Armenian Genocide Centenary Commemoration Committee … · Armenian Genocide Centenary...
Transcript of Armenian Genocide Centenary Commemoration Committee … · Armenian Genocide Centenary...
Armenian Genocide Centenary
Commemoration Committee
AGCCC UK
Timetable of Events
for 2015
www.agccc.org.uk
www.facebook.com/agcccuk
www.twitter.com/AGCCC_UK
We invite the UK-wide Community to
support the Centenary events and stand in
solidarity with recognition of the Armenian
Genocide and respect the memory of 1.5
million martyrs with the following statement:
“I REMEMBER AND DEMAND”
Events are shown with their respective dates including the organiser
or the relevant City/Community
DATE EVENT
Sunday
29 March
Organised by the Cardiff Parish of the
Armenian Church
Conference
University of Cambridge, Fitzwilliam
College “Genocide Denial and
Consequences: 100 years after the
Armenian Holocaust” conference with
Vicken Cheterian as one of the two
keynote speakers
Sunday
5 April
BBC Radio 4 - Sunday 5 April, 7.10-7.50am
BBC Radio 4
For this special edition for Easter Sunday,
Sunday will be making the 100th
Anniversary
of the Armenian Genocide. Presenter Caroline
Wyatt, will explore the story of how, in 1915,
hundreds of thousands of Armenians were
forced to leave their homes in the Ottoman
Empire. Many were killed or died from
starvation or disease during the deportations.
On Easter Day in 1870 the Holy Trinity
Armenian Church of Manchester opened its
doors for the first time. Sunday visits this
community and its legacy. Plus other religious
news and current affairs.
Thursday
9 April
Organised by SOAS Armenian Society / AYF
London
Denialism
Brunei Gallery - 7:30 PM - A lecture on how to
counter the arguments of denialists
DATE EVENT
Friday
10 April
The SSE Arena Wembley 8:30 PM
One of Alt Rock’s most ground-breaking bands,
SYSTEM OF A DOWN, will be heading to London in
April 2015 to play an exceptionally special and
important show on 10th April 2015 at The SSE
Arena, Wembley as part of their ‘Wake Up The
Souls’ World Tour. This show will be their first
indoor show in the UK since 2005. Tickets
available on
http://www.ssearena.co.uk/events/detail/s
ystem-of-a-down
Friday
10 April -
Thursday
16 April
Organiser St Yeghiche Parish
Pilgrimage to Italy and the Basilica on
Vatican City
Pilgrimage to Italy on the Occasion of 100th
Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide.
Armenian Divine Liturgy will be offered at St
Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City on Sunday 12
April 2015, under the auspices of His Holiness
Pope Francis, for commemorating the
Centenary of the Armenian Genocide. The
Very Rev Fr Aren Shaheenian together with
St Yeghiche Armenian Church Parish Council
have organised a 6 day pilgrimage to Rome
and Venice. For full details of the program,
please visit our website on www.styeghiche.org.uk
Monday
13 April
Organiser RP Musical Management
Spring Remembrance Concert
Purcell Room – Southbank
http://www.southbankcentre.co.uk/whatson/spring-
remembrance-concert2015-89717?dt=2015-04-13
Dedicated to the Centenary of the Armenian
Genocide, with the Khachaturian Trio and
guest artists Clifton Harrison, Rosemary
Taylor and Sam Pearce. Program includes
Komitas, Mirzoyan, Dohnanyi, Khachaturian,
Rachmaninov and Babadjanian.
Sponsored by AGBU London Trust and AGCCC
UK
DATE EVENT
Tuesday
14 -
Thursday
16 April
Organised by the Armenian Embassy
to the UK
International Book Fair London ARMENIAN
PAVILION
This year the Armenian Pavilion will participate
for the third year at the London International
Book Fair and for the first time with a big
integrated pavilion in the prestigious central
hall of Olympia. Publishers and writers from the
Republic of Armenia and Diaspora will come
together at this international forum. The
Armenian Genocide and its Centenary will be
the central theme of the Armenian Pavilion.
Saturday
18 April
11:00 am
Organiser AGCCC UK
Annual Procession
The following route was finalised after three
months of negotiations with the authorities.
Due to a large number of road works and
capital projects, several proposed routes
were unacceptable.
