Started by İKSV in 2023, the Ortaklaşa*: Culture, Dialogue and Support Programme is now entering its second phase with the support of the European Union. In this new phase which will span the years 2026-2029, we join forces with one of Europe’s strongest advocacy networks Culture Action Europe (CAE) as our partner and the Marmara Municipalities Union (MBB) as our associate.
*In Turkish, ortaklaşa means collectively, in cooperation, in collaboration.
During our first three years, we brought together civil society organisations and municipalities in different cities of Türkiye. We had set out to establish the grounds for a fair cooperation; today, as we look back, we see 13 projects realised with a grant support of 1.3 million euros, comprehensive field research, and roadmaps devised for the local cultural ecosystem. Along with the sub-grant support, we focused on contributing to a trust based, fair, and sustainable culture of cooperation on the local level.
In the new phase launched as of January 2026, we are carrying the legacy of the first phase even further. In this process, our priorities are:
Sustainable Dialogue: Establishing permanent channels of communication between municipalities and the civil society.
Participatory Governance: Shaping the cultural policies through a rights-based and inclusive approach.
Connections with Europe: Strengthening the cultural cooperations between Türkiye and Europe.
Tailored Support: Offering a more holistic structure by reinforcing the sub-grant support with mentorship and community building activities.
We believe culture to be the most powerful element of co-production and participation. Driven by this belief, we continue joining forces to improve the local cultural ecosystem.
Director of Cultural Policy Studies at Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts
Özlem Ece joined İKSV in 2008 and has been serving as the Director of Cultural Policy Studies since 2010. She manages the Foundation’s efforts to promote participatory, inclusive, and sustainable cultural policies in Türkiye. Leading the design and implementation of the Ortaklaşa project, she contributes to strengthening the dialogue between local authorities and cultural actors. In line with the Foundation’s vision of social accessibility and inclusion, Ece also guides the planning of the learning and interaction programs at İKSV Alt Kat. She currently serves as a Board Member of the Turkish National Commission for UNESCO and is the Chairperson of the Expert Committee on the Diversity of Cultural Expressions.
Project Manager
Born in 1981 in Istanbul, Selen received her PhD in Contemporary Turkish History from Boğaziçi University. Her doctoral research focused on political propaganda activities during Türkiye’s Single-Party Era (1931–1946.) A founding partner of SOM Research, Selen has been supporting the development, management, and coordination of European Union–funded projects since 2004, working across civil society, academia, and the private sector. In parallel with her work on European affairs, she has managed and implemented a wide range of cultural projects since 2002, in collaboration with leading arts and culture institutions in Türkiye and Europe, spanning photography, contemporary dance, theatre, and industrial design. She currently teaches History of the Turkish Republic at Boğaziçi University and serves as the manager of the Ortaklaşa project.
Sub-grant Coordinator
Ayberk, who graduated from the Business Department of Istanbul Bahçeşehir University and is currently studying in the Cultural Management Master’s Program at Bilgi University, started his career in the Civil Society field by working in the Greenpeace Face-to-Face Resource Development Project. After holding team leadership and coaching positions in UNICEF’s resource development program’s founding team, he returned to Greenpeace, where he volunteered and became the Venue Coordinator. In 2014, he left Greenpeace and became the Project Manager for the Child Labor project run by the Life Support Association. In the following years, he held positions as Project & Community Center Manager in Humanitarian Aid Organizations that offer various services to refugees under the umbrella of Kızılay, Asam, and Mudem, and then started working as the Projects Coordinator at the IZ Association for Individual and Community Mental Health (One Trace) at the beginning of 2020. After leading the We Leave a Trace, Digital Trace projects and YanYana Turkey Everywhere project funded by DIHAA, he continues to work as the Sub-grant Coordinator in the Ortaklaşa Project created and run by the Cultural Policy Studies Department of Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts (IKSV), which he joined in 2022.
Sub-grant Coordinator
Neslihan graduated from the Stage and Performing Arts Management Department of Istanbul Bilgi University. Since starting to work as a youth worker and project manager in the Civil Society field in 2003, she has worked as a trainer, organisation and community coordinator, mentor, and committee manager in civil society organisations. Between 2012-2015, she worked in theatre and art workshops and as an artist assistant. She worked on strategic planning, program design/implementation, and data-based advocacy with local governments and NGOs. Between 2015-2019, she gave courses on digital data and activism, civil society, and volunteerism at Istanbul Bilgi University while working as the Program and Grant Coordinator at the Bernard Van Leer Foundation.
