The special creative center for juveniles, who committed offense is situated in "Abovyan" prison, and has a history of nine years. It was founded by the founder and president of "Trtu" cultural NGO Temik Khalapyan. In this center the detained children learn fine arts, ceramics, wood carving, theatrical art, folk song and dance, obtain computer skills and publish Edj (Page) newspaper. Since 2007 the center is under state care, leaving behind the unstable grant funding, however, many issues remain unresolved.

We had an interview with "Trtu" NGO's president, designer and teacher Temik Khalapyan about the establishment and operation of the center.

How the idea of realizing a cultural program with juvenile offenders arose?

During the days of Karabakh war we were sitting around the fire and talking, when I suddenly learned that some of the boys, who were fighting with us, had been convicted for crime when they were young, and they were nonetheless brave and patriotic. Before that I did not know that juveniles were sent to prison. Years later I read in a newspaper about a grant proposal of carrying out cultural projects with vulnerable groups and remembered those boys who had served their sentence in "Abovyan" prison.

I started to research that field, which was completely unfamiliar for me. I read the Criminal Code from top to bottom and didn't find a law that would refer to re-educating the juvenile or the grown-up prisoner in order to change them for the better. There were only laws defining the punishments, however, it is important that besides defining the punishment, measures were taken for restoring the juvenile during his sentence, so that he could later reintegrate into the society. The convicted child belongs to us and there is a problem of reintegrating him into the society. After all, these children are also part of our society.

It is generally difficult to teach children to learn, especially if he is sentenced. We should make the learning process attractive for them, which can be fulfilled through arts, through its beauty. Beauty is something that attracts subconsciously,instinctively.

I believe Dostoevsky's words that "Beauty will save the world". That's why I stepped into the unknown world through arts, to change the children for the better through beauty.

What goals did you pursue?

At first my goal was to promote the correct formation of their outlook, to create possibility for their reintegration into the society, to teach them something that will help them later, while free, in order they were not fully dependent from the employers. Having some profession you will not only earn your daily bread, but also will be relatively free.

How were your program and ideas accepted by the leaders in that field?

I was to provide written permission of entering that prison to the grant provider organization- the Open Society Institute Assistance Foundation. I wasn't sure I would be allowed. I applied to the Justice ex-Minister David Harutyunyan, and he gave his consent, which was quite unexpected for me. I thought that was due to the fact that he was also a teacher by specialization. Later I learned that our program was unprecedented and that it was considered as a good sample of judicial reform. It was quite inspiring. Afterwards, I received moral support from either the Ministry, or the Criminal Department and the Penitentiary. 

How were you accepted by the detained children?

I started the project with huge fears. The very first day I entered the penitentiary, gathered the children and explained them, that I want to realize such program. Both the workers and the children were in hesitation. There was both interest and also uncertainty.

We started the project. The children started to get used to it little by little. The rise of the spiritual demand and taste of life was felt to appear in children. It was especially obvious when in 2002 we presented "David of Sassoon" at the National Theatre. The theatre was overcrowded, the audience accepted the actors warmly. The children understood that there was something in them, for which people applauded them standing on their feet. It was a real miracle. Almost all the detained children and women imprisoned at "Abovyan" penitentiary attended the performance, which was unprecedented.

One day, for checking out how much the children needed all these things, I didn't go to the class on purpose.  During the next class the children were anxiously asking, "Where have you been? Why didn't you come? Are you tired from us?"

I felt that I took the right direction: spiritual demand in these children was already awakened.

We have always treated them as normal children, we call them pupils and never remind that they are convicted or imprisoned. We celebrate their birthdays, we do everything, so that they don't feel isolated. If need be, we also replace parents, relatives, friends by supporting and encouraging them.

Were changes noticeable while working with children?

You know, the type of the nation and mankind is strictly conditioned by the environment and its inheritance. If the environment changes, it affects the heredity. My goal was to do everything so that the detained juveniles didn't get used to the new environment, but felt themselves in an environment close to the freedom.

As for the changes in children, they were so vivid that it was impossible not to notice them. The children themselves felt the changes, when realizing that they can make something beautiful out of ordinary piece of wood or a handful of mud.

In addition, there was a child in the theatrical circle whose sentence has expired, but he did not want to go home. He asked to postpone the release so that he played his role on the real stage.

Even some of the children, who were already released, asked to bring them back in order they were able to continue the lessons.  I didn't expect better changes than these ones. I am sure that this is the vulnerable group the 95 per cent of which can be returned to the society.

It is a very hard work. We work as a psychologist, teacher, fellow with each child individually.

Have there been breaks since 2002 in implementing the project because of financial or other reasons? 

There was a break of one or one and a half months, which, to tell the truth, I do not consider as a break. The project was completed, there was no money. I knew that I was doing a good job, but I had my problems, my art, that I had left aside.

The children had found my phone number through others, had called me and said that I am a traitor (by the way there was no possibility or permission to call from penitentiary institutions during those times).

There is a good quote in The Little Prince, it says "You become responsible for those, whom you have tamed". I was thinking about it, I was in hesitation whether to go back to my art or...?  I had tamed them, and they were considering me as a traitor. I decided to continue with them and see, what will come out of it.

I went there and I realized that it would really be betrayal, if I didn't go there.

The atmosphere changed again, even for the workers. The atmosphere is very important. I wanted to preserve that atmosphere which is very important. I devoted 10 years to that job, to those children. I composed very little during that time, since I was very busy. But I do not regret. Now I see them at Vernissage or next to some of our historical monuments selling their handicrafts.

The center currently operates based not on grants, but based on state's funding. How did you manage to achieve it and can you state that the problem with stable funding is solved?

At the beginning, the project was financed by Open Society Institute's Assistance Foundation, later - by the OSCE Office in Yerevan. But I realized that one day grants will finish and started to knock the doors of the state structures. I suggested to create a center within the penitentiary and also outside of it, in the city. I was even ready to provide my own studio. My idea of the center was that it should be of a dormitory-type, where the beneficiaries would live and get education. The majority of the children are from the vulnerable layer of the society, some of them are orphans, and this type of a center would be the most appropriate.

In 2005 the Ministry of Culture presented the project to the Government and a decision was made to create the centre, which however, was realized only in 2007. Part of my goal was realized, the centre was created and is now under the state's care, but the problem is not completely solved. We don't have building conditions. Though we were provided with a space at the penitentiary free of charge, still, the conditions are too bad. It is ruined and needs fundamental restructuring. I turned to the Government and to the president with this question, however, it is still uncertain, when the question with the space will be solved. I thought that since the program is under the state's care, it would be provided with more funds than from the grants, or at least with equal amount of money, however, it was not the case.

Now we are using two rooms of the school that operates there, in which, however, it is never sunny. In winter months it is damp and dangerous for health, thus we do not work there , since we cannot heat the rooms. We fill that gap during summer, but it seems that they want to move us out from there as well. Now, I do not know where we will go.

P.S.  Temik Khalapyan says that several years ago, the Catholicos of all Armenians together with the England's Archbishop of Canterbury visited the penitentiary, and seeing the work carried out with the children, he said: "Your work is a deed of a real Christian, you go after the errant. You must be holy".

"I am not looking for the nimbus of the saint", says the artist, "but I want the work that is done for the future of these children to be considered as holy. I am confident that the priority of our state should not be providing people, who eat at restaurants, with luxurious apartments with the view to Masis, but that its priority should be providing the future citizen, especially the future soldier of our country with high quality education."

Interview by Mary Alexanyan

Source: www.hra.am