EXPERIENCE

AWID: 2019-Present Arts and Creative Strategist & Communications Manager at a global feminist movement support organization
“That Feminist Fire” a multilingual podcast series, co-produced with Hueman Group
“Feminist Film Club” a collection of short & feature films selected by feminist curators and storytellers from around the world
“Feminist Realities” a digital & print magazine featuring art and stories from feminist movements
“Feminist Art Walk” an exhibition that gathers the work of feminist artists and collectives from across the globe
“Crear | Résister | Transform“ a multicultural & multilingual festival creative resistance strategies of global south feminists
“40 Years of AWID” a creative campaign that highlights AWID’s last four decades of feminist movement support

Alternatives for Women: 2023-Present
Volunteer at local organization that provides Second Stage Housing and counselling from a feminist perspective

Oolik Productions: 2021-Present
Producer for films supported by Sundance, HotDocs, Catapult, Visions du Réel

HyePhen Magazine: 2014-Present
Project Manager and long-time member of an independent digital magazine and publishing collective

Kalik Arts Company: 2013-2020
Co-Founder & Creative Director for arts, media & performing arts production company

Alchemy of Waste: 2011-2018
Co-Founder of community arts/education project on deconstructing collective perceptions of waste

Freelance Production & Project Management: 2010-Present
Unusual Productions: Producer for award winning shows across US/Europe; 3 years at Edinburgh Fringe Festival
ReCircle Contemporary Arts & Circus Collective: project manager, press, design
Blood Ballet Cabaret: founder/creative director for multiple tours & festivals, including Just for Laughs & Panama’s inaugural burlesque show
Accented Feminism / Blind Dates by Neery Melkonian: video editor, designer
Abrahamian Art Center: co-founder, curator, creative director for an art gallery and event space in Yerevan, Armenia

Service & Front of House Management: 2001-Present Server and FOH Manager of multiple restaurants & venues in major citie

EDUCATION

Pacifica Graduate Institute (2022): MA/Ph.D. in Depth Psychology: community, liberation, indigenous & eco psychologies.
Ph.D. Dissertation: ՀՈԳ ՏԱՆԻԼ AS BRINGING SPIRIT: Legacies of relational ontologies and ethics of care by diasporic women & queer folks from the SWANA region
European Graduate School (2013): MA in Expressive Arts Therapy: focus on digital media & education.
Concordia University (2009): BA/BFA: double major in film studies and political science. 

PUBLISHED WORKS

“The Brighter I Shine” Lantana Publishing (2024).
“Let’s Sit Crooked and Talk Straight: Tasseography as a Portal for Aching Hearts,” in Al Hayya Magazine, (Issue 3, 2024).
“Monument to the Autonomous Republic of Artsakh” Shaping the Past, Bundeszentrale für politische Bildung (2024).
“Museum of Forgotten Belongings,” in Armenian Creatives 02: A Question Makes a Room for Collaboration (2023).
“Ensouled,” in Visions; Pacifica Graduate Institute, (2023).
“Gisher in Western Armenian” in Those words, that offer to us; Issue 01: Poetry + Literature (2023).
“Architecture for Future Living Spaces,” in Armenian Creatives 01: Transcription the Space before Translation (2021).
“Motherhood is Speculative (Non)Fiction,” in The Liminal Chrysalis: Imagining Reproduction and Parenting Futures Beyond the Binary, Demeter Press, (2021).
“Queer Motherhood is Speculative Fiction,” Mizna Magazine 21.1  Queer & Trans Voices Issue (Nov 2020).
“Never Not Powerful,” Spicy Zine (April 2020).
“5 QPOC Visionary Fiction Projects to Look Out for in the Not-So-Distant Future,” Autostraddle (March 2020).
“Myrtle / A Mother’s Mind,” BTWN | The Between Journal (issue: 2019).
“Flare 2019: Transmission by A. Yahjian, E. Mkritichian, K. Abrahamian & l. boudakian,” Rianne Pictures (March 2019).
“Excerpt from a Work-in-Progress: Motherhood is Speculative (Non)Fiction: A Rhizomatic Writing Experiment Examining
Motherhood and Matrescence,” The Community Psychologist; Volume 52, Number 2, Spring 2019.
“Coffee No. 1” No, Dear Magazine (cover art), guest edited by Alina Gregorian (2018).
“Dear Armen” Q2Q: Queer Canadian Performance Texts, edited by Dickinson, Gatchalian, Oliver & Singh (2018)
Lammy Finalist for LGBTQ Anthology
“Herstories of Divine Love,” The Armenian Review; Volume 56, Number 1-2 (Spring–Summer 2018).
“when you left us in armenia / 2011,” BTWN | The Between Journal (issue: 2016).
“Dear Armen,” Ardziv Magazine, (issue: December 2014)

