Over six days, the inaugural two-day art educational workshops brought together approximately 100 young people from Artsakh and the Syunik region, marking an exciting start to a creative and collaborative initiative.
From October 20 to 25, around 100 young people from Artsakh and the Syunik region took part in the first two-day art educational workshops, hosted in three key cities: Goris, Kapan, and Sisian. These workshops were part of the “Menq & Moonq” humanitarian program, designed for youth aged 12 to 18. Offered free of charge, the workshops provided a space for participants to connect, collaborate, and bring shared ideas to life, fostering unity among displaced youth from Artsakh and their peers in Syunik.
The workshops covered a range of topics, including acting, photography, collage art, and the collection of recipes and oral histories. Participants not only interacted and built relationships but also gained both theoretical insights and practical skills by working together on tasks.
In the recipe and oral history workshop, participants were asked to gather stories from their families about their extended relatives or places of origin. On the second day, they eagerly shared what they had learned from their parents and grandparents: family histories, journeys, the beauty of their ancestral homes, and cherished family dishes. Many participants delved into these stories for the first time, uncovering a newfound appreciation for their heritage.
In the acting workshop, participants teamed up to reenact scenes from their favorite films, while the photography course encouraged them to see frames from fresh perspectives, emphasizing the beauty of details often overlooked.
The workshops also sparked new friendships, with many participants discovering they lived in the same city but had never met before. Altogether, 22 participants from Kapan, 60 from Goris, and 21 from Sisian joined these enriching two-day educational sessions in Syunik province.
The Menq & Moonq program is financed by the German Federal Foreign Office (GFFO) in partnership with Sign of Hope (SoH). The project is implemented by the Development Principles NGO.
