Debate Creative Activism in Turkey - Utrecht

12 september 2013, 15:00 – 17:00 uur, Zijdebalen Theater, Zijdebalenstraat 2A, Utrecht

Language: Engels – Registration through DutchCulture.nl or email v.yuce(at)dutchculture.nl

“My billboard will kick the ass of your cardboard.” Creative activism is a form of protest that increasingly catches the eye. Using wit or emotion, activists try to make their messages more accessible, gain sympathy and circumvent all sorts of restrictions. It is usually demonstrated in the public space, in order to target as many as possible.

Last spring Turkey was the stage for fierce clashes about the management of a public park. When the protests hardened, old fashioned protest proved to have lost its effect. The battle fought by the “Chapullers” (the protesters’ alias) needed and still needs alternative and more disruptive ways of protesting. Creativity is an essential ingredient of their actions. Not only in Turkey, but also world-wide creative activism plays an increasingly important part, not least because of social media.

But can creative activism bring about a fundamental change in the political landscape? Does it alter how we handle our public space? What forms of creative activism did we discover in Istanbul and how effective were they? And what did all the texts and symbols actually mean?

Speakers

• Robin Celikates examines the relationship between civil disobedience and creative activism. Ceilkates is Associate Professor of Political and Social Philosophy at the University of Amsterdam.
• Ipek Sur and Nancy Hoffman of the 7 Hills Foundation researched creative activism during the last springs protests in Istanbul.
• Following the protests in Istanbul Mediamatic initiated the project Park. Deniz Dirim of Mediamatic will talk about how they offer their space to accommodate projects that have a meaningful contributions to the protests in Turkey.
• Theatre maker Melih Gencboyaci and singer Hüseyin Badili will talk about their experiences as creative activists and how they stand by there friends and colleagues in Istanbul.

As part of the House of Eutopia programme, de Vrede van Utrecht and DutchCulture are organising this debate on creative activism. The debate is intended for anyone in the arts and culture sector who is interested in social change, creative activism and the role of culture and artists.

The moderator of the afternoon will be the change agent Kirsten van den Hul.