Artists launch campaign to help theater workers

ANKARA

Turkish actors have launched a donation platform to help unemployed theater workers as the sector is now one of the hardest hit because of the novel coronavirus pandemic.     

Actors including Ali Düşenkalkar, Çağlar Çorumlu and Tilbe Saran organized the campaign for stage workers.     

Although Turkey has begun to gradually ease measures against the virus, movie theaters, cafes and other venues are currently still shuttered.     

A total of 100 theater and cinema personnel, including famous actors Demet Evgar, Erdal Beşikcioğlu and Songül Öden, read poetry in videos from 51 well-known poets such as Nazım Hikmet, Atilla İlhan, Pir Sultan Abdal and Rıfat Ilgaz.     

The videos of the readings can be viewed on the organization’s website, Dayanismanin100usiir.org.     

The actors said the theater reminds people of hope, laughing, questioning, remembering, thinking and dreaming despite difficulties.     

“Today, we want to say to the theater workers, ‘We are with you,’ to meet with them again tomorrow.”

“Because, as we realized in these difficult days, we would go insane in a world without art. Now it’s your turn to let our theaters resist [difficulties they are facing] and live,” they said in a statement.     

Donations collected via the website will be distributed to workers on 250-Turkish Lira “Together Cards” ($37).