Ortaklaşa: Culture, Dialogue and Support Programme is a programme implemented by the Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts (İKSV) and supported by the European Union. The programme aims to develop dialogue and collaborations between Non-Governmental Organizations and municipalities working in the field of cultural and arts in Turkey through joint projects. A further aim of the programme is to promote the creation of inclusive and participatory cultural policies at the local level.
Ortaklaşa, designed by the İKSV Cultural Policy 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 was launched in January 2023 and will last for three years, aiming to reach Non-Governmental Organizations, local governments, and independent culture and art professionals throughout the country.
In order to achieve these objectives, 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 euros, the sub-grant program will support culture and art projects developed jointly by NGOs and municipalities across different disciplines, space-based projects where a municipal space 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 Cultural Policy 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 pursuit of 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 face-to-face learning programme 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 that benefit 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 according to the needs identified in the previous projects of the Cultural Policy Studies Department, as well as the field research conducted within the framework of Ortaklaşa Research Programme, covering topics such as cultural policies, cultural management, local cultural planning, cultural pluralism, participation in culture, the social and economic impacts of culture and arts, arts in public spaces, gender equality, and ecological transformation.
The learning activities and various events within Ortaklaşa Learning Program will feature trainers and exemplary projects from European countries through collaboration with EUNIC (European Union National Institutes for Culture) Istanbul and Ankara clusters.
Ortaklaşa Dialogue Programme promotes debate and collaborative learning in the areas of cultural policies and cultural management among cultural professionals working in NGOs and municipalities. 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?” Advocacy work is done within the program’s purview to develop participatory cultural policies.
The IKSV’s Cultural Policy Studies Department 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 papers that are released in this context will be up for debate among those involved in culture and the arts. The existing conditions and requirements of the target groups will be ascertained through the field research that will be carried out as part of the Ortaklaşa Project. The results of the fieldwork will be released in a cultural policy report.
A policy statement encompassing policy recommendations and a roadmap will be prepared and shared with the public at the project’s conclusion based on the knowledge and experience gained from the local conversation events and sub-grants undertaken throughout 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. Since its creation in 2010, the department of Cultural Policy Studies of İKSV has been working toward this goal through its local, national, and international activities. The department conducts research with an approach that focuses on individuals’ right to access, participate in, and contribute to cultural life. In this regard, the department publishes reports and policy texts to open them up for discussion among cultural and art actors. The department of Cultural Policy Studies of İKSV has been taking its work to different cities and producing projects that include cultural and art professionals from all around Turkey, particularly over the last four to five years.
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.