The Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts (İKSV) has released its eleventh report, “Local Cultural Ecosystem in Türkiye,” following a comprehensive year-long field study as part of the Ortaklaşa: Culture, Dialogue, and Support Programme, supported by the European Union. Authored by Assoc. Prof. Ulaş Bayraktar, the report aims to establish a solid foundation for dialogue and collaboration between local authorities and civil arts and culture organizations, facilitating the joint creation of local cultural policies over time. The complete report is available in English here.
Why a Cultural Ecosystem?
In Türkiye, there’s a significant need for cultural policies to be tailored by local stakeholders to meet the specific needs of their cities and regions. The cultural landscape is viewed as a vast ecosystem that includes artists, audiences, supporters, politicians, venues, infrastructure, and equipment. Key players in this ecosystem are civil society organizations (CSOs) active in the arts and culture, municipalities, and city residents. The study explores these actors’ awareness of each other, collaboration, participation in activities, and influence on decision-making processes, considering various demographic, geographic, and resource factors.
Scope and Methodology of the Field Research
The research aims to propose measures to enhance diversity, equality, and inclusivity within the local cultural ecosystem in Türkiye by examining the relationships between local authorities and CSOs. It includes semi-structured in-depth interviews with 139 individuals across 12 cities, focus group meetings with 157 participants from 30 cities, and both online and face-to-face surveys involving over 1,651 respondents conducted from March to October 2023. The study identifies barriers to developing local cultural policies and pinpoints areas needing transformation.
Financial Commitment to Culture
In Türkiye’s central government budget of about 4.5 trillion liras for 2023, only 16.5 billion liras were designated for the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, less than 0.004% of the total budget. Local authorities allocated only 1.7% of their budgets to cultural services in 2022, a figure that drops to nearly 1% when accounting for ambiguities in defining cultural services.
Public Perception of Culture
Surveys show that 59% of city residents and 62% of municipal representatives feel that municipal arts and culture services meet their needs either fully or partially. However, only 18% of CSO representatives agree. Many residents associate culture primarily with “tradition” and “customs.”
Barriers to Cultural Participation
Despite a desire for more engagement, 81% of city residents participate in cultural activities less than they would like. Busy schedules and limited interest are the main barriers to participation, with only 9% attending municipal cultural events as frequently as they desire.
Having influence over local cultural policies is deemed more crucial than financial aid. The main challenge highlighted by the research is the inadequate quantity, quality, and technical resources of cultural venues, primarily due to financial constraints. According to municipal representatives, the largest obstacle (61%) in organizing arts and culture activities is securing funding. For CSOs active in arts and culture, this concern escalates to 83%. However, financial support from municipalities is not the primary motive for CSOs seeking collaboration; rather, they prioritize having a say in local cultural policy decisions. Only 20% of CSOs cite funding as their main expectation from municipalities, while 40% value influence in policymaking more.
The research also identifies mayors as pivotal figures in cultural activity planning and policy formulation, with 89% and 91% of municipality representatives acknowledging their influence, respectively. The reliance on mayors often leads to subjective decision-making and potential biases in the selection of activities for municipal support, thus creating disparities among individuals and institutions. 73% of CSO representatives indicate that personal connections play a significant role in establishing collaborations with municipalities, which can obstruct the development of sustainable cultural policies as political and personal dynamics change.
Expectations from Municipalities and Recommendations:
The report stresses the importance of acknowledging the regulatory and infrastructural roles of local authorities in cultural life. It advocates for a shift towards a cultural management model that meets international standards and includes all local cultural actors, thereby enhancing accountability and inclusivity in local governance. Recommendations further emphasize involving experts and civil society in decision-making processes, adopting unifying policies, and encouraging CSOs to bolster local cultural policies through advocacy efforts.
Ortaklaşa: Culture, Dialogue, and Support Programme:
Implemented by the Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts (İKSV) with European Union support, the Ortaklaşa: Culture, Dialogue, and Support Programme includes the Marmara Municipalities Union (MMU) and collaborates with the European Union National Institutes for Culture (EUNIC) in Ankara and Istanbul. The programme aims to fortify the arts and culture sector across Türkiye through cooperative projects between CSOs and municipalities, advance cultural policy and management skills among cultural professionals, and foster the creation of participatory local cultural policies.
As part of this three-year initiative, the Ortaklaşa: Culture, Dialogue, and Support Programme will allocate a grant totaling 1.3 million Euros to projects collaboratively developed by CSOs and local authorities. The programme is structured into three sub-programs: Learning, Dialogue, and Grant.
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