Aratta: Armenians in the North West
Moss View Research 1930-Jun 2019
Archives
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This collection contains material relating to the Aratta: Armenians in the North West Project. Included are:
Promotional material for the project and end of project exhibition
A collection of 12 oral histories with members of the North West England Armenian community
A selection of project research undertaken by the project manager
A number of items collected from the Armenian community which were donated to the collection
A selection of the exhibition photographs
The visitors book which collected comments on the exhibition from visitors
Repository:
Ahmed Iqbal Ullah RACE Centre
Title:
Aratta: Armenians in the North West
Creator:
Date of work:
1930-Jun 2019
Search dates:
01 Jan 1930 - 30 Jun 2019
Reference number:
GB3228.87
Level of description:
Collection
Includes:
Custodial history:
Material was received in the latter part of 2019 from the donor to the Ahmed Iqbal Ullah Education Trust
Arrangement:
GB3228.87/1 Project promotion
GB3228.87/2 Armenian food tasting event in Albert Square
GB3228.87/3 Oral Histories
GB3228.87/4 Project research and donations
GB3228.87/5 Aratta exhibition
Source:
Directly transferred from the Moss View Research Team to the Ahmed Iqbal Ullah Education Trust
Access restrictions:
Restrictions vary
Use restrictions:
Restricted
General notes:
There has been links between Armenia and Britain since the 13th century and Armenians first settled in Manchester in the 17th century. Armenians came to Manchester as textile merchants and were granted the status of ''Free Citizen of England'' in 1688 because of their contribution to the economy of the British Empire. Holy Trinity Church on Upper Brook Street, Manchester was the first Armenian church in Britain and opened its doors to the community in 1870. In 2019 there were over 20,000 ethnic Armenians in the UK, the majority based in London and Manchester.
Prior to the project it was recognised that there had been no research undertaken on the Armenian community in Manchester and the North West within the previous 50 years and that the heritage was at risk due to such factors as generation change and language barrier.
The Moss View Research received funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund for a project to bring the Armenian community together and raise awareness about the Armenian culture and its influence in the North West. The project used Facebook groups for social media promotion of the project and staff roles were advertised on various recruitment platforms.
The project which ran Jul 2018-Jun 2019 recorded 12 oral histories of survivors of the Armenian Genocide and other members of the community and collected information about the Armenians in the North West. It also organised and hosted interactive events including a food tasting event (Sep 2018) and an exhibition that was displayed in the lower ground floor formal exhibition space at Manchester Central Library (May-Jun 2019).
A website was created by the project which included digital material created by the project and was live for a year after the completion of the project. Material that made up the content of the website and a selection of other material collected during the project was donated to the Ahmed Iqbal Ullah RACE Centre archive.
As part of the ongoing project legacy, Zara Hakobyan, project manager for Aratta, spoke at the annual Communities Archive and Heritage Group conference in Glasgow in 2019. Zara spoke about the Aratta project including the history of the Armenian community in the UK, the highs and lows of running a project, and shared her experience of community archives.
Catalogue created May 2024 by J Robson with input from Z. Hakobyan
Related material note:
Ahmed Iqbal Ullah RACE Centre:
Books:
MAN/HI.1.01/COU From Armenia to Manchester : The Holy Trinity Armenian church of Manchester and its community / by Vicken Couligian DL
CU.5/TSC Ethnic conflict and religion : challenge to the churches / Theo Tschuy. Chapter one 'Armenia 1915'
CR.2.04/SHA What is genocide? / Shaw Martin
Archives:
GB3228.57/2/4/1 Information sheet, 'The Armenian community in Manchester', n.d.
GB3228.91/5/1/12 Flyer for lecture: Armenians and the Armenian Church in Britain, Father Bagrat Galstian
A+ (based at Manchester Central Library):
Photographs:
GB127.Local_Images_Collectionm68888 – Holy Trinity Armenian Church, Manchester, 1972
GB124.DPA/1827 – Photographs related to the [Manchester?] Armenian community – 86 members of the Armenian Community collecting funds for Armenian refugees, 1918-1920
GB124.DPA/1781 – Photographs related to the Armenian Church and Ladies Association of Manchester
Archival material:
GB127.MISC/835: 1. Photocopy of a translation from the Armenian original of the constitution of the Armenian Ladies Association of Manchester, established Jan 1908. 2. Photocopy of a booklet recording the first twenty years in the life of the Armenian Ladies Association of Manchester. Printed in Armenian
GB127.Broadsides/F1989.149 Aid Armenia, Armenian Earthquake Disaster
Tameside Local Studies and Archives:
GB131.1103/1083 Oral History: Armenian Study interview with Mr and Mrs Gregory Shahbenderian
Topics:
ArmeniaArmenian diasporaManchesterHoly Trinity Church Upper Brook StreetArmenian genocidereligionemigrationCulturetraditionsArmenian foodArmenian Taverna ManchesterHayastan All-Armenian FundMusic1988 earthquakeSoviet EraChurchfaithSoviet controleducationmilitary serviceCypruscommunitySouthern CemeteryAzerbaijanZambiaSyriaBelarusIranRussiaUkraineJordan
Language:
English, Armenian
Record number:
16646315
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Total copies: 1