On 16 July 2025, Isaura Diniz (I.D.) sat down with Kayane Madzounian (K.M.) and Shogher Margossian (Sh.M.) for a meaningful conversation about the recently-launched unique grant programme INSPARK.

INSPARK was specifically designed by the Armenian Communities Department of the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation for Armenian youth in Lebanon.

Its aim is to spark self-discovery, creative expression and community-driven change from within. It is an invitation to youth to break new ground, explore innovative ideas and share their diverse voices with the world.

What follows is the summary of the 45 minutes long interview, shedding light on the conception of the project, on its making, on the challenges and more.

I.D. – Lebanon: For years, the Armenian Communities Department has focused its efforts on the Armenian Diaspora, Lebanon has been home to many of the Department’s initiatives and INSPARK is the latest one. This is where our conversation starts.

Sh.M. – We have been active in Lebanon for a very long time. Despite all the challenges and multiple tragedies that befell the community, Lebanon remains the beating heart of Western Armenian speakers. The community remains vibrant, active, while the schools have large numbers of Armenian students, which is something we should build on. Culture has also been a focus of ours for the past few years, and since the focus is also on youth, we wanted to give Armenian youth in Lebanon opportunities to think, to create and to rediscover their community and their own potential. And for us to be able to do that is not only a pleasure, but also a responsibility.

K.M. – The idea to continue targeting the youth in Lebanon is also the result of our experiences with them. In 2020, in the midst of COVID and a very difficult time for Lebanon, when the Beirut port explosion had happened, we launched the Creative Culture Programme. We did not know what to expect, but we ended up with ten very good projects. We understood that this kind of initiative helps young people to get out of the dark reality they’re living in and be engaged with something that gives them hope. We started thinking of different initiatives that could help with not only preserving but also developing the history and culture in the Diaspora through Beirut and through the youth of Lebanon. INSPARK also came at a difficult time, right after the war last year.

Sh.M. – When we think of Lebanon, the first thing that comes to mind is usually resilience. Obviously, there are many nuances and layers in this word, but creating the conditions for youth to create, be innovative and contribute to their own lives and community in a meaningful way, is very much part of building this resilience, and ensuring continuation and thriving.

K.M.– Yes, for many long decades it was the Lebanese Armenian community that provided for the Diaspora’s cultural and intellectual needs, and now it’s very difficult for Lebanon to continue doing so under the circumstances. So, it is important to continue investing in the Lebanese Armenian community because the potential is very much there.

I.D. – The Story Behind the Name: A car called Spark. Do tell.

K.M. – When I started working on the concept note, I was getting ready to leave Lebanon. As we were brainstorming for possible names for the programme and while thinking about this big shift in my life, I was thinking about all the things I was going to leave behind, and my car kept coming to my mind. My car is called “Spark”, and when I got it, new opportunities for discovering Lebanon opened up to me… A spark is a tiny thing, but it depends on what you do with it. A spark can explode, and it can also become fireworks. Beautiful fireworks. So, I had my car in mind, and then we added the “in”, which implies something that happens inside of you. INSPARK aims to encourage young people to find that space of exploration and discovery within.

I.D. – The Armenian Counterpart: Հոսանքի մէջ, why?

Sh.M. – It is not a literal translation, of course. We tried to play with the word spark, but it wasn’t working out; we wanted to transmit the feeling of this spark, but also the feeling of contemporaneity, being in the current, so we came up with Հոսաքի մէջ, which means “being in the current”, but “current” can also be electricity… It can have a spark in it.

I.D. – Stepping into the Shoes of Potential Applicants: If you were to apply for INSPARK, what would your approach be? Technology, the Arts?

K.M. – Something eclectic, because it’s what 2025 looks and feels like. These days, it is very difficult to put a clear boundary between things, so I would have adopted the eclectic approach…

Sh.M. – I agree. Now projects seem to be intrinsically interdisciplinary. Culture and creativity would be the essence for me, because technology, science and all other disciplines can potentially find their places in cultural production, and since culture is immediate, more relatable, and a soft power that can really touch and influence people, it brings change and ensures impact.

