YSU Charles Aznavour Cultural Center marks 20th anniversary

To mark the anniversary, the center's members have prepared a special celebratory program featuring various cultural groups. To discuss the center's journey over the past 20 years and its vision for the future, we spoke with the center's director, Sargis Hovsepyan.

Key message: open platform for new ideas

According to Hovsepyan, the key message of the 20th anniversary is directed at the entire university community. The center is operating and developing, and it's opening its doors wider than ever to students and staff.

"We encourage new initiatives. We want people not to limit themselves to what already exists at the center but to come forward with their own ideas. The center is ready to create opportunities by providing space, time, and technical resources," Hovsepyan said.

Center's four main creative directions

Today, around 70 students are involved in the center's various groups. Notably, the young people united by a shared interest in the arts represent a diverse range of faculties, from the humanities to the exact sciences. For example, even future physicists actively participate in the center's band and choir.

According to Hovsepyan, the center's active groups include a women's dance ensemble, whose hallmark is Armenian national dance, while also exploring the cultures of other peoples and contemporary dance styles; a choir that performs the anthems of YSU and the Republic of Armenia at official events and maintains its own separate repertoire; the YSU Band, which performs contemporary music and brings fresh energy to university life; and a newly established theater troupe, which has already staged its first production and is now actively working on its second.

Wings toward major stages

One of the defining characteristics of university cultural centers is the rapid pace of generational change. As Hovsepyan describes it, this is the center's "destiny": constant turnover while also creating opportunities to discover new talent.

"Our groups are amateur ensembles where students seek opportunities for self-expression. However, we have cases where participants who started here later built professional careers in the arts," the director emphasized.

Beyond university life, the center is also actively expanding its geographic reach.

"For the second consecutive year, we have been cooperating with the Armenian community in Georgia and participating in the Sayat-Nova Festival, where we present Armenian culture. Our ties with Georgia are regular and ongoing, but we intend to broaden our geography through closer cooperation with other countries as well," Hovsepyan said.

He noted that the Cultural Center hosts performances by groups visiting from various countries and organizes events for many embassies operating in Armenia several times a year. 

Storytelling, film club, festivals: strategic priorities for cultural center

At the YSU Cultural Center, students are taught not only stage speech and musical skills but, most importantly, how to be free, courageous, and unafraid to try new things. Looking ahead, the center's strategy promises an even broader range of projects.

"We are preparing to establish a film club where screenings and discussions with industry professionals will be organized. I also want to form a group to teach storytelling and text-development skills. Our strategic goal is to change the perception that the center merely offers ready-made programs. We want to serve as a platform for student initiatives. We also plan to organize pan-Armenian student festivals, where YSU will take a leading role and exert a significant influence," Hovsepyan stressed.