Assembly at corner of Piccadilly and
Hamilton Place, Route: Piccadilly, St James’s,
Pall Mall, Trafalgar Square, Whitehall, The
Cenotaph – Wreath Laying and Prayers
ceremony – Handing in the Centenary
Petition at 10 Downing Street - Continue
back to Horse Guards Ave, Embankment, New
Bridge Street, St Paul’s Cathedral, where at
14:00 Cannon Tricia Willas will address the
public on a PA system from the top of the
Western Stairs. After a short expression of
gratitude, the procession will disperse.
Everyone is encouraged to make their way
to Southwark Cathedral for the next event.
(Distance to walk is 0.9 miles taking 20 Min.
Postcode SE1 9DA)
START POSTCODE: W1J 7DR (corner
of Hamilton Place & Piccadilly)
to
The Cenotaph then to St Paul's
Cathedral EC4M 8AD
DATE EVENT
Saturday
18 April
2:30 pm
Organiser AGCCC UK
Centenary Commemoration at Southwark
Cathedral
Public Notice: Southwark Cathedral has a
capacity of up to 1000. Please arrive early in order
to avoid disappointment. Doors will open at 14:30;
program will end at 16:00.
Welcoming remarks by the Dean of
Southwark, The Very Reverend Andrew Nunn
Key Note Speech: Dr Charles Tannock MEP
and Patron of AGCCC UK
Special guest speaker: Geoffrey Robertson
QC (Doughty Street Chambers)
Cultural interlude: Hasmik Papian performing
Handel’s “Lascia Chi’o Pianga” and “Groong”
by Komitas, accompanied by Victoria Walker
on cello.
Special guest speaker: H.E. Dr Armen
Sarkissian, Ambassador of the Republic of
Armenia to the United Kingdom
Other dignitaries and guests have also been
invited.
http://cathedral.southwark.anglican.org/worship/
calendar-by-type.php?t=3
ADMITTANCE IS FREE, BUT PLEASE BOOK
YOUR TICKETS VIA EVENTBRITE TO
AVOID DISAPPOINTEMENT:
southwark-memorial.eventbrite.co.uk
Saturday
18 April
All Day
Organiser AGCCC UK
Digital advertising in London
Digital advertising promoting the Centenary
of the Armenian Genocide and information
about the denialist policy of Turkey and its
western allies will be displayed together with
publicity about recognition of the Armenian
Genocide by over 22 countries, the
International Association of Genocide
Scholars and the European Parliament
The van will circulate in streets of Central
London all day
DATE EVENT
Sunday 19
April
Organised by Cardiff Parish of the Armenian
Church
BBC Radio 4
8:10 am
Sunday Worship from Christ Parish Church,
Carmarthen. This service will be linked to the
centenary with Armenian themes and
an interview with Canon Patrick Thomas.
Monday
20 April
Organised by Cardiff Parish of the
Armenian Church
Lecture
Cheltenham GL50 4AZ, University of
Gloucestershire, Francis Close Campus
Lecture on
“An Inconvenient Genocide: 100 Years of
Holocaust Denial “
by James Derounian, Principal Lecturer
Tuesday
21 April -
Friday 24
April
Organiser AGCCC UK
Centenary Vigil 100 hrs Opposite
Downing Street
“100 hours of hunger strike
and vigil by 100”!
Outside Downing Street in Whitehall starting
at noon on 20th
and ending 4pm on 24th
April.
Hope it will raise some publicity about
Genocide denial and consistent support by
the British government for Turkey’s denialist
and anti-Armenian position.
Tuesday
21 April
Wed
22 April
Organiser: UCL Armenian Society
Supported by AGCCC UK
Lectures at UCL – details will be announced
later
DATE EVENT
Tuesday
21 April
to
Saturday
16 May
“I Wish to Die Singing” at Finborough
Theatre
Supported by AGCCC UK
A play Devised by Neil McPherson, directed
by Tommo Fowler
The world premiere - “Who, after all, today
remembers the annihilation of the Armenians?” –
Adolf Hitler, 1939. Commemorating the centenary
of the Armenian genocide, the world premiere of
a documentary drama. "On the night of Saturday,
April 24th 1915, the Armenians of Constantinople
were snoring in a calm sleep – exhausted from
their Easter celebrations – while in the Central
Police Station a secret project was in motion..."