I.D. – Positive Jealousy: Are there projects that have made you positively jealous, arousing an “I wish I had done that” kind of feeling?

K.M. – I think there could be many. I mainly miss creative projects, ones I was very much involved in, and although management also has a lot of creative components, being solely creative for a change is something I could wish to be part of again. Also, it is always really nice to see good projects coming out of Lebanon despite everything.

Sh.M. – I am inspired by a few projects in the Armenian world that not only ensure great work, but mainly because the positive impact that they have is truly multipliable. And that, for me, is the best way to move forward. There are specific examples out there offering inclusive and open models that can be implemented in different communities, different contexts and even different countries, and the knowledge and meaning coming out of these endeavours burst and spread all over.

I.D. – The Armenian Name: One of the aims of INSPARK is to also celebrate the Western Armenian language, so if there was an Armenian word or expression that describes this initiative, what would it be?

K.M. – Get moving! Շարժէ՛. Do something, you know? We can all agree that, in terms of resources, the current generation is the luckiest. It is also clear that the world is not in its best place. Young people feel that, they know that, but they are also overwhelmed and too scared to do something about it. Yes, being Armenian is not easy, being an Armenian in the Diaspora even so, but we need to have agency over our lives and a say on how our present shapes our personal and collective future.

Sh.M. – Challenge (մարտահրաւէր), would be a good word. Even though INSPARK is a challenge for participants, there is a holistic approach to this programme. We are not just saying, here is the money, do whatever you want with it. We are also giving people tools to be able to do good projects because there is an associated mentorship and training programme with INSPARK; it’s a nice challenge to take on when you are equipped with the right tools.

K.M. – I think both of us growing up in Lebanon and being involved in creative activities, would have been hesitant and confused if given this kind of opportunity. So now we want to ensure that applicants are not scared; we are happy to meet them and have open discussions to ensure that there is encouragement and support.

I.D. – The Future: How would you picture this project in five years’ time?

K.M. – Well, I think what we both would want to see in the beginning is community. Just to make sure that the community is there, where initiatives like INSPARK can return and inspire hope. We are who we are because of the place called Lebanon, a unique place that has given unique opportunities to the Armenian people.

Sh.M.— Five years can fly by, and the Department currently works around five-year plans; INSPARK needs time to flourish, as with other cultural grants and projects, this is a process and we need to give it time to establish itself and to grow. We need to work with people, giving them the incentive, and offering them opportunities to think, create and emerge. In the beginning, we might get applications which are more creative in nature, later they may become more contextualized, targeting the specific needs of the community. We need to allow this process to take place, that is why what I imagine is longevity. So, we would want to see INSPARK not just as a one-off thing but a continuous growing project.

I.D. – The Headlines: What if INSPARK makes it to the headline of an international newspaper, what would you wish the headline to read?

K.M.– It would be really nice to see a participant, an awardee, getting acknowledged for, if not for what they have created through INSPARK, but for something they did after that. Just today, one of our scholarship recipients sent me a message saying that she was elected as the president of a Rotary club in Lebanon and this person had received an emergency scholarship from us two years ago. Getting a message like this is the best feeling; so, I hope INSPARK to be a way, and not an end.

Sh.M. – It would be the best compliment if one of the projects or even the grant programme itself were to inspire others. Because it is a very unique programme. Being featured internationally with all the noble objectives it pursues, would merit INSPARK to inspire others to do the same, just as the world inspires us. Maybe even inspire other endangered languages, or small/minority languages to thrive through relevant contemporary cultural and social projects.

The applications for INSPARK close on 31 August 2025. Learn more about INSPARK, how to apply and the eligibility conditions:

Applications

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Isaura Diniz joined the Armenian Communities Department for the whole month of July in 2025 as an intern. The Department is happy to have had the opportunity for this creative interview.