SHARING EXPERIENCES AND HIGHLIGHTING THE CREATIVES OF THE FUTURE

TUMO Studios is always looking for inspired professionals to volunteer as atelier leads.

LEAD AN ATELIER

If you are an artisan or designer who is passionate about education and sharing your expertise with a new generation, we invite you to join our network of atelier leaders and help shape the future of Armenian design.

Over 25 professionals from all over the world come to TUMO Studios every year to teach design and artisanal skills, starting from two weeks to as long as they wish to stay with us!

TUMO Studios covers your travel and lodging and provides everything you need for your atelier. In your downtime, we will help you explore all that Armenia has to offer. You don’t need teaching experience, just expertise in your field, and the enthusiasm and passion to work with students.

Contact us at studios@tumo.org to find out more!

Teaching the techniques

Technical courses at TUMO Studios give students a foundation of skills that prepares them for design ateliers. Our leaders who curate the TUMO Studios’ technical courses, educate students through the entire duration of the course, witness the process of their transformation, and guide and equip them with knowledge.

We have asked them to describe Studios in one sentence:

Vardan Aghabekyan
Leader of Ceramics Technical Course TUMO Studios is a place where mastery multiplies. You can connect, create, and cultivate with peers and mentors. Discover your voice in a world of endless possibility.

Anna Rafayelyan
Leader of Pattern Making Technical Course Unleash creativity, nurture individuality. At TUMO Studios we elevate the new generation by nurturing their creativity through art and craft.

Armine Margaryan
Leader of Silk Screen Printing Technical Course By getting familiar with the techniques and learning from experienced professionals, our students are able to express themselves creatively and individually.

Shushan Ayvazyan
Leader of Jewelry Making Technical Course Studying at TUMO Studios is a journey of self-discovery. Students often come to find themselves. From our perspective, they become self-aware individuals day by day.

Mariam Gharibyan
Leader of Embroidery Technical Course Mastering a craft is essential to creating great art. TUMO Studios provides great opportunities for young people to develop versatile skills in the field of the arts and crafts.

Raya Kazoun, Lebanon First, I was super excited to meet with the team behind TUMO Studios, to meet creatives from Armenia, and discover parts of Armenian culture. When the workshop started, I was overjoyed by the dedication of the participants and the results that were produced in such a short period of time. My days in Yerevan formed a very special memory for me and I look forward to going back.

EXPERIENCES

We’ve asked our atelier leaders to tell us about their experience at TUMO Studios and what motivated them to volunteer.
Here’s what they had to say.

Chiharu Ishikawa, Japan I had been looking for an opportunity related to education and something very creative outside of Japan. TUMO Studios realized that dream with a great environment. I loved teaching the eager students and working with nice colleagues in a nicely preserved historic space. The TUMO community (including the students) were my motivation to continue volunteering. This experience absolutely gave me confidence and changed my life. Throughout my 10 months here, I can say that my favorite thing was the time I spent in the studio. Every single day was impressive, creative, and filled with smiles.

Mariadela Araujo, Spain Visiting TUMO Studios has been one of the most beautiful things I've experienced as a person, a professional artist, and a teacher. I found the TUMO Studios family full of energy and creativity. Yerevan was truly inspirational and vivacious. I felt grateful to share my artistic point of view with the new generation.

Ivana Petan, Slovenia My decision to accept an invitation from TUMO Studios was instant. Since I’ve wanted to visit Armenia for a long time, having an opportunity to combine my visit with teaching was like a dream-come-true-combination for me. Already after a few days, I got this precious feeling of being home. The month that I spent in Yerevan passed by too quickly and was full of working with students who showed passion and dedication for the project, getting to know people, tasting food, and exploring a bit of Armenia's wonderful landscape. My Yerevan story still continues through the deep bonds that I made with my new friends. If another opportunity to be a TUMO Studios atelier leader arises, I will gladly accept it again.

Talar Manoukian, Lebanon I felt this was an amazing opportunity to give back to the community while making my ancestors and family proud of me. I believe that you grow only through spreading your knowledge and expertise. I left with an unfathomably deep well of new experiences and new inspirations. As much I was able to give to my students, they returned the favor threefold. I feel lucky to have been able to experience Yerevan like a local because of the central location of the apartment and the amenities TUMO Studios provided for me. If given the chance, I would definitely repeat the experience.

