Wherefrom Whereabouts 02: Histori.ka

The second step of WHEREFROM WHEREABOUTS? (Histori.ka) will take place:
- with the participation of Esen Camurdan, Yesim Ozsoy Gulan, Zeynep Gunsur, Aylin Kalem, Beyhan Murphy, and Handan Ergiydiren Ozer,
- on 19 March 2008, Wednesday, at 19.00,
- at Roxy Activity Platform...

Adress: Siraselviler Cad. Aslanyatagi Sok. No:5, Beyoglu.

Bulletin 02: March 2008

Independent Bulletin's March issue can be downloaded in .pdf format at the bulletin's GoogleGroups homepage: http://groups.google.com/group/bagimsizbulten?hl=en

Wherefrom Whereabouts 01: Esteti.ka

Independent Network will be hosting, from February onwards, an artistic research atelier, titled WHEREFROM WHEREABOUTS in Contemporary Performing Arts?: Esteti.ka Histori.ka Politi.ka. The atelier's complete list of 18 participants consists of creators (choreographers, directors, and designers) and theoreticians (academicians, critics, and researchers) currently involved in the fields of contemporary dance, theatre and performance in Turkey.

General aims of the atelier can be summarized as:

• producing an up-to-date map of artistic production in the field of contemporary performance in Turkey;


• revealing the aesthetic, historical and political reference-points of this map at a both global and local level;


• re-opening, through these references, the works themselves to critical scrutiny and investigation; and, in this way


• developing a response to the lack of textual / documentary / informative material in the field.

In total, three consecutive panel-meetings will be realized within the atelier's framework. While leaving the ground for a different set of 6 participants at each session, all three meetings will be open to the rest of the participants along with general public.

The first step of WHEREFROM WHEREABOUTS? (Esteti.ka) will take place:
- with the participation of Aysin Candan, Bedirhan Dehmen, Naz Erayda, Gurur Ertem, Nihal Koldas and Tugce Tuna,
- on 20th February 2008, Wednesday, at 19.00,
- at Roxy Activity Platform...

Adress: Siraselviler Cad. Aslanyatagi Sok. No:5, Beyoglu.

Bulletin 01: February 2008

Although the first issue of the Bulletin is prepared only in Turkish, the following issues will be available in both Turkish and English. You can download all copies in .pdf format at the bulletin's GoogleGroups homepage:
http://groups.google.com/group/bagimsizbulten?hl=en

What is Independent Bulletin?

Independent Bulletin is an electronic newsletter for the contemporary performing arts. It is edited and published by ACPAI on a monthly basis, so as to provide a comprehensive overview of its members' current contemporary dance, theatre and performance-related activities in Turkey and abroad. The Bulletin is a publication of the cultural management and capacity building project, titled Independent Network.

To subscribe: bagimsizbulten-subscribe@googlegroups.com

What is Independent Network?

Independent (Bagimsiz) Network is a cultural management and capacity-building program that aims at bringing together independent artists, cultural operators and representatives of art-based structures from Istanbul, Anatolia and Europe that are active in the field of contemporary performance. The project, with the objective of developing and disseminating contemporary performing arts, is based on the idea of creating a series of encounter opportunities in various formats so as to initiate a dialogue that enhances already existing communication channels between actors in the field; to identify area-specific problems; to configure responsive ideas and projects; to establish new networking and operation grounds; to develop new means and possibilities of collaboration; to intervene in existing public-scale cultural policies; to mobilize innovative civil organization strategies; and therefore to initiate an overall transformation process.

In this regard, and within the project's working period between January-June 2008, there will take place:

• three separate, weekend-long, multi-session working groups in the action areas of publication/criticism, education and cultural management, each of which will be supported by respective seminars;
• three connected, open-forum type, single-session artistic research ateliers, each of which will focus on a genealogical investigation into existing contemporary dance, theatre and performance aesthetics in Turkey so as to open these practices to new readings within social, political, historical and philosophical contexts; and
• a general evaluation meeting, where the processes and results of each working group/atelier will be shared with other groups, institutions and the general public.

Besides these, a monthly electronic bulletin, a systematized database, an informative short-film about the activities of ACPAI members, and a report booklet will be among other concrete outcomes and long-term instruments of the project.

Independent Network is supported by Netherlands Consulate General's Matra/KAP Program, Chrest Foundation, and Goethe Institute, along with Roxy Activity Platform, Anadolu Kultur A.S. Tutun Deposu, Akbank Arts Center, Istanbul 2010 European Cultural Capital Agency, CPM Creative Production Management, Istanbul Bilgi University's MAP Management of Performing Arts Department, Open Space Technology, Nnaco/Movement Atelier, and Maya Arts Center. The list of project supporters is open-ended, and will continue to be shaped in accordance with additional contributions to take place until the finalization of the project.