The Armenian Genocide was the first genocide of
the 20th century, perpetrated by the Ottoman
Turkish Government against the Armenians, a
Christian minority in a Muslim state. One and a
half million people died. The word 'genocide' itself
was invented by Raphael Lemkin in 1943 to
describe the events of 1915. Adolf Hitler used the
Armenian Genocide as a direct inspiration for the
Holocaust during the Second World War. To this
day, the Turkish government refuses to admit that
any genocide ever took place. Commemorating
the exact centenary of the deportations that
began the Armenian Genocide, I Wish To Die
Singing – Voices From The Armenian
Genocide is a controversial documentary drama
uncovering the forgotten secrets and atrocities
of a denied genocide – featuring eye-witness
reportage, images, music, poetry from
Armenia's greatest poets, and verbatim
survivors testimonies from one of the greatest
historical injustices of all time.
http://www.finboroughtheatre.co.uk/productio
ns/2015/i-wish-to-die-singing.php
Thursday
23 April
Organised by AGCCC UK
Exhibition and Educational program school
(Name and location of school will not be
publicised)
Presenting the Armenian Genocide to 5th
and
6th
form students (aged 11 to 18); Dana
Blackburn, PhD candidate from Birmingham
University will present a brief history of the
Armenian Genocide, parallels with the Jewish
Holocaust and discuss related contemporary
issues. An exhibition will be on display.
DATE EVENT
Thursday
23 April
Organised by The Mother See of Holy
Etchmiadzin and the Great House of Cilicia
The Sanctification of the victims of the 1915
Genocide as martyred saints. The ceremonies of
the sanctification of the victims of the Genocide as
Martyrs will take place in Holy Etchmiadzin on the
23 of April at 16:15 (local time). The ceremony is
expected to end at 19:15 (symbolising the year of
the Genocide).
It was decided that the Church bells of the Mother
See of Holy Etchmiadzin and those of the Great
House of Cilicia will resound simultaneously
ringing 100 times commemorating the 100th
anniversary of the Genocide. They jointly request
that all our churches across Armenia and the
Diaspora to arrange for their church bells to ring in
every parish at Yerevan-time 19:15 (i.e. 16:15
London time).
St Yeghiche Armenian Church will be
broadcasting live; starting at 1:15-4:15 London
time and at the end will be ringing its bells 100
times. Similarly, we are approaching as many
Christian and Oriental Churches to join in this
special ceremony, provided that it does not
interfere with their scheduled program.
Finally, at the conclusion of the 100 rings of the
bells, the following two hymns will be sung
“Soorp, Soorp” and “Hayr Mer” in Holy
Etchmiadzin and the Great House of Cilicia. If
possible, please coordinate your local choirs to
sing these hymns at the conclusion of the ringing
of the bells.
Thursday
23 April
Organised by AGCCC UK
Vigil at Armenian Genocide Memorial Tree
16:00 to 19:00 Vigil at Ealing Green,
Candlelit vigil, with various speakers and
readings.
DATE EVENT
Friday 24
April
11:00 am
Organised by St Yeghiche Armenian Church
Parish
Divine Liturgy at St Yeghiche Church
Cranley Gardens, London SW7 3BB
11:00 am, following the service everyone will
be encouraged to make their way to the vigil
in front of the Turkish Embassy. Please see
below
Friday 24
April
Organised by AYF London, Supported by
AGCCC UK
Vigil in front of the Turkish Embassy London
13:30 to 18:30 Vigil in front of
Turkish Embassy
Belgravia Square,
London SW17 1BW
Friday 24
April
Organised by Dublin Mission Parish, Ireland
Exhibition
Photographic exhibition at Hotel Dun
Laoghaire followed at dusk by the release of
100 lanterns into the sky
Friday 24
April
Organised by AGCCC UK
Memorial Concert
The Sinfonietta
Featuring music by renowned Armenian
Composers
A concert commemorating the Centenary of
the Armenian Genocide
7:30 PM at St James’s Church, 197 Piccadilly,
London W1J 9LL
Armenian Genocide Centenary Memorial Concert
with Sinfonietta orchestra performing works from
Khachaturian, Hovhaness, Harutunyan, Komitas &
Mirzoyan.
Ani Batikian Solo violin
Johan Michael Katz conductor
Iva Fleischhansova Leader
http://www.sjp.org.uk/evening-concerts.html
Tickets are available on at £20 and £10
https://agcccuk.eventbrite.co.uk
Prominent guests are invited to this event.