SELF PUBLISHED BOOKS & ANTHOLOGIES

“Pouys” (2022) co-creator @entangledrootspress & Armmad, illustrated book on Armenian healing plant knowledge. 

1000+ copies sold

“Ancient Fires, Future Waters” (2022) co-creator @entangledrootspress, illustrated book on reclaiming ancient Armenian rituals.
“Proverbs from our Foremother” (2019) co-creator @anahitoferebuni, illustrated quote book on Armenian women.
“DYADS” (2016) Project Manager, Curator, collaborative arts & storytelling project gathering SWANA women & queers.

CONFERENCES

“The “Witch” in Relationality with the More-Than-Human: Mutually Shaping Experiences,” The Witch Institute Conference; Queens University (August 2021).
“Towards an Armenian Futurism,” 2021 Dumanian Lecture Series (May 2021).
“Resistance, rematriation, and diasporic futurity,” Panel talk at the Feminist Art Conference; OCAD (March 2020).
“Stitching Stories: a ceremony of cross-cultural psycho-narrative restoration,” Presented at the 16th Biennial Conference of the Society for Community Research and Action; University of Ottawa (June 2017).
“Development of Racial Justice Values for the Classroom,” Presented at the 16th Biennial Conference of the Society for Community Research and Action; University of Ottawa (June 2017).
“Kim Kardashian: The Dark Horse of Armenian Society,” Paper presented at After Genocide: From Trauma to Rebirth: A Gendered Perspective; Organized by Women in War (Paris) with the Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography in Yerevan (September 2016).
“Narratives and Sense of Community amongst Syrian-Armenian Newcomers in Toronto,” Paper presented at Global Histories of Refugees Conference; University of Melbourne (October 2016).

FILM & MEDIA

All is Found (2014) short film (producer, director, editor, art director)
Yosemite Film Festival Finalist (October, 2014)
Earth Day Film Festival Official Selection and Staff Pick (April, 2015)
Planet in Focus Official Selection (October 24, 2015)
Drap-Art International Festival of Recycling Art of Catalonia (December 2015)
True Believers: A Night of Lady-Directed Shorts from Portland (December 2016)
Dear Armen (2015) short film & video installation (producer, videographer, actor, art director, editor)
Reeling Chicago LGBTQ & International Film Festival Official Selection (Sept. 2016)
Moving the (b)order – Queering Yerevan Happening & Film Festival in Armenia (October 2016)
True Believers: A Night of Lady-Directed Shorts from Portland (December 2016)
She Loves: Three Day Art Event in Los Angeles (February 2017)
TWIST Seattle Queer Film Festival Official Selection (September 2017)
Equinox (2017) short film, post (producer, director, writer, videographer, editor)
Transmission (2017) short film, post (producer, director, writer, actor)
MetroEast Community Media (August 2018)
Portland State University’s Queer Students of Color Conference (April 2018)
The Many Faces of Armenians: Roslin Art Gallery, Los Angeles (June 2018)
BFI FLARE London LGBTQ+ Film Festival: London, UK (March 2019)
Queen Palm International Film Festival: Palm Springs, California (July 2019)
Vancouver Queer Film Festival: Vancouver, BC (August 2019)
Image + Nation: Montreal (October, 2019)
Mezipatra Queer Film Festival: Prague, Czech Republic (November 2019)
Armenians in Film at Lincoln Center: 6 Short Films by Armenian Filmmakers: NYC, USA (November 2019)
Pomegranate Film Festival: Toronto, Canada (November 2019)
Chhatrapati Shivaji International Film Festival: Pune, India (December 2019)
Pink Life Queer Film Festival: Ankara, Turkey (January 2020)
Intercontinental Film Festival: New York, NY (March 2020)
Andalesgai: Festival de cine lésbico, gay, bisexual y trans de andalucía: seville, spain (march 2020)
St. Francis College Women’s film festival: NYC, USA (April 2020)
Lanett City film festival: Lanett, USA (August 2020)
Scandinavian International film festival: Helsinki, Finland (August 2020)
Lesflicks film festival: virtual (August 2020)
Bush Films: Brooklyn/virtual (September 2020)
Brooklyn SciFi film festival: Brooklyn, NYC (September 2020)
Trans Stellar film festival: virtual (November 2020)
Armenian Creatives screening: virtual (December 2020)
Hybrid Genre film festival: Canada, Australia, France (August-September 2021)
Ensouled (2023) short film (director, writer, producer)
Outfest Museum: (virtual, 2023)
Outfest Fusion: Los Angeles, CA (March 2023)
Armenian Movies Day: Berlin, Germany (September 2023)
Seattle Queer Film Festival: Seattle, WA (October 2023)
Germinate by Platform Asia: London, Brighton, Colchester (March/April 2024)
Symptom (2024) short documentary film (director, producer)
SF Doc Fest (virtual, 2024)
Bush Films (NYC, 2024)
Scotland Queer International Film Festival (Glasgow, 2024)
Seattle Queer Film Festival (Seattle, 2024)
Arab Film Festival (AFMI) (SF, 2024)
Melbourne Queer Film Festival (Melbourne, 2024)
Montecatini International Short Film Festival (Montecatini, 2024)
Mena Film Festival (Vancouer, 2024)

