The project, which will be carried out by Sinop Sustainable Development Association, is planned to transform an old power plant located in Merzifon into a cultural centre, where the programmes will be prepared and implemented together with Merzifon Municipality and a civil network of culture and art actors in the region. Creating a new cultural pivotal centre in Merzifon, which is a town standing out with its economic and cultural heritage from the past to the present, aims to increase collaborations in the field of culture on a regional scale with Amasya and Sinop on the short and medium term with the contributions of the project’s partners Amasya Municipality and Sinop Municipality.
In Merzifon, local government representatives, civil society organisation representatives, and opinion leaders working in the fields of culture and arts will come together to form a core structure under the name of the Motorhane Culture and Arts Network. The aim is to increase the institutional capacity, competence, and social resources of this structure through various actions. The year-long project includes capacity-building training, as well as a participatory planning process and a broad schedule of artistic events to support this process.
The qualified experiences and models gained in Sinop will be transferred to Merzifon, aiming to develop networks between local governments and civil society actors in these neighbouring regions of the Central Black Sea. This will help in strengthening connections and scaling them to a regional level.
Events such as open-air cinema, educational programmes for children, and a local women’s market aim to enhance the social impact of Motorhane. These activities, which complement the community-building efforts for the Motorhane Cultural Network, also include plans for collaboration between the Merzifon Theater Festival and the Sinop Theater Festival. The goal is to build bridges between local and national artists and cultural actors. Additionally, initiatives like the Motorhane Book Fair and Sami Baydar Art events are intended to revitalize cultural life.
The goal of transforming Motorhane into a cultural centre is one of the key objectives within the Merzifon Municipality’s 2024 strategic plan. During the project process, a protocol will be signed between the Motorhane community’s legal entity and the Merzifon Municipality. The protocol aims to guarantee that after the completion of the project, Motorhane will continue to be used as a cultural space, and the newly established legal entity will have the initiative and authority over its use.
The association develops and implements projects that aim for urban development through culture, creating networks both at the local level-connecting civil society, local government, the private sector, and universities at the international level with cultural, artistic, and educational institutions. In addition to projects related to archiving, copyright, and sustainability, the association also carries out space transformation projects such as the Sinop Prison and Hal Gathering Center. Furthermore, the association is responsible for organising the Sinopale Biennale.
Sinop Municipality
The Motorhane building, owned by the association, will play an active role in its utilization, particularly through the extensive Sami Baydar collection. This collection will be prominently featured as part of the project activities, especially during the Sami Baydar Art Days.
Urban.koop Urban Studies Cooperative
Urban.koop has former projects in collaboration with Merzifon Municipality oriented to creating a community. Additionally, the experts who will take responsibility for the project under Urban.koop have previously collaborated with Merzifon Municipality on community-based projects. Urban.koop maintains direct relationships with opinion leaders and cultural actors in the neighborhoods of Merzifon and will take responsibility for areas related to community building within the project’s goals. Urban.koop will also play a key role in implementing spatial interventions and designing and sustaining the participatory process on the ground.
ÇEKÜL Foundation
ÇEKÜL was founded in 1990 in foundation status for protecting Türkiye’s natural, historical, and cultural properties. Since its establishment, the foundation has advocated for the vital harmony between nature, culture, and humanity through the projects and programmes it has implemented. Adopting an approach that connects even the smallest settlement to the entire country, the foundation will share the experiences gained from similar projects previously carried out in Merzifon within this framework.
Amasya Municipality, Sinop Municipality
The initiative to establish a connection between Amasya and Sinop Municipality is designed to enrich cultural exchange and foster long-term collaborations within the local communities.
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