DATE EVENT
Friday 24
April
Trinity Church, Derby Street, Leek
Out of Darkness into the Light
Multimedia evening to mark the Centenary of
the Armenian Genocide and to remember
other genocides, including testimony of
righteous persons
With Tigran Aleksanyan playing the duduk
Address: Russell Street, Leek, ST13 5JF
Tel. 01538 398483
Saturday
25 April
Organised by AGCCC UK
Memorial Concert
The Sinfonietta
7.30 PM, United Reformed Church, 21
Bluhouse Lane, Oxted, Surrey, RH8 0AA
Guest of Honour: Tandridge District Council’s
Chairman, Councillor Elizabeth Parker
Tickets available at £24 on
https://oxted.eventbrite.co.uk
Saturday
25 April
Organised by Holy Trinity Church Parish of
Manchester
Commemorative Evening
4:00 PM the Holy Trinity Armenian Church, 229
Upper Brook Street Manchester M13 0FY
DATE EVENT
Saturday
25 April
Organised by Coptic Orthodox Church of UK,
Supported by AGCCC UK
Fundraising concert by the Coptic Church
choir dedicated to the Centenary of
Armenian Genocide
6:00 PM at St Yeghiche Church. The
organisers will hold a special concert with
several prominent guests. Members of the
Armenian Community are also invited to
support this charitable concert.
Saturday
25 April
Organised by K. Tahta Armenian Community
Sunday School
6.30 PM – Twyford High School
Armenian Genocide Centenary
Commemoration evening – special program
reflecting on the life of K. Tahta the founding
benefactor.
Open to Public
Saturday
25 April
Tetbury, Gloucestershire
Laying of Wreath in memory of the Armenian
Genocide victims in the Church World War 1
memorial
Special prayers will also be delivered on the
Sunday during the church service.
April 2015
Publication by AGCCC UK
Ethnic Armenians In Service of The Ottoman
Empire in 1909 by Hratch Kouyoumjian
Contributions by: Baroness Caroline Cox
Harout Sassounian
Herve’ Georgelin
DATE EVENT
Sunday
26 April
Organised by AGCCC UK
Community Commemoration of the
Centenary of the Armenian Genocide
3:00 – 4.30 PM, St Yeghiche Church, Cranley
Gardens, London, SW7 3BB with guest
speakers, cultural interludes and participation
by staff or children from Armenian Language
schools.
Sunday
26 April
Organised by Mission Parish of Dublin
Remembrance Service at Tanney Church
Sunday
26 April
Bradford Cathedral
Worship and Prayer Vigil for persecuted
Christians in the Middle East
and commemoration of the Armenian
Genocide
Saturday
2 May
Organised by St Mary’s Church South
Woodford, Supported by AGCCC UK
Armenian Genocide Centenary Memorial
Service
207 High Road, South Woodford E18 2PA
The service includes speakers from the
Armenian Church, the embassy and the
community as well as Armenian liturgy.
DATE EVENT
Sunday
3 May
Organised by the Armenian Embassy
Concert at the Royal Festival Hall – Music of
Armenia
Sunday 3 May, 7.30pm, Royal Festival Hall
Part of the Armenian Genocide Centenary
Commemorative Concerts In the year marking the Centennial of the
Armenian Genocide, musicians from around
the world will commemorate this important
anniversary through their music and art in a
series of events taking place from LA and New
York to Yerevan. In London, the Philharmonia
Orchestra is joined by two superlative artists:
violinist Sergey Khachatryan and soprano
Anush Hovhannisyan for a special concert.
Tickets are available at £48 £40 £31 £25 £20
£15 £12 £9 and can be booked through the
Philharmonia Orchestra Box Office on
FREEPHONE 0800 652 6717 (Mon-Fri from
9.30am) or online at
www.philharmonia.co.uk. (Transaction fees
apply*: phone £2.75; online £1.75)
www.southbankcentre.co.uk
Saturday
9 May
Organised by Oxford University Armenian
Society
Concert
7:30 PM Magdalen College Auditorium
'Remembering Komitas': a Concert to
Commemorate the Centenary
of the Armenian Genocide.
Ani Batikian (violin), Anais Heghoyan (mezzo-
soprano),
Artur Bobikyan (piano),
Varazdat Khachatryan (piano),
Shakeh Major Tchilingirian (solo dance) and
Oxford Armenian Choir.
DATE EVENT
Saturday
16 May
Organised by Heritage and Cultural
Committee of ACC
Exhibition of paintings on the subject of the
Armenian Genocide – Navasartian Centre,
223 Northfields Avenue, London W13 9QU
Art expert Shahen Khachatryan specially
invited to give a lecture on “Genocide in
Armenian Fine Arts”
Presenting works by Hovhanes Ayvazovski,
Vadges Surenian, Gevorg Bashinjaghian,
Yeghishe Tadevosyan and other artists that
were created as a consequence of the
slaughter of 1894-96. High quality images of
paintings on the Armenian Genocide by
Martiros Saryan, Vona Khojabekyan and
others will be featured.