Research and Education Coordinator
After completing her undergraduate education in the Department of Science Education at Boğaziçi University, she received his master’s degree from the Human Rights Law program at Istanbul Bilgi University. Since the day she started university, she has worked with children and young people in village schools, boarding schools, or under tree shades, carrying out activities based on science, art, and sports. Since 2014, she has been working with non-governmental organisations, conducting independent research, and recently, she has been trying to bring together a documentary film with his ethnographic research. While writing her master’s thesis, she became a board member of the Zero Discrimination Association, and volunteered at Boğaziçi University Ayvalık Schools, where work is carried out with children with limited access to social opportunities after the Soma mine disaster.
Communication Coordinator
Selin began her journalism career at Doğan Media Group in 2001 while she was a sophomore at Marmara University’s Faculty of Communication, Department of Journalism. Over the course of 10 years, she worked on various publications ranging from daily newspapers to monthly magazines. She wrote and edited articles on culture, arts, and urban culture for mainstream media outlets such as İstanbul Life Magazine, Aktüel Magazine, Akşam Newspaper, and Haber Türk Newspaper. In 2010, she became interested in digital and independent projects and designed the production process for publications such as bizibozmaz.com, Base Post, and Public İstanbul. With the publishing collective Neopublico, which he founded, he worked in various fields related to publishing and communication, from book editing to social media. He edited and participated in the communication processes of print and digital content projects for brands such as Morhipo, Back-Up, Generali, Pernod Ricard, Oyak Renault, Ülker, and Mengerler, primarily in the field of culture and arts. While pursuing her master’s degree in Cultural Management at Istanbul Bilgi University, she volunteered in the digital content processes of the department and the Center for Cultural Policies. She participated in the content project of the Justice in Space Association’s Hope Archive project. While managing the communication process for the Akbank Art projects with Unite Edelman, she continued as editor-in-chief at Istanbul Life Magazine and wrote culture and arts-focused articles for ArtDog Istanbul. She is the founder of Kompleks, an independent project launched with a grant from The European Endowment for Democracy.
Community Coordinator
Emre was born in Istanbul in 1992. He completed his undergraduate degree in Urban and Regional Planning at Yıldız Technical University (2011-15) and his master’s degree in Urban Design (2016-19) at the same university. He wrote his master’s thesis on the relationship between biomimicry (imitation of nature) and urban design. After starting his career working in exhibitions and art events in the cultural sector, he continued at the İKSV Sales and Business Development department. He also worked freelance in the cultural sector in Antalya. He was a member of the event management team at Biletix. Currently, he is an event coordinator of the Ortaklaşa project at İKSV Cultural Policy Studies department.
Finance Coordinator
Kadir was born in Bartın in 1991. He completed his undergraduate education in Finance at Uludağ University (2009-2013) and his graduate education in Accounting and Auditing at Istanbul University (2017-2018). He started working in the İKSV Financial Affairs Department in 2012 and served in various positions in the department until the end of 2022. He obtained the Certified Public Accountant licence in 2018 and is currently registered with the Istanbul Chamber of Certified Public Accountants. He now serves as the financial coordinator in the “Ortaklaşa” project team of the İKSV Cultural Policy Studies department.
CAE is the major European network of cultural networks, organisations, artists, activists, academics and policymakers. As the only intersectoral network it brings together members and strategic partners from all areas of culture. CAE takes an active part in the development of cultural policies in Europe, cultural cooperation, participation in culture, and the sustainability of art. Advocating for art and culture to play a stronger role in social life and public policies, CAE brings together hundreds of cultural organisations across Europe and creates impact on the national and international levels.
As the first regional union of municipalities in Türkiye, since its foundation in 1975 MMU has blazed the way for the development of a democratic local government movement, increase in the authority and resources of municipalities, improvement of environmental awareness in local governments, adoption of sustainable urban planning principles, and collaboration among municipalities to find solutions to their common problems.
At İKSV, contributing to the development of cultural policies in Türkiye is one of our fundamental priorities. To this end, the Cultural Policy Studies Department founded in 2010 continues its activities with an approach centred around the individuals’ right to access, take part in, and contribute to cultural life.
Through the research we conduct on local, national, and international scales, our cultural policy reports and policy papers, we bring together art and culture actors on a common ground of discussion. Especially in recent years, we have been working in all corners of the country and producing projects that focus on the local needs with the participation of cultural professionals in each respective city.
İstanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts
Nejat Eczacıbaşı Binası Sadi Konuralp Caddesi No: 5
Şişhane 34430 İstanbul, Türkiye
For questions:
ortaklasa@iksv.org
For questions about Sub-Grant Programme:
For questions about Communication and Visibility:
