3-5 December, 2015

Hrant Dink Foundation, Anarad Hığutyun Building, Havak Hall

As part of the "Revealing and Advocating the Multicultural Heritage of Anatolia project", the Hrant Dink Foundation and Houshamadyan  jointly organized a series of panels and workshops on intangible cultural heritage of non-Muslim communities in Turkey. The event focused on the definition, documentation, analysis, and interpretation of intangible cultural heritage as well as its relationship to the contemporary cultural practices.

Arzu Öztürkmen gave the opening speech entitled “Thoughts On Cultural Heritage” . Afterwards, Vahé Tachjian took the floor with his paper  on treasure hunting: in search for ottoman armenian memory materials. 1st session entitled “Cultural Heritage and Music” moderated by Melissa Bilal. Haris Theodorelis-Rigas talked on continuity, rupture, and challenges in rebetiko revival in Istanbul; Karen Şarhon hold the floor with the journey of Turkish Sephardic music ; Vahé Tachjian highlighted how  the Armenian cultural heritage is conserved.

Shogher Margosyan from Houshamadyan, introducing the archive workshop to the Kalfayan school students Silva Özyerli panel talk Zafer Yenal panel talk Arzu Öztürkmen and Vahe Tachjian In Melissa Bilal's panel, Haris Theodorelis-Rigas, Karen Şarhon and Vahe Tachjian Zafer Yenal, Sibel Cuniman Pinto and Silva Özyerli Haris Theodorelis-Rigas and Karen Şarhon Huşamadyan archive workshop Silva Özyerli's food workshop Silva Özyerli's food workshop Silva Özyerli's food workshop Silva Özyerli's food workshop Huşamadyan archive workshop Huşamadyan archive workshop

Practicing the Past: Intangible Cultural Heritage Today

  • Shogher Margosyan from Houshamadyan, introducing the archive workshop to the Kalfayan school students

  • Silva Özyerli panel talk

  • Zafer Yenal panel talk

  • Arzu Öztürkmen and Vahe Tachjian

  • In Melissa Bilal's panel, Haris Theodorelis-Rigas, Karen Şarhon and Vahe Tachjian

  • Zafer Yenal, Sibel Cuniman Pinto and Silva Özyerli

  • Haris Theodorelis-Rigas and Karen Şarhon

  • Huşamadyan archive workshop

  • Silva Özyerli's food workshop

  • Silva Özyerli's food workshop

  • Silva Özyerli's food workshop

  • Silva Özyerli's food workshop

  • Huşamadyan archive workshop

  • Huşamadyan archive workshop

2nd session was about “Cultural Heritage and Cuisine”. Zafer Yenal talked on cultural heritage and food; Sibel Cuniman Pinto concentrated on a sweet and sour sephardic story from Kashkarikas to Biskochikos; Silva Özyerli take the floor with her paper “In Search of the Lost Taste”.

After these informative sessions, some workshops also took place. One of them were Oral History and Documentation with the contribution of Houshamadyan . The other one was Liqueur-making workshop giving by Silva Özyerli. Lastly, there was a performance called “SAR”. Mihran Tomasyan and Saro Usta, who grew up among common music, scents, and faces transformed their shared experience into a performance of different sound and movement forms.