PERFORMANCE 

Setting Bones (2017) theatre: co-creator, writer, producer [Vancouver Fringe New Play Prize Winner]
Dear Armen (2013-2017) immersive theatre, installation: co-creator, producer, writer, performer
[toured to NYC, Toronto, Montreal, Boston, Detroit, LA, San Francisco, Portland, Seattle, Vancouver, Yerevan]
Blood Ballet (2010-present) cabaret: creative director, producer, performer
[toured throughout Canada, USA, Panama, Japan, Germany, Palestine]

ON SCREEN 

The Sea by Anahid Yahjian (2016) short film (actor, co-creator)
Four Walls by Anahid Yahjian (2016) short film (actor, co-creator)
Susanna by Oksana Mirzoyan (2016) short film (actor)
Stone Time Touch by Gariné Torossian (2006-2007) Best Creative Documentary at 23rd Warsaw Film Festival

CURATION (partial list)

Queer Film Screenings in Prince Edward County with Emily Sanders (2019-2022)
“Museum of Forgotten Artifacts” with Knar Hovakimyan (2022) Sunrise Stepanakert, Artsakh
Feminist Art Show: Abrahamian Art Centre: Yerevan, Armenia (2010-2013)
Alchemy of Waste: arts events: Long Beach Art Walk: LA (2015); ArtShare DTLA: LA (2015); LA Fort: LA (2014)

EXHIBITION 

Kaleiderie mixed media collection
Emerge-arts emerging artists exhibit: NYC (2011-2013)
Monocle Order Pop-up Gallery: NYC (2011)
Abrahamian Art Centre: Yerevan (2011-2013)
Minutiae mixed media collection
Kolaj Artist Trading Cards: distributed in print (2014)
Viva La Muxer Festival: Los Angeles (2015)
Lips of Pride: Yerevan (2016)
#THEGALLERYPROJECT by Transnational Queer Underground: Estonia, Bulgaria, Montenegro, Czech Republic, Germany (2017-2018)
Talk to me in Parsley and Tambourines: NYC (2018)
Lovelinest photography collection
Ryan Ao Gallery: Portland (2015)
Pokhantsum (փոխանցում) painting collection
Roadmaps by Honey Pump Gallery x Artesson: AGBU, Armenia (2018)
Herstories of Divine Love mixed media collection
The Many Faces of Armenians: Roslin Art Gallery, Los Angeles (2018)
Fragile by Artesson: Union of Cinematographers of Armenia, Armenia (2018)
oh motHER: Spilt Milk Gallery, Edinburgh UK (2018)
Feminist Art Conference: OCAD, Toronto (2020)
“Monument to the Autonomous Republic of Artsakh” and #RecognizeArtsakh street art campaign: 2020-2021
co-creator, with @kooyrigs, Nancy Baker Cahill, Mashinka Firunts Hakopian, and Nelli Sargsyan
To Live With Friends Is A Wedding photography collection
Art in the County Annual Juried Show (PEC/Muskoka, 2024)

