Ortaklaşa: Culture, Dialogue and Sub-Grant Programme is a program implemented by the Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts (İKSV) and supported by the European Union. The program aims to develop dialogue and collaborations between Non-governmental organisations and municipalities working in the field of culture and arts in Turkey through joint projects. Another aim of the program is to promote the creation of inclusive and participatory cultural policies at the local level.
Ortaklaşa, designed by the İKSV Cultural Policies Studies Department and directly supported by the European Union’s Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance, is being carried out in collaboration with the Marmara Municipalities Union (MBB) and EUNIC (European Union National Institutes for Culture) Istanbul and Ankara. The project started in January 2023 and will last for three years, aiming to reach Non-governmental organisations, local governments, and independent culture and art professionals throughout the country.
To achieve these goals, the programme has three complementary pillars: Learning Programme, Sub-grant Programme, and Dialogue Programme.
Ortaklaşa Sub-grant Programme aims to develop dialogue and collaborations between NGOs and municipalities in Turkey working in the field of culture and arts through joint projects. With a total budget of €1.3 million, the sub-grant program will support culture and art projects developed jointly by NGOs and municipalities from different disciplines, space-oriented projects where a space belonging to a municipality is transformed with the expertise and contribution of NGOs, and practical approaches that promote inclusive cultural planning and cultural management. Two separate project proposal calls will be made within the scope of the sub-grant programme, and NGOs are expected to apply together with at least one municipal partner.
The Culture Policies Studies Department of Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts (İKSV) has been creating an active discussion environment in the field of cultural management and policies in Turkey in recent years, in collaboration with national and international institutions and non-governmental organizations. In line with this goal, it aims to strengthen cultural professionals throughout the country with its designed learning programs, and diversifies its stakeholders through seminars, conferences, and workshops.
Ortaklaşa Learning Programme focuses on diversity, inclusivity, and equality in order to develop solutions and recommendations for the creation of participatory cultural policies at the local level. To this end, an online and in-person learning program will be implemented, open to all cultural institutions, professionals, and local government officials working in the field of culture and art throughout Turkey, as well as representatives of institutions benefiting from the Ortaklaşa Sub-grant Programme, which aims to build a culture ecosystem that embraces a rights-based approach and social justice. The programme will be shaped in accordance with the needs identified in the previous projects of the Culture Policies Studies, as well as the field research carried out within the framework of the Ortaklaşa Research Programme, covering topics such as cultural policies, cultural management, local cultural planning, cultural pluralism, participation in culture, the social and economic impact of culture and art, art in public spaces, gender equality, and ecological transformation.
The learning activities and various events within Ortaklaşa Learning Program will invite trainers and exemplary projects from European countries through collaboration with EUNIC (European Union National Institutes for Culture) Istanbul and Ankara clusters.
Ortaklaşa programme also encourages cultural professionals working in NGOs and municipalities to engage in dialogue and learn together in the fields of cultural policies and cultural management through a dialogue programme. Within the scope of the program, advocacy activities are carried out to create participatory cultural policies, and 7 roundtable meetings and 7 search conferences are organized based on the question “what initiatives, mechanisms, and practices are needed to achieve a participatory, inclusive, equitable, and rights-based cultural ecosystem at the local level?”
The Culture Policies Studies Department of the IKSV conducts research with an approach that focuses on individuals’ rights to access, participate in, and contribute to cultural life and supports all of the foundation’s activities with data-driven studies. The reports and policy texts published in this context will be open to discussion among cultural and art actors. The Field Research to be conducted within the scope of the Ortaklaşa Project will determine the current situations and needs of the target groups. A cultural policy report will be published as a result of the field research.
Based on the information and experience obtained from the local dialogue events and sub-grants conducted throughout the project, a policy text containing policy recommendations and a roadmap will be developed and shared with the public at the end of the project. İKSV will also carry out advocacy activities with public institutions by sharing the project’s outputs and experiences during the project period.
İKSV defines one of its three main goals as contributing to the development of cultural policies. For this purpose, the Department of Cultural Policies Studies of İKSV has been carrying out its local, national, and international activities since its establishment in 2010. The department conducts research with an approach that focuses on individuals’ right to access, participate in, and contribute to cultural life. In this regard, it publishes reports and policy texts to open them up for discussion among cultural and art actors. Especially in the last 4-5 years, the Department of Cultural Policies Studies of İKSV has been taking its work to different cities and producing projects in which cultural and art workers from all around Türkiye participate.
The European Union provides financial and technical support to Turkey’s political and economic reforms through the Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA III). The aim of these funds is to harmonize Turkish legislation and standards with EU legislation and standards, and to build the capacity of the relevant authorities to carry out this harmonization work and implement the reforms during the accession process. This prepares Turkey for the rights and obligations that come with EU membership.
The ultimate objective of pre-accession funds is to improve the lives of individuals by providing better opportunities for citizens and enabling them to achieve standards equivalent to those of EU citizens.
This website was created and maintained with the financial support of the European Union. Its contents are the sole responsibility of Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts (İKSV) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union.