Culture & Arts Fund
The Culture & Arts Fund aims to support civil society organisations (CSOs) that utilise culture and arts-related activities to enhance cultural rights, promote participation in public life, and strengthen social cohesion. The fund was launched in 2019 in partnership with the Support Foundation for Civil Society and the content contribution of the Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts (IKSV).
So far, the fund has provided grants and capacity-building support to the below 12 CSOs:
Dem Association (Dem Derneği)
Aiming to form areas of dialogue between the hearing society and the non-hearing society without creating the feeling of pity, Dem Association works to produce solutions collectively. The association works for the dissemination of the Turkish Sign Language through its social initiative bukalemun.co, where the trainings of this language are digitalised, and for ensuring the employment of deaf and hearing-impaired people.
Kırkayak Culture Art and Nature Association (Kırkayak Kültür Sanat ve Doğa Derneği)
Established in Gaziantep, Kırkayak Kültür aims to create and increase contact among groups and individuals with different socio-economic conditions, in order to contribute to social cohesion and a culture of coexistence. The association, which also aims to increase social development, promote democratic values and create culturally rich living conditions, works with disadvantaged groups, refugees and migrants.
Troya Culture Association – CABININ Çanakkale Biennial Initiative (Troya Kültür Derneği – Çanakkale Bienali İnisiyatifi CABININ)
Operating in Çanakkale, CABININ aims to bring together different segments of society with contemporary art, to increase the participation and productivity of disadvantaged groups in social life through art-oriented activities and trainings, to promote the unique, historical, natural and cultural values of Çanakkale on an international scale, and to create international communication and cooperation networks for this purpose.
Yucel Culture Foundation (Yücel Kültür Vakfı)
The Yucel Cultural Foundation works to provide opportunities for young people between the ages of 16 and 33 to develop themselves through arts and cultural activities. The Foundation, using 21st-century thinking, seeks to promote and improve individuals, the country and all humanity by bringing together youth from all over the world for social and cultural activities and international and domestic student exchange programs. Through these activities, the Foundation intends to develop cross-cultural communication in arts, sports, camps, and alike. Moreover, the Foundation provides support for specific scientific research and technology projects and promotes the study of specialised topics.
Altyazı Cinema Association (Altyazı Sinema Derneği)
Altyazı Cinema Association aims to re-strengthen independent cinemaʼs ability to occupy a critical space in the cultural politics of Turkey, where media and freedom of expression are at significant stake. Moreover, the association aims to increase the visibility of filmmakers at risk and who have limited access to exhibition spaces through publicity and knowledge production with its newly implemented platform Altyazı Fasikül: Özgür Sinema. Altyazı has also been a crucial actor in establishing ties between industry professionals, independent filmmakers, small film communities, video activists, anti-censorship and human rights campaigners, and scholars and aims to continue these efforts with further projects and collaborations.
Quincentennial Foundation Museum of Turkish Jews (500. Yıl Vakfı Türk Musevileri Müzesi)
500th Year Foundation provides information to local and international visitors about the history, culture, and traditions of the Jewish community existing in Turkey for 2600 years, focusing on their contribution to society. Configured with a mindset of establishing a modern, contemporary museum that blends technology with the past, the museum has welcomed visitors in its new location since January 14, 2016. Alongside the permanent exhibits, the museum offers a diverse environment of museum experiences with temporary exhibits, conferences, seminars, concerts and various events.
Theatre Cooperative (Tiyatro Kooperatifi)
Theatre Cooperative is the umbrella organisation for 60 private theatres from Istanbul. It represents the collective voice of private theatres based on the belief that art is a public service. The association aims to find permanent legal solutions to problems faced by the sector and implement advocacy and capacity building activities to improve all production and application processes in the theatre sector. Theatre Cooperative provides economic benefits for private theatres by producing joint projects with public institutions, local administrations, academia, private sector and civil society organisations.
A4 Atelier Contemporary Art Association (A4 Atölye Çağdaş Sanat Derneği)
A4 Atelier was established in Diyarbakir to support the brave and productive young people in the city as well as create new opportunities for them so that they can have different experiences. The A4 Atelier is a multi-functional art space that provides room for artists to express alternative art practices, also encouraging interdisciplinary partnerships. The Association has carried out projects on gender issues, equality, justice, and diversity in the previous two years.
Performance Arts Development Association (Performans Sanatını Geliştirme Derneği: Performistanbul)
Performistanbul is an international performance art platform that aims to unite performance artists under one roof. The association was found upon identifying the absence of an institution that represents performance arts and artists in Turkey, the lack of adequate resources in Turkish on performance arts and the need for financial and legal infrastructure. Performistanbul also operates as Turkey’s first Live Art Research Space, which is used as an archive for performance arts in Turkey, that includes several resources on the performance arts for students and researchers.
Pink Life LGBTI+ Solidarity Association (Pembe Hayat LGBTI+ Dayanışma Derneği)
Pink Life LGBTI+ Solidarity Association, Turkey’s first trans rights organisation, works on issues such as social exclusion, discrimination, violence and hate crimes against trans people and provides direct support and consultancy services for legal, educational, health and transition processes. The Association works in solidarity with rights-based organisations and activists and carries out advocacy activities at the national and international level. Pink Life also organises the Pink Life KuirFest to discuss queer theory, art and discrimination and violence against LGBTI+ individuals in Turkey.
The Development Workshop (S.S. Kalkınma Atölyesi Bilim, Kültür, Eğitim, Araştırma, Uygulama, Üretim ve İşletme Kooperatifi- Kalkınma Atölyesi)
Development Workshop works to ensure decent living and working conditions for the seasonal migrant agricultural workers and ending child labor in different sectors. In addition, they develop policy suggestions and implementation models by conducting field research in areas such as gender-based social development, rural development and enhancement of the capacity and advocacy of local actors.
Puruli Culture and Art Association (Puruli Kültür Sanat Derneği – Puruli)
Puruli Culture and Art Association implements projects to enable individuals with disabilities to enjoy their social and cultural rights. Puruli aims to take culture and arts activities out of the common circuit to reach more people and to open alternative channels, it also collaborates with different organisations and people who share similar objectives.