TORONTO, ON, May 13, 2026: The Zoryan Institute is pleased to announce the release of the first episode of the newest season of the Dispersion podcast, a special series dedicated to Armenian artists from across the global diaspora for Armenian Heritage Month in Canada. Titled “Speaking with Accents on Centre Stage,” this premiere episode features two Armenian-Canadians: award-winning international film and stage actress Arsinee Khanjian alongside acclaimed playwright, director, and stage actor Hrant Alianak.
In conversation with Dispersion host Jen Haddow, Khanjian and Alianak reflect on their experiences as diasporic Armenians from Lebanon and Sudan, respectively, and discuss how their distinct upbringings have shaped their artistic voices and approaches to Armenian storytelling. The episode explores how the diaspora can complicate traditional notions of “Armenianness”, the role of accents as markers of their otherness, and the realities of navigating Canada’s theatre and film industries as emerging performance artists from the 1970s and onward.
To listen to the episode, please click HERE.
Through reflections on migration, memory, identity, and performance, the episode highlights the greater theme of the season, exploring how artistic expression becomes a space through which diasporic communities preserve culture and negotiate belonging across generations and borders.
Guest Biographies:
Hrant Alianak
Hrant Alianak (Writer/Director/Actor/Producer) made his debut as a writer in 1972 at Theatre Passe Muraille in Toronto with his play TANTRUMS. He is best known for his plays LUCKY STRIKE, THE BLUES and THE WALLS OF AFRICA, which was nominated for eight Dora Awards and received three, including Best Production.
Click here to read his full biography.
Arsinee Khanjian
Born in Lebanon to Armenian parents in Beirut, Arsinee Khanjian has lived in Canada since 1975. Khanjian grew up speaking Armenian at home, and Arabic and French in school. After moving to Montreal at the age of seventeen, she studied theatre at the Conservatoire Lasalle, earned a B.A. in Spanish and French from Concordia University, and later completed a Master’s degree in Political Science at the University of Toronto.
Click here to read her full biography.
New episodes of this season of Dispersion will be released every Wednesday! Find us on all streaming platforms, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Acast, Amazon Music, and YouTube.
If you enjoy this episode of Dispersion, we ask that you show your support through a donation to the Institute to ensure we can continue programming like this. Please visit the following like to donate today: https://zoryaninstitute.org/donate/.
