News and Updates

Bringing together cultural practitioners from Armenia, Ukraine, and Georgia, the webinar explored how war and crisis reshape artistic work, cultural institutions, and public life, while highlighting the power of art to preserve memory, foster resilience, and sustain hope.

The second EU–Armenia Cultural Dialogue convened key institutional and creative sector stakeholders to discuss the strategic development of Armenia’s cultural and creative industries and opportunities for deeper cooperation within the European framework. Bringing together representatives of the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport of Armenia, the EU Delegation to Armenia, Creative Europe Desk Armenia, EU4Culture, EUNIC Cluster Armenia, TUMO Centre for Creative Technologies, and Advocacy Society for the Arts (ASA), the meeting focused on evidence-based cultural policy, innovation, regional and international partnerships, and the role of culture as a driver of democratic values, sustainable development, and cross-sector collaboration.

ASA and the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport of the Republic of Armenia have signed a memorandum of understanding to strengthen cooperation in research, policy development, and capacity building. The partnership focuses on developing a more inclusive, transparent, and data-driven cultural and creative ecosystem, with a particular emphasis on cultural decentralization and audience research.

In Yerevan’s government halls, a centuries-old culture of “paper loyalty” is colliding with the silent prompts of Large Language Models. In this first-person dispatch, Dr. Narek Tovmasyan explores why Armenia’s quiet revolution is birthing the “Augmented Leader” - a new breed of official balancing the efficiency of the machine against an unbreakable “Human Firewall.”

The Advocacy Society for the Arts (ASA) has launched its expert network, bringing together professionals from across the cultural and creative sector to support research, policy development, and collaboration in Armenia. The initiative offers ASA members free access to expert consultations and aims to strengthen coordination, improve data on cultural consumption, and expand access to skills and resources across the field.

Dr Marine Karoyan, PhD, unpacks the EU’s new Culture Compass and what it means for Armenia’s cultural policy and international positioning. the article highlights how emerging European standards on artistic freedom, artists’ working conditions and cross-sectoral cultural governance will shape expectations towards Armenia, and outlines concrete recommendations for aligning national cultural strategies, institutions and EU partnerships with this evolving framework

You turn data into information by organizing it, structuring it, and analyzing it | Anne Torreggiani

Strategic Decentralisation of Culture & Cultural Consumption

Following the success of ASA Forum 2025, Advocacy Society for the Arts convened its first General Assembly, bringing together trustees, advisors, and team members to reflect on the Forum, discuss ASA’s governance structure, and explore the organization’s future development. The meeting highlighted the importance of international partnerships, strategic thinking, and collective leadership in strengthening Armenia’s cultural ecosystem.

Hosted at the Armenian National Philharmonic Hall, ASA Forum 2025 brought together policy‑makers, donors, cultural managers and artists to imagine the future of Armenia’s cultural and creative sectors. Under the headline “Decoding Creative Industries,” this year’s edition focused on one big question: how can research and evidence help build a more sustainable cultural ecosystem?

The two-day program will feature a wide range of activities, including panel discussions, thematic workshops and seminars, exhibitions, and cultural events.

Armenia’s government has approved a marked increase in the 2026 state budget for culture as part of its medium-term strategy to support economic growth and human capital development. The Ministry of Education, Science, Culture, and Sports (MESCS) is set to receive a boosted allocation, reflecting the government’s intent to prioritize social sectors—especially arts, heritage, and creative industries—in the coming year.