Project Development: Şule Ateş, Zeynep Günsür, Elif Kamışlı, Eylem Ertürk İpek
Project Coordination: Şafak Uysal (safak@laboratuar.org)
Publication/Criticism Committee: Naz Erayda, Gurur Ertem, Zeynep Günsür, Aylin Kalem, Nihal Koldaş, Gülsün Odabaş, Yeşim Ö. Gülan (Deniz Polat)
Education Committee: Kemal Bozkurt, Evren Erbatur, Zeynep Günsür, Aylin Kalem, Tuğçe Tuna
Cultural Management Committee: Esra Aysun, Banu Ç. Barutçugil, Damla Hacaloğlu, Gökçe Dervişoğlu, Eylem E. İpek, Elif Kamışlı, Zümray Kutlu, İmre Tezel (Pelin Başaran, Ekmel Ertan, Mihran Tomasyan)
Independent Bulletin: İmre Tezel, Şafak Uysal

Who does ACPAI consist of?

Banu Cicek Barutcugil; Berrak Yedek; Damla Hacaloglu; Deniz Polat; Elif Kamisli; Emre Koyuncuoglu; Evren Erbatur; Eylem Erturk Ipek; Gokce Dervisoglu; Imre Tezel; Sule Ates; Tulin Ozen; Zumray Kutlu; 10+ / Mustafa & Ovul Avkiran; 22/11 PROJECT ENSEMBLE / Handan Ergiydiren Ozer; BILSAK THEATER ATELIER & MAYA ARTS CENTER / Nihal Geyran Koldas; BIMERAS CULTURAL FOUNDATION / Aydin Silier & Gurur Ertem; BIS BODY-PROCESS ARTS ASSOCIATION / Ekmel Ertan; BODIG / Aylin Kalem; CAK – CIPLAKAYAKLAR COMPANY / Mihran Tomasyan; CATI ASSOCIATION OF CONTEMPORARY DANCE AND INDEPENDENT DANCE ARTISTS / Omer Uysal, Sevi Algan; DANSBULUSMA-ISTANBUL / Aytul Hasaltun & Kemal Bozkurt; UNDERNINE DANCE AND MOVEMENT PROJECT / Ilyas Odman; GALATAPERFORM / Deniz Aygün; GARAJISTANBUL / Pelin Basaran; MOVEMENT ATELIER / Zeynep Gunsur; IS.CAM ISTANBUL CONTEMPORARY ART MUSEUM / Genco Gulan; KUMPANYA / Naz Erayda & Kerem Kurdoglu; [LABORATUAR] PERFORMANCE ARTS RESEARCH AND PROJECT LAB / Safak Uysal; OYUN JOURNAL / Gulsun Odabas; PROSPICIO COMPANY / Talin Buyukkurkciyan; REMDANCE PROJECT COMPANY / Tugce Tuna; TAL DANCE / Mustafa Kaplan & Filiz Sizanli; VeDST THEATER GROUP / Yesim Ozsoy Gulan...

Please follow the links on the right for detailed information about individual members.

What is ACPAI (CGSG)?

ACPAI (Association of the Contemporary Performing Arts Initiative) is a non-profit, civil initiative that brings together independent artists, theoreticians, instructors, cultural operators and academicians working in the field of contemporary performance so as to trigger a general and comprehensive process of change and transformation in the area of performing arts in Turkey. With the aim of identifying, formulating, planning and implementing projects that will initiate this process, it has been formed as a civil platform in June 2005 and later gained corporate identity status by establishing its own association in August 2007. The Association operates within the domain of culture & arts in general, and in the action areas of cultural management, organization, education, research, publication / criticism, archiving and networking in particular.

Meeting on a periodical basis since 2005, ACPAI aims in the long run at: creating an active and steady breeding ground for itself and for its audience; establishing proper and effective conditions for the production of "works" that investigate new forms of expression and get in touch with the audience; developing and increasing the prevalence of its audience; questioning the contemporary dynamics of its own environment; being visible and making this visibility into a cultural formation; participating at the structuring and implementation processes of cultural policies at a public level; and contributing to the development of civil society.

It is also a strong belief of ACPAI that the current Istanbul-centered concentration tendencies of contemporary arts practices should be disseminated so as to make room for the knowledge, recognition and practice of art forms contemporaneously taking place at different Anatolian cities and provinces as well; and that the existing operative conditions of educational structures in performing arts should immediately be acted upon and revitalized in order to meet the aesthetic requirements of the age.

As a platform that favors and fosters diversity, ACPAI embraces collaborative and cooperative action in a democratic framework, engagement with the society's everyday life & agenda, openness towards change and novelty as its fundamental values. It defines "contemporary performing arts", on the other hand, with reference to works that investigate new and original means of expression, disrupt existing norms and conventions of staging practices, and are of an inter-disciplinary nature.

Projects Accomplished:

• ACPAI Performing Arts Meeting 01: Oyun Atolyesi - Kadikoy (May 2007)
• Drama & Movement Workshops at Beyoglu Municipality's Semt Konaklari (April-June 2007)
• Cultural Contact with Beyoglu Municipality - Towards an Independent Arts Council (2007)

Projects in Progress:

• DirectLink: Networking through the Arts for Intercultural Dialogue (2007 - 2008) / Project Partner
• Arts Education with the Roman Youth (November 2007 - May 2008)
• Independent Network (January - April 2008)

Projects in Near Future:

• AcikAlan ("OpenSpace") @ santralistanbul (2008)
• ACPAI Performing Arts Meetings: Tours in Anatolia (2008 - 2009)

Contact:
Elif Kamisli ekamisli@bilgi.edu.tr
Safak Uysal safak@laboratuar.org
Sule Ates suleates@ttmail.com