My Step Foundation supports initiatives that create new opportunities, trigger problem-solving and add value to Armenia’s attractiveness as a tourism destination. "Urvakan" is one of those. 

It is an international festival of advanced music, art and urban studies to be held in Armenia for the first time. Through a mix of concerts, club nights, artistic interventions, exhibitions and installations, as well as a conference programme, the festival provides a platform for critical experience and reflection of music, its social relevance, urban studies and the conditions within which current cultural movements are emerging. The inspiration behind the name (which means ‘ghost’ in Armenian) comes from the festival team’s interest in revitalizing the country’s abandoned and deserted sites and their ambiguous state of being neither completely ruined, nor truly alive as they were decades ago.

The festival will start with a round-table discussion about public spaces, urban voids and citizen behavior on May 3, at Aram Khachatryan Music Hall led by UNDP Armenia and Urbanlab. Experienced urban researchers, urbanists and architects will explore new strategies and developments. These platforms will trigger questions about the cross-relations of city spaces, citizens and environments.

Urvakan’s music program blends together ongoing projects of more than 80 artists from 22 countries, highlighting current trends in sonic arts, contemporary electronic, instrumental, avant-pop, and club music. The festival also aims to spark exchanges between local musicians and established artists, curators, and independent music industry professionals from around the world.