Gunay Rzazada
Cultural Heritage And Art
Leiden
Summary
Cultural practitioner specializing in cultural heritage, artistic expressions, and digital transformation in heritage management. Co-founder of TezeBazar.Baku and Leyne.Co, social enterprises dedicated to ethnic heritage preservation, awarded the European Cultural Tourism Network Award and the CTTN Image of Research Competition. Extensive experience in community-based artistic initiatives, cultural policy development, and socio-cultural research, particularly in post-Soviet and Indigenous contexts. Passionate about environmental humanities, social justice, and artistic responses to ecological crises.
Overview
8
8
years of professional experience
2054
2054
years of post-secondary education
Work History
Finance Officer
Hivos
01.2024 - Current
- Manage financial planning, reporting, and analysis for cultural and social projects
- Oversee budget allocation for arts and cultural initiatives supporting marginalized communities
- Ensure compliance with international funding regulations for heritage and sustainability programs
Coordinator at EU4Culture and EY4Dialogie Programs
EU NEIGHBORHOURSEAST
01.2022 - 03.2024
- Supported the cultural and creative sector with a special focus on non-capital cities and towns in the Eastern Partnership countries: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Republic of Moldova and Ukraine.
- Promoted intercultural dialogue for peaceful inter-community relations and knowledge exchange across the countries.
- Contributed to improving local governance in the culture sector through support for regulatory processes and participative policy dialogue.
Project Coordinator
UNDP Azerbaijan
01.2021 - 11.2022
- Designed and led cultural sustainability projects focusing on heritage, environmental justice, and community resilience
- Developed digital training modules to integrate artistic and cultural heritage practices into socio-economic development
- Coordinated interdisciplinary collaborations between local artists, policymakers, and scholars to foster cultural revitalization
Event Organizer & Cultural Heritage Planner
University of Glasgow
10.2019 - 08.2020
- Organized art therapy workshops and mobile theater projects for asylum seekers, exploring migration and displacement through creative practices
- Led research-driven art exhibitions, highlighting cultural memory, resistance, and ecological loss
- Facilitated public dialogues on artistic activism in environmental justice movements
Community Manager
Eurasia Partnership Foundation
08.2018 - 08.2019
- Designed digital storytelling initiatives to amplify youth-led cultural and environmental projects
- Conducted capacity-building programs integrating arts, digital media, and activism
- Managed community engagement strategies using socially engaged art practices
Project Assistant
Goethe-Zentrum Baku
12.2016 - 08.2018
- Assisted in curating virtual exhibitions and digital archives of contemporary artistic responses to social and environmental challenges
- Developed audience engagement strategies to connect local artists with international cultural networks
- Provided assistance with preparation of project-related reports, manuscripts and presentations
Education
MS - Tourism And Cultural Heritage Preservation
Lund University
Lund, Sweden12-2022
Master of Science - Tourism Development and Culture
University of Glasgow
Glasgow, The UK 04.2001 - 08.2020
Bachelor of Arts - American Studies
Baku State University
Baku, Azerbaijan 04.2001 - 05.2014
Skills
- Qualitative analysis
- Ethnographic research
- Archival studies
- Cultural heritage
- Artistic activism
- Project management
- Interdisciplinary research
- Digital curation
- Storytelling
- Event organization
- Public engagement
- Art-driven cultural heritage initiatives
Fellowships And Awards
- Decolonial Dialogues, a collaboration between Sign– Platform for young art, and the Research group Image in Context of Minerva, Groningen (https://sign2.nl/events/decolonial-dialogues-fourth-meet-up-gunay-rzazada-yara-arman-ameri/)- Sign– Platform for young art (02, 2025)
- Future (https://www.visitgroningen.nl/nl/plekken/de-toekomst)-de toekomst/Scheemda (06,2023)
- THE IMAGE OF RESEARCH COMPETITION 2022, Winning the Award of the best Research Image 2022- https://docs.google.com/document/d/1b17CwRXGGzUHjg0-Di4Kv9kTvoZEcanjTmwU-hO2_2c/edit
- European Cultural Tourism Network Award-https://www.culturaltourism-network.eu/results-2023.html
- Indigenous Fellowship Programme (https://www.ohchr.org/en/about-us/fellowship-programmes/indigenous-fellowship-programme ) – Focus on cultural rights, heritage protection, and artistic activism (06,2021).
- Heritage and light (https://www.humboldtforum.org/en/programm/termin/discourse/cultural-heritage-and-light-65474/) - Humboldt Forum – Berlin (09, 2021)
- EU-Eastern Partnership Culture & Creativity Program (https://www.culturepartnership.eu/en) – Promoted the integration of arts and digital strategies in socio-cultural development (2016-2017).
Research
- Co-author of the Guide Book, Development of agrotourism/ethnic tourism destinations in the Talysh Region, https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/3e0ekmexz7ntjjkkbojv1/B-l-d-i-Kitab.pdf?rlkey=5zb09qqsk2y8znupmmy010v7s&e=2&dl=0
- Calligraphy illustration book collaboration with atbarakat.com, https://drive.google.com/file/d/147pat5JTJNP0CcW_wxD7BBk-fCeF7Wau/view?usp=sharing
Reference
1-Leyli Gafarova
Founder of Salaam Cinema, an independent art platform in exile
Email: leyli.gafarova@gmail.com
2-Bruna Martinez, Program Director, Hivos
Email: bmartinez@hivos.org
3- Barakat Alsaleh
Researcher, Cultural coach, Geemente (Municipality) Groningen
Email: infoatbarakat@gmail.com
Timeline
Finance Officer
Hivos
01.2024 - Current
Coordinator at EU4Culture and EY4Dialogie Programs
EU NEIGHBORHOURSEAST
01.2022 - 03.2024
Project Coordinator
UNDP Azerbaijan
01.2021 - 11.2022
Event Organizer & Cultural Heritage Planner
University of Glasgow
10.2019 - 08.2020
Community Manager
Eurasia Partnership Foundation
08.2018 - 08.2019
Project Assistant
Goethe-Zentrum Baku
12.2016 - 08.2018
Master of Science - Tourism Development and Culture
University of Glasgow
04.2001 - 08.2020
Bachelor of Arts - American Studies
Baku State University
04.2001 - 05.2014
MS - Tourism And Cultural Heritage Preservation
Lund University
Similar Profiles
Liliana KorienkovaLiliana Korienkova
Babysitter at Self-employeedBabysitter at Self-employeed
Simone LuijksSimone Luijks
Customer Service Manager at NACustomer Service Manager at NA
Panagiotis TrimpakkirosPanagiotis Trimpakkiros
Cashier at JumboCashier at Jumbo