Many Armenian Artists were left orphans
after the genocide but managed to study and
succeed in Europe and in the USA. Arshile
Gorkey, Levon Tutujian, Khoren Ter Harutyan,
Carzou, Jansem, Kero Antoyan, Arakel Partik,
Hovakim Hovhannisyan were among such
artists.
The Exhibition may be displayed at
Edinburgh later in the month.
May
Organised by Cardiff Parish of the Armenian
Church
St David's Cathedral, Pembrokeshire, Wales
(Cardiff Mission Parish)
Unveiling of Genocide Memorial stone tablet
in the presence of Archbishops,
Bishops and dignitaries from both churches in
appreciation
of the Church of Wales recognition and their
ongoing annual prayers
Specific date in May to be confirmed.
DATE EVENT
Monday 8
June
Organised by AGCCC UK and UCL Armenian
Students Society
Lecture by Robert Fisk of The Independent
6:30 PM – UCL
Title: “After the Centenary of the Armenian
Genocide”
Sunday
12 July
Organised by the Armenian Institute with
Alexander Chaushian
In Memoriam Concert with international
musicians
Wigmore Hall
To mark the centenary of the Armenian
Genocide of 1915, the Armenian Institute, in
cooperation with Yerevan–born, London–
based cellist Alexander Chaushian, will be
hosting a special concert in London in
Summer 2015. The Centenary Concert will be
held at the prestigious Wigmore Hall on July
12 and will present a programme of Armenian
chamber music with Armenian soloists and
their friends.
One hundred years after the Ottoman Empire
undertook the enterprise of wiping out its
Armenian population, there is today an
independent Republic of Armenia and also a
thriving diaspora spread across the globe.
The world–class soloists who will be
performing on the 12th July include:
Kim Kashkashian, viola
Sergey Khachatryan, violin
Lucine Khachatryan, piano
Vahan Mardirossian, piano
Levon Chilingirian, violin
Sergey Babayan, piano
Steven Isserlis, cello
Alexander Chaushian, cello
Yevgeny Sudbin, piano
DATE EVENT
Wed 30
September
Organised by AGCCC UK
Memorial Concert
7:30 PM Cadogan Hall 5 Sloane Terrace,
London SW1X 9DQ
The special program includes Orpheus
Sinfonia Orchestra. Names of performers and
details of the program will be announced
later.
Saturday 7
November
Organised by AGBU London
Concert
St John’s Smith Square, London
Centenary Commemoration Concert by AGBU
London Chamber Orchestra,
featuring Armenian soloists from various
countries.
Thursday
18 and
Wed 19
December
Organised by London Armenian Opera
Britten Theatre, Royal College of Music
Performances of Davit Bek opera
Projects
requiring
additional
funding
Supported by AGCCC UK
Documentary Film
Based on the life of Aram Khachaturian –
Director Tony Palmer, producer Zepyur
Batikian.
AGCCC has allocated £10,000 towards this
documentary to help promote the project for
fundraising and publicity. We hope to secure
further funding from the Arts Council and
other foundations as well as encourage the
community to assist in funding.
Other events organised by AGCCC UK will be
announced in due course
Dear Reader
Thank you for taking the time to review the Centenary events
organised by AGCCC UK.
Further events are in the pipeline and will be publicised in future
updates.
We would greatly appreciate your support in every sense. The
total cost of the program will be around £200,000. We rely on
the generosity of our supporters to help us realise our
objectives.
The Turkish government has been actively working to divert the
attention of the World Community from focusing on the
Centenary of the Armenian Genocide to the commemorations at
Gallipoli, by their cynical act of changing the traditional date for
commemorations from 25th to 24
th April, the International Day of
commemoration of the Armenian Genocide perpetrated by the
Ottoman Empire.
The AGCCC UK bank account details are shown below.
Donations will be welcomed through direct transfers or by
sending a cheque to:
AGCCC, P.O. Box 72005, London NW6 9RT
AGCCC bank account
Bank: Barclays Bank
Acc no: 33408221
Sort Code: 20-47-34
Donations can also be accepted by PayPal via our website at
www.agccc.org.uk