning music fun by Arus Nazaryan and Lucy Bichakhchyan.
• ManBan Editions, a specialized art publishing focusing on the undiscovered sides of modern Armenian art and culture by Vigen Galstyan and Ophelia Azizyan
• Pambak Games, board games inspired by the unique and mysterious Armenian culture and mythology by Ani Alexandrian, Garabed Khachadour, Maretta Aivazian, and Anatole Arakelian.
• Rug Code, an online shop connecting rural rug makers in Armenia and their handicrafts with the world by Kyle Khandikian.
• ToneLab, a company hosting the full cycle of rock and alternative music production and teaching under one roof by Armen Yedigarian, Narek Tovmasyan, and Arsen Ohanjanyan.

To explore all Artbox Incubator projects, visit the official showcase page.  

“Our mission with Artbox is to champion a new generation of artists and creators, equipping them with fundamental business mindset and skills and guiding them to develop their creative ideas into cutting-edge, marketable products. We are so happy to further this support by granting seed funding to 10 of the 23 incubated projects that have demonstrated artistic and commercial power, as well as kickstarting the Artbox Entrepreneur program. This is our next big leap toward a paradigm shift in the creative industries,” said Anush Ter-Khachatryan, Director of Programs at Creative Armenia.

“AGBU Armenia is thrilled to be a part of the Artbox community, and today we celebrate not only a successful group of incubator graduates, but an incoming cohort of Artbox Entrepreneurs ready to tackle their business development journey. Armenia’s bright economic future is directly tied to the vibrance of its creative economy, the primary sector for innovation, employment, and growth. Katapult looks forward to inaugurating many more rounds of Artbox to come, and we are here to support and advocate for this community as an institutional partner.” said Anna Gargarian, Creative Strategist and Lead at Katapult Creative Accelerator Program.

Inspired by innovative methods in business and tech, Artbox is a reinvention of the incubator and accelerator models for the art world — a dynamic entrepreneurial system that supports artists in developing their ideas into commercially viable and investable creative products and personal brands. To learn more about the program, visit our website.

Artbox is a signature program of Creative Armenia arts foundations designed to provide comprehensive support to creative ideas, projects, and businesses with potential for commercial success. It is funded by the European Union in Armenia and launched in partnership with AGBU Armenia within the framework of the KATAPULT Creative Accelerator Program.