Bisila Noha, Spain Everything that the invitation involved seemed wonderful to me: having the opportunity to travel and discover a country that I knew little about, the challenge of teaching for three weeks in a row, and the focus of the workshop, which mixed ceramics with identity and history. Without a doubt, it was one of the best experiences of my life. I felt very much at home, since the whole team and the students welcomed me with open arms. I was very lucky to be able to share my knowledge while learning from the students.

Corinne Aivazian, Mexico I was really drawn to the way TUMO Studios encourages students to expand the historical artistic canon we have as a people, whilst also innovating and contributing to global creative dialogues. Both times I volunteered at TUMO Studios were life-altering. My first experience was particularly profound for me because I was able to blend my own heritage, cultural background, and work as an artist and educator. In later visits, I have made lifelong friends with my former students and other TUMO Studios atelier leaders, which helped grow my personal and professional network in Armenia and around the world.

Sanna Völker, Sweden I decided to accept TUMO Studios’ invitation due to my interest in Armenia, its local craft traditions, and the personal challenges the experience would bring. It was a very enriching experience for me, on both a professional and a personal level. My expectations were quite high, especially in regard to the timing and the previous experience of the students. I'm very satisfied with how everything turned out. With the help of TUMO Studios, I was also able to visit some places outside of the city which gave me a broader perspective of the country.

Roberto Paparkone, Spain I decided to volunteer at TUMO Studios immediately after receiving the invitation. I suppose I was driven by the desire to get acquainted with a new country. Above all, I think the opportunity to develop some local projects and concepts was a big driving force. It was an enriching adventure: to adapt in just two weeks to the rhythm of the students and to be able to develop each and every one of the projects in record time.
If I had to repeat I would like to be able to travel more with the local pottery students.

Robin LeChevallier, Switzerland Knowing that I would have a group of around 10 motivated students for three weeks to create the first sample of the bike with all the tools provided by TUMO Studios was enough to get me hooked. On top of that, I was able to keep working remotely for my job in the morning, while I taught in the afternoon. Being there was a once in a lifetime experience; all the logistics were perfectly organized by the TUMO Studios team, so I was able to focus on the workshop and the Armenian experience. My workshop took place in the afternoon, which left me enough time to work remotely, prepare for my atelier, and explore Yerevan during the week.

Elie Mouhanna, Lebanon Friends of mine who had volunteered earlier recommended that I accept the invitation, and they had exclusively positive feedback.All in all, it was an unforgettable experience! What made me happiest were the workshop participants, who were eager to learn new things and were very dedicated to the month-long workshop. They taught me a lot about the Armenian language and culture, too. The space was very warm and inviting, and so was the staff that managed it. I spent most of my time in Yerevan, as someone who is residing there would, and not like a tourist

Laia Varela, Spain Without even thinking twice, I decided to accept the invitation to teach at TUMO Studios as it would be my first time teaching both abroad and in English, too. It was a challenge! During both of the times I volunteered at TUMO Studios, all of my students were really motivated and talented. The staff was also very helpful before and during my stay in Armenia. I would go back without any hesitation. It is surrounded by nature and you can feel what a great country it is from its history.

Paula Bahadian, Spain I decided to accept TUMO Studios’s invitation as the project in and of itself seemed intriguing. I was excited to be able to promote education, learning, and foster the curiosity of my young students by giving them tools to create. I also viewed it as being a place for personal growth and cultural exchange. My students came to class motivated to learn and work, and seemed truly grateful for the experience. I saw an incredible potential in them because of their passion for culture and design.It was truly an experience worth repeating.

Niloufar Afnan, Lebanon When asked to give a workshop at TUMO Studios, I was thrilled to explore how Armenian heritage and emblems can be redefined through a new medium and, in effect, new narratives. The community involved in this process is not just the designer and the people attending the workshop, but instead a circle of interactions from one starting point to its end result. The TUMO Studios building in itself is an inspiration. One feels it can discover layers of stories one day at a time. The project has great potential to blossom into a design landmark for Armenia.

