Hakawati is a cultural storytelling organization using art, myth, and embodied narrative to expand perception, restore human dignity, and counter polarization at its roots. 

Carried across borders and hidden through war, the 120-year-old Karagöz puppets remind us that light and shadow co-exist.

We all flee the difficult edges of experience, but turning away only deepens the dark. True refuge begins in meeting what we’ve avoided. In that presence, shadow becomes meaning and exile becomes home.

This is the heart of Hakawati.

To learn more about Hakawati, watch this interview with our Founder & Creative Director, Sona Tatoyan.

Hakawati brings together artists, spiritual teachers, innovators, scientists, and therapists to transform trauma through authentic storytelling—cultivating resilience, connection, and a deeper capacity to see. Hakawati is a non-profit organization that accepts donations globally. USA donors can make use of its 501(c)(3) tax exempt status (EIN #83-1664484)