Help Lilit To Finish Her Degree

Hi. I’m Lilit—a final year Art History student at The University of Manchester.

I have set up this page as part of my quest to raise funds to complete my Undergraduate Degree. Having worked on my Art History course in the past three years (with only two months left to complete my degree) I am now facing the biggest down of my life; being kicked out of university for not being able to pay tuition fees. All I ask is 5 minutes of your time to read my story and watch the video to see how this is more than asking people for money, it is about a dream of a foreign student from a working class family who has tried to discover various layers of Art History in a well–established university in a world I’m able to write about history of Armenian Contemporary Art.



Why Art History and why in the UK

Since studying and working as a cultural journalist in Armenia and coming from working class background, me and my friend were challenged by the rules of urban hierarchies and we co-founded a cultural column in a local news website at the age of 18 trying to re-discover 'city' as a platform driven by the communication between ideas and creativity, rather than class, religion or ethnicity. After running the column over six months https://www.facebook.com/groups/308951815816751/ (Facebook group of the 'city' column shared with all the links of the interviews and social events, available only in Armenian), we were introduced to a small and appealing world of Armenian contemporary artists, 
curators and art historians.
The image was taken in a public event organised by me and my friend in the framework of the 'city' column

After this discovery of the power of art knowledge to make a change in socially constructed boundaries, I applied to the Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA) in Armenia, where I was introduced to the brief history of contemporary art of the West and Armenia. However, all my lectures and education at the ICA was mainly accessible by the lectures and summer schools or fragments from english books found online, since there is not an established library of English literature in Armenia. The impossibility to see real artworks of all significant artists, very limited access to English literature about Art History and the desire to speak fluent English guided me to put my maximum efforts on improving my English and to move to the UK and get an education in a well-established university to develop my art historical knowledge and write about Armenian Contemporary Art. Parallel to my second year at the ICA I practiced  IELTS (International English Language Test System) and after six months I got band score 7.5 out of 9. Immediately after completing my course at the ICA I moved to Manchester where I was accepted to the Art History Course.

Educational achievements at the University of manchester
On educational level currently I have nearly fulfilled my dream, since my dissertation about an Armenian Contemporary Artist Karen Ohanyan https://www.karenohanyan.com/eng/#!/home 
 is in its way to be completed until 27th of April and through my supervisor Dr Charlie Miller's recommendation is going to be published as a primary research.
Karen Ohanyan, The Height - collage, 50.5x36.5cm, 2016
 
During those 3 years in Manchester I managed to succeed in my course with 72% in first year, 75% in second year and until now 76% in third year, and in some of my essays I have got from 80% to 86%, which are considered as outstanding grades in humanities school.  Here are some examples of my essays, portfolios or creative writings  accompanied by the official feedback of my tutors:

Essay. Picasso, Cubism and Mass Culture-86% 
https://www.turnitinuk.com/dv?o=61604612&u=6136103&s=3&student_user=1&lang=en_us&session-id=1290d8fe1d6634f81d8f27743b41ec97

Creative Writing-The Girlish chamber of Shame-75%
https://www.turnitinuk.com/dv?o=64774155&u=6136103&s=3&student_user=1&lang=en_us&session-id=1290d8fe1d6634f81d8f27743b41ec97

Portfolio-Still Life With Liqueur Bottle-76%
https://www.turnitinuk.com/dv?o=64084477&u=6136103&s=3&student_user=1&lang=en_us&session-id=1290d8fe1d6634f81d8f27743b41ec97


Here is an estimated breakdown of the costs 

-£14,000 per year 
http://documents.manchester.ac.uk/display.aspx?DocID=13024   (Information about tuition fees is on page 9)
  -£28,000 is going only to be spend on my tuition fees for second and third years. 


Why I need your help and why now

Before moving to Manchester I applied to many educational foundations and for my first year I got a scholarship covering the main part of my tuition fee and though I had no money for my living expenses, I took the risk and moved to Manchester, where I found a job in a restaurant and a student ambassador position in the humanities school at my university. I successfully completed my first year with high grades, but in my second year the Armenian scholarship foundation changed its program and started funding only students studying in Armenia or in the USA. http://www.hovnanianfoundation.am/scholarships/


At the beginning of my second year through the huge support of my amazing tutors in the university I managed to stay in my course. Being allowed to continue my degree in third year, I was thinking that the second year was resolved, but suddenly I found out that I am officially dropped out from the university and since I am a visa student, my visa is cancelled and from today I have one month either to pay my tuition fee and complete my degree or leave Manchester before the given deadline. And it’s happening to me now, with only two months left to finish my degree, when my dissertation about an Armenian contemporary artist as a primary research is on its way to be completed and published.

So,  I’m appealing for the help of my friends and family that know how much this means to me, and to the goodwill of the general public, in the hope that some will be able to offer support. If I could continue to complete this by my own, I would, but the truth is, I can’t and I wouldn’t be asking for your help unless I really needed it.

To say ‘thank you'.

My promise to anyone able to donate is that I will dedicate the next two years of my life completing bigger research about Armenian Contemporary Art. In addition to this, I am offering rewards to those of you that are able to donate a little more:
£5-public thank you
£50-200 word oroginal piece of creative writing (the subject can be discussed by the donor)
£100-15 minutes presentation about Karen Ohanyan's art. 
£500-15 minutes public presentation about any modern or contemporary artist (in advance discussion with the donor).
£5000-5000 word research about specific art historical question in relation to any concept, movement, exhibition. artwork or an artist. 

Raising such a huge amount of money is going to be a challenge, but I am determined not to let the barrier of tuition fees stand in my way two months before my graduation.

All donations, even the smallest ones, will be hugely appreciated. I am so excited by the prospect of continuing my educational path and if enough people are able to give a little something, it really will make all the difference.

Thank you in advance for anything you are able to contribute. I am eternally grateful for your support!

Love and best wishes,
Lilit.