State support continues for culture and arts

ANKARA - Anadolu Agency

The number of private theaters, which received the ministry’s support, increased from 162 to 178. Parallel with this increase, the number of viewers has also increased.

The number of private and municipality theaters increased with the support of the Culture and Tourism Ministry to visual arts. In the ministry’s 2014 program, significant developments were made regarding particularly to private and municipality theaters. 

According to the program, the number of these theaters rose 478 in the 2013 and 2014 season. The ministry’s budget was 3.5 million Turkish Liras during the 2011 – 2012 season and it increased to 4 million liras in the 2012 – 2013 season. 

The number of private theaters, which received the ministry’s support in the same season, increased from 162 to 178. Parallel with this increase, the number of viewers has also increased. 

Within the protocol signed between the Culture and Tourism Ministry and various private sector companies, the construction of two museums and an important part of the renovation of the Atatürk Culture Center in Istanbul were met by private sector companies. 

Such developments have created an expectation that sponsorship in the field of arts and culture will continue to increase in the next years. In this respect, it is important the efforts continue to ease and promote sponsorship for culture and arts events. 

Sector’s problems still have issues

The ministry’s program also mentions the deficiencies and problems in the sector. Accordingly, the need for the increase of support provided to private theaters continues as well as the need to increase the number of local plays staged by state theaters. Despite the law on promotion of cultural investments and initiatives paved the way for the collaboration of public-private sector, sponsorship in this field is not at the desired level. 

For the revival of cultural life and the extension of cultural activities all around the country, it is important to transfer local cultural services to local administrations and to strengthen the collaboration between the public and private sector. 

It is needed a mechanism to help children and youth gain reading habits and participate in cultural and artistic events as a lifestyle. 

Because of the lack of Turkey’s index data, Turkey’s index cannot be presented in international cultural statistics and its cultural statistics should be reconsidered and updated. It is also needed to develop award-support mechanisms for the promotion of Turkish cinema abroad. 

Heritage and protection process

Preserving and protecting Turkish culture is possible by preserving the arts. With the translation support program launched by the Translation and Publication Grant Program of Turkey (TEDA), Turkish writers have spread their influence and fame to the world. This is part of a project to open up to the world. The TEDA project started in 2005. Among the authors whose works have been translated are Orhan Pamuk, Orhan Kemal and Ahmet Hamdi Tanpınar, who are the most widely read writers in Turkish literature. According to the information taken from the Tourism and Culture Minister, the support began in 2005 and started with 39 projects. The program’s aim is to promote Turkish literature and culture. Many important steps were taken to spread Turkish culture to the world, while some events held reciprocity with some of the countries. In the events, both the effects of Anatolian, Mediterranean and Mesopotamian civilizations and the cultural interrelations established both with the Eastern and the Western societies have strongly influenced Turkey’s rich cultural, artistic and literary heritage and have been presented in different countries. This cultural and artistic accumulation, which has emerged as a consequence of thoroughly different experiences, displays a unique form of its own.

Within this project, The Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency Directorate (TİKA) has developed the “Sustainable Conservation of Cultural Assets Abroad” association. On the other hand, the Yunus Emre Foundation started its events in 18 countries in 2013. 

TİKA aims to provide a shared platform where public organizations and institutions, nongovernmental organizations, universities and the private sector can come together. TİKA also aims to restore architectural structures that have been deemed cultural heritage. This year, the restoration projects that have been started by TİKA will continue. Tradition and the future are united in TİKA’s restoration projects and ancestral heritage is preserved for future generations.

TİKA will also engage in preserving manuscripts and translating them, with the aim being contributing to cultural tourism.

These values will be protected. In 2014, the manuscript will be transformed for digital environment.
The project also aims to contribute in cinema, documentary and TV series. There will be a statement of intention document for the area and exclusive education opportunities. Earlier, many projects and activities in the fields of education, health, restoration, agricultural development, finance, tourism, and industry were realized by TİKA. 

Children’s libraries and 50 public libraries will be established in different parts of the cities. Culture statistics will be made according to the international standards.