Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts (İKSV) has allocated funds from its 2023 budget and launched the İKSV Instrument Support Fund for the Earthquake Region to provide instruments to music students and instructors affected by the earthquakes that took place in February.

The project will be realised thanks to the collaboration of two major instrument suppliers in Turkey, doremusic and Zuhal Müzik, and will receive further support from Pozitif Müzik. Our aim is to expand the fund with contributions from as much institutions and organisations as possible, in order to meet the needs of all eligible applicants.

More than 800 students and teachers residing in the 11 provinces in the disaster zone, who are studying or teaching in the music departments of fine arts high schools and conservatories in the region and whose instruments had been damaged or lost in the earthquakes, who were in the region during the earthquake and are currently transferred to other schools applied to the fund, which was open for applications between 1 March and 30 May.

In 2023, 384 students and instructors had been provided with instruments such as suspended drums, baglama, cello, electric baglama, electric guitar, electronic organ, kanun, violin, clarinet, classical guitar, double bass, digital piano, oud and side-blown flute. Instrument support was provided to the students studying at Fine Arts High Schools, Conservatories, Fine Arts Education Departments in 11 cities affected by the earthquake, as well as to the Hatay Academy Symphony Orchestra.

In the second phase of the project in 2024, 57 more instruments were delivered to a total of 25 students and 32 instructors residing in 6 regions and 20 different cities. In this phase; acoustic guitar, suspended drum, bass guitar, drums, cello, digital piano, electric acoustic guitar, electric guitar, electric guitar, electric violin, electric violin, electric guitar, violin, violin harpsichord, electric classical guitar, kanun, classical guitar, hihat pedal, organ, trumpet, oud, ukulele, side-blown flute and long handle baglama were delivered.