SELECTED REVIEWS & FEATURES (partial list)

Torosyan, “Film Review: Ensouled,” TorontoHye, 02/2023
Miranda, “Armenian monuments are at risk in Azerbaijan. LA artists make their own to keep memory alive,” LA Times, 12/2020
Yesayan, “The New Generation is the Guardian of Our Lands,” Asbarez, 11/2020
S. Gayen, “Oksana Mirzoyan Retells And Makes A Work Of Art With ‘Susanna’” Indie Shorts Mag, 03/2019
Bell, “Vancouver Fringe Festival Reviews: 2017 Edition,” Room Magazine, 09/2017
Chakmakchi, “Dear Armen,” ReOrient Mag, 1/27/2016
Kleinfeld, “Acclaimed experimental play ‘Dear Armen’” The Daily Californian, 10/12/2015
Edevane, “Exploring Identity Through Armenian Tales,” East Bay Express, 10/7/2015
Winter-Hebert, “Alchemy of Waste hopes to promote upcycling with their stunning videos,” InHabitat, 3/9/2015
“NYC-bound Blood Ballet Cabaret debuts fleshy new burlesque show in hometown MTL,” Montreal Gazette, 1/3/2013

GRANTS

Calouste Gulbenkian InView Grant (2023) for “Flesh Immemorial” 
Ontario Arts Council Media Arts Grant (2023) for “Symptom” short film
Studio IX Mother Project grant (2023)
Catapult Development Grant Recipient (2022) for the development of feature film “Exchange”
Sundance Documentary Fund Recipient (2021) for the development of feature film “Exchange”
Canada Arts Council Media Grant (2022) for “Symptom” short film
Canada Arts Council Digital Originals  (2020) for “Ensouled” virtual iteration
Canada Arts Council Project Grant (2020) for “Ensouled”
Canada Arts Council Touring Grant (2019) for “Transmission” Community Screening Tour
Ontario Arts Council Multi & Inter Arts Project Grant (2019) for “Ensouled”
PEC Arts Council Market Development Grant (2019) for “Transmission” at Vancouver Queer Film Festival
Canada Arts Council Visual Art Travel Grant (2019) for “Herstories of Divine Love” Installation in Armenia
Creative Armenia Spark Grant (2019) for the “Ensouled” Illuminated Chapbook
POM Grant from Pomegranate Film Festival (2018) for Transmission Short Film
AGBU Performing Arts Grant (2018) for Transmission Short Film
Armenian Art Foundation Project Grant (2018) for “Herstories of Divine Love” Solo Art Show
RACC Project Grant (2018) for Transmission Short Film
Society for Community Research & Action Mini Community Grant (2018) for DYADS
Canada Arts Council Film & Video Research/Creation Grant (2016) World of Q Film Series
BC Arts Council Theatre Project Grant (2016) for Setting Bones
BC Arts Council Touring Initiatives Grant (2016) for Dear Armen East Coast Tour
BC Arts Council Theatre Project Grant (2015) for Dear Armen Pacific Coast Tour
Canada Council Theatre Travel Grant (2015) to attend ReOrient Festival in San Francisco
Canada Council Visual Arts Project Grant (2015) for Dear Armen Performance-Installation

AWARDS & NOMINATIONS

Honourable Mention for Best Experimental Film at Pomegranate Film Festival (2024) for “Ensouled” Short Film
Doc Alliance Award Nomination through Visions du Réel (2022) for “5 Dreamers and a Horse”
Pushcart Prize Nomination for “Queer Motherhood is Speculative Fiction” Mizna Magazine 21.1
Best Actress Nominee (2020) Festival of the Moving Image for “Susanna” short film
Lammy Finalist for LGBTQ Anthology (2019) for “Dear Armen” in Q2Q: Queer Canadian Performance Texts
Playwrights Theatre & Vancouver Fringe Festival (2017) New Play Prize for Setting Bones