Turkey Mozaik Foundation and Support Foundation for Civil Society launched the 2020 Culture & Arts Fund with the content partnership of Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts (IKSV), Cultural Policy Studies Department. Given the devastating impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on the culture and arts organisations, this year’s Fund aimed to support the survival and adaptation of arts and culture organisations to the circumstances caused by the pandemic. Within the scope of the fund, a total of 483,000 TRY will be allocated to 7 civil society organisations (CSO).
Below you can find the information about the grantee organisations and a short summary of the supported projects:
Pink Life LGBTI + Solidarity Association (Pembe Hayat LGBTİ+ Dayanışma Derneği- Pembe Hayat) operates in Ankara and carries out rights-based activities for LGBTI+ individuals in the field of gender identity and sexual orientation. Within the scope of this fund, Turkey Mozaik Foundation will provide a total grant of 69,000 TRY for Pembe Hayat’s Queer Artists Solidarity Network project. The project aims to create a safe digital space and a platform for collaboration for queer artists whose art production and livelihoods have been negatively affected by the COVID-19 outbreak.
Performance Research Association (Performans Araştırmaları Derneği) organises workshops, theatre camps, panels and conferences. The association is also home to the Theatre Madrasa (Tiyatro Medresesi) in Şirince, İzmir. Theatre Madrasa is a development centre for both amateur and professional theatre actors and the research teams. Turkey Mozaik Foundation’s Meltem Göçer Fund will support this association with a 55,000 TRY grant to implement the Tiyatro Medresesi Online Winter School project. The project aims to ensure the continuation of Tiyatro Medresesi’s workshops through online platforms during the outbreak whilst creating an archive of these workshops to increase accessibility.
Performing Arts Development Association (Performans Sanatını Geliştirme Derneği -Performistanbul) was established to improve the performance arts disciplines in Turkey and it aims to provide solutions for the problems related to performance arts such as the absence of an institution that represent performance arts and artists in Turkey, the lack of adequate Turkish resources on performance arts and the need for a financial and legal infrastructure. Within the scope of this fund, Turkey Mozaik Foundation will provide a 59,000 TRY grant. Performistanbul will realise the Stay Home LIVE – Home Performance Series to create online performance programs open to everyone. By creating an online archive and documentation of this process, the association will also conduct comprehensive research on how performance artists respond to the COVID-19 period and the trauma created by the outbreak, through their own practices.
Theatre Cooperative (Tiyatro Kooperatifi) is the umbrella organisation for 60 private theatres from Istanbul. It represents the collective voice of private theatres and aims to find permanent legal solutions to problems faced by the sector. Theatre Cooperative implements advocacy and capacity building activities in order to improve and professionalise all production and application processes in the theatre sector. With the co-financing of the Turkey Mozaik Foundation and the Support Foundation for Civil Society, the Theatre Cooperative will be granted with 75,000 TRY to implement the Regional Cooperative Project for Private Theatres. The project aims to support the establishment of social cooperatives for private theatres with the cultural development model in 7 regions of Turkey. Capacity building and advocacy activities will also be implemented in order to ensure the sustainability of these cooperatives.
Loading Contemporary Art Association- Loading (Yükleniyor Çağdaş Sanat Derneği) operates in Diyarbakır with an aim to solve the challenges faced by artists in the thought, production and project implementation phases by archiving the city’s contemporary art practices from the first quarter of the 2000s to today and by working to increase it’s artistic and cultural recognition in the international arena. Within the scope of this fund, the Support Foundation for Civil Society will provide a total grant of 75,000 TRY in the form of a core grant to strengthen Loading’s organisational capacity to acquire online tools in order to transfer and continue its activities in the digital realm during the outbreak.
SS Semaver Culture Art, Education, Marketing and Business Cooperative (Semaver Kumpanya) realises artistic production and activities on its stage in Kocamustafapaşa, İstanbul. Working in a remote area with less access for artistic activities, Semaver Kumpanya aims to provide equal access for different groups by staging theatre plays and theatre workshops. Within the scope of the grant, the Support Foundation for Civil Society will provide a total grant of 75.000 TL in the form of a core grant to cover Semaver Kumpanya’s rent costs and make art production possible during the outbreak.
Mardin Culture Association (Mardin Kültür Derneği- Mardin Kültür) works in harmony with the cultural pluralist structure of the region and brings together different disciplines in the field of education in an innovative way. The association aims to increase the participation of young people and women in society and to create positive social change. Within the scope of this fund, the Support Foundation for Civil Society will provide Mardin Kültür a total grant of 75,000 TRY to share classical theatre plays with youngsters from Mardin, whose access to culture and art activities and education was restricted during the COVID-19 outbreak period, in a digital environment and to co-create content with them on this subject.