Nienke Hoogvliet and Tim Jongerius, The Netherlands We love the concept of TUMO Studios, which involves students in design and connects them to Armenian crafts and traditions in order to pass them onto new generations. We loved the opportunity to learn more about these crafts ourselves and to learn more about the traditional Armenian crafts of rug and carpet making. It was fascinating how students took all this knowledge and came up with new and contemporary designs. We decided to create our own project in collaboration with TUMO Studios and the Women's Association from Goris. We are still working with TUMO Studios and looking forward to continuing our partnership!

Hassan Zahreddine, Lebanon I had heard so many positive things from artists and colleagues about their experiences volunteering in TUMO Studios, which encouraged me to accept the invitation. Working with young artists from a different culture who spoke a language different from mine was very enriching and challenging. The themes of the project we worked on were derived from local subjects. This was definitely a great way for me to deepen my understanding of Armenian culture from the eyes of emerging artists.

Lenka Kokhoutova, Czech Republic The invitation to TUMO Studios excited me immediately. I had also always wanted to go to Armenia. I spent most of my time in the beautiful capital of Yerevan. Its deep roots, as well as nice people, their hospitality and willingness to help, and, of course, the famous Armenian cuisine. Armenia is a proud country with beautiful untouched nature. In some places, you may feel that time has stopped. There are not many places on Earth where the same can be said. It was a pleasure to be part of this project and pass on my experience to young designers.

Lemur Design, Denmark/Portugal Living in a country we knew nothing about and being able to share our knowledge with a dedicated group of people with such different backgrounds was irresistible. Everyone was ready to help us create the best teaching environment possible. TUMO Studios’s building on Pushkin Street was so charming and everyone we met in Armenia was helpful, and we always felt safe.

OUR NETWORK

Yellow Nose Studio, Rasa Vilcinskaite, Vahram Muratyan, Armine Ohanyan, Reza Abedini, Studio Nienke Hoogvliet, Robin LeChevallier, Claire Eliott, Sanna Völker, Roberto Paparkone, Les Ateliers de Paris, Norwhich University of the Arts, Anaïde Davoudlarian, Tigran Avetisyan, Farah Fayyad, Ghaith & Jad, Dzzz Studio, Laura Sansonetti, Lemur, Marcel Mayer, Missak HajiAvedikian, Niloufar Afnan, Paula Bahadian, Sayumi Yokouchi, Wael Lazkani, 200grs, Alice Blue, Ariga Torosian, Astrid Sarkissian, Bisila Noha, Charles Kalpakian, Corinne Aivazian, Cynthia Merhej, Elena Kozlova, Elena Kurginyan, Elie Mouhanna, Hassan Zahreddine, Keef Palas, Laia Varela, Mia Morikawa, Tamara Atanasyan, Nitya Biswas, Studio Mondocubo, Angel Baroyan, Sevan Nigogosian, Sonna Gevorgyan, Studio Khachatryan, Stefanie Mittman, Talar Manoukian, Vahram Galstyan, Anush Ghukasyan, Victor Nouman, Lenka Kokhoutova, Kairi Sirendi, Francesca Paolin, Ara Zada, Nathan Kibarian, Raffy Haycan, Mojd, Rita Galoyan, Studio Qasabian, Gayane Ghazaryan, Arpi Mangasaryan, Fergus Channon, Mahmoud Yousef, Alchemy Spell, Clara Daguin, Chiharu Ishikawa, Aram Manukyan, Diana Bou Dakka, Shant Charoian, Lilit Gevorgyan, Mike Brown, Maison du Pli, Tangian, Nanuk & Rour, Nelli Astvatsatrian, Sahar Hafda, Mirna Dib, Mariadela Araujo, Ivana Petan, Raya Kazoun, ARICÒ, Artyom Avetisyan, Mona Ermishina, Lavinia Rossetti, Katya Porutchik, Ana Illueca, Yura Bylkov, Lisa Di Giovanni/Anatole Chartier, Exil Collective, Jongjin Park, Baqué Molinié, GERTS, Borgi Bastormagi, Sisian Ceramics, Agnes Studio, Roma Uvarov, Suri Jewelry, TABLEAU, Jenna Kaes, Make on Repeat

SHARING EXPERIENCES AND HIGHLIGHTING THE CREATIVES OF THE FUTURE

LEAD AN ATELIER

Teaching the techniques

EXPERIENCES

OUR NETWORK

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