İKSV organises workshops, conferences, and symposia and prepares publications that accompany these activities with the aim of enriching the exchange of ideas about arts and culture, increasing the participation of artists and art enthusiasts in this dialogue, and contributing to the development of cultural policies. İKSV also conducts studies that will guide the development of cultural policies, in cooperation with a variety of institutions. İKSV collaborates with several organisations and networks that form the EU’s cultural policies and is also the head of the Turkish network of the Anna Lindh Euro-Mediterranean Foundation.
Art in Public Space
Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts drafted a research project in light of interviews conducted with experts from Turkey and Europe to be presented to the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality, with the aim of devising a strategic administration plan and program in regards to art in public space.
The report, which was drafted with a historical perspective, based on the unpublished graduate thesis of Ezgi Bakçay, a lecturer at Marmara University Faculty of Fine Arts, aims to provide a clear framework to institutionalise the system and infrastructure of art practices in public space.
Please click here to download the report.
Constitutional Studies
As an establishment organizing cultural and arts activities on an international scale since 1973, Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts carried out a study on a new article to be included in the new constitution, in line with the works of the Commission on Constitutional Consensus of Turkish Grand National Assembly. The proposed article regulates the right of the individual to take part in, access to and contribute in cultural life. As part of this process a discussion meeting was organized for other establishments in the field of culture in collaboration with Prof. Dr. Turgut Tarhanlı, the Dean of Istanbul Bilgi University’s Faculty of Law, where Turkey’s preparations for a new constitution were evaluated within the framework of basic concepts that are directly related to culture and arts, such as access to culture, cultural democracy, freedom of expression and creative activities. The meeting continued with the drafting of a proposed article entitled "The Right to Take Part in, Access to and Contribute to Cultural Life" which was later submitted to the Parliamentary Commission on Constitutional Consensus.
Please click here to download the draft.
Sponsorship and incentives for non-public culture and arts institutions
As part of Istanbul Culture and Arts Foundation’s cultural policies development projects, a meeting was organized to discuss the incentive practices developed by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism for culture and arts institutions and cultural investments in Turkey. The meeting was held at SALT Galata on Saturday, April 14.
The meeting was attended by department head Fügen Karahan and expert Neslihan Ulu from General Directorate of Cultural Assets and Museums of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, where the procedures related to incentive mechanisms for non-public culture and arts institutions were discussed within the framework of practices included in law number 5225 (Promotions Law) and law number 5228 (Sponsorship Law).
Please click here to download the related report.
Restructuring Public Art Institutions
The Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts is a non-commercial, non-profit cultural organisation. The foundation carries out its activities in line with the objectives defined in the foundation’s by-law and its income breakdown includes contributions from private sector (52%) and public support (5%). Among other contributions are support from international foundations and cultural institutions, as well as its membership programme and ticket sales.
The budget structure and management of culture and arts organisations are hot discussion topics not only in Turkey but also around the world. Considering the examples from various parts of the world, although various models are adopted, culture and arts activities are generally supported by funds which are collectively created by different actors. Be it support from the public or private sector, models that are based on a single source are becoming obsolete. It is highly important to discuss which model is suitable for Turkey with regard to various examples from around the world, including a consideration of an autonomous art council which will manage the distribution of public funds for culture and arts, in line with international criteria. Concepts such as cultural entrepreneurship that are widely prominent and discussed recently, alternative methods of supporting culture and arts and structures that respond to the specific conditions of Turkey should be part of the discussion. The state does not only have a budgetary relation to art; therefore other aspects of this relation should also be part of the discussion.
It is of outmost importance that these discussions take shape in platforms that include artists, critics, and managers of cultural institutions, as well as academicians, with the participation of local government, public and private sector representatives. The decisions that have a wider affect on the country in general, should be taken with further discussions, with wider perspectives. As the Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts, we believe it is our duty to provide such a discussion platform and to draw a guideline for the process. In order to explore the best method for Turkey, we continue our efforts to create such a platform, which would involve the cultural milieu as well as representatives from the local government and civil society.
