Professional associations

European Cultural Association

The European Cultural Association (Avrupa Kültür Derneği) is an independent non-profit NGO based in Istanbul. It aims to strengthen cultural communication, further cooperation and exchange at local, national, and international levels, raise cultural awareness, and contribute to the development of society. In 2003 the European Cultural Association established a platform of cultural representatives of the European countries in Istanbul: The Europist Multinational Cooperation Platform. The aim of this platform is to develop and implement joint projects with a European perspective in collaboration with Turkish organizations and institutions. The platform has developed several projects with the European Cultural Association and still meets regularly.

Since its establishment, the European Cultural Association has been dealing with the issues of cultural management and policies. It is focusing on strengthening the role of the non-profit/independent cultural actors within the sector. Cultural actors within the sector can do this by networking among themselves and by means of creating links with other disciplines and sectors, by building international links, integrating into European networks, producing and exchanging knowledge as well as increasing their advocacy. The tools to achieve those objectives are meetings, conferences, seminars, forums, and artistic, cultural and educational projects.

UPSD International Association of Art

UPSD, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, was established in Istanbul in 1989 under UNESCO. National and international exhibitions, competitions, festivals, seminars, conferences and other artistic and cultural events are announced and efforts are taken to bring in international exhibitions and audiences.

EMAA (European- Mediterranean Art Association)

EMAA, Turkish Cypriot artists and people interested in art combined forces and founded an association in order to make their voices heard. The Objectives of the Association are;  

-To promote contemporary artistic practices,
-To organize exhibitions, concerts, conferences, workshops, and similar art events at home and abroad,
-To promote the works of artists and intellectuals who are active in North Cyprus in Europe; to organize art events, exhibitions, conferences, and workshops related to visual arts (such as painting, sculpture, ceramic, graphic, photography, and architecture), film, music, and literature events in various countries; to bring artists and intellectuals active in Europe to North Cyprus and organize cultural events such as exhibitions, concerts, and workshops,
-To reinforce cultural bonds between North Cyprus and Europe,
-To organize cultural events in collaboration with Austria-North Cyprus Artists Association, located in Austria, and other cultural associations of similar status centered in Europe.

AICA TURKEY (International Association of Art Critics)

The Turkish branch of AICA International (L'Association Internationale des Critiques d'Art) was founded in 1949. It has an important function in the process of developing local cultural policies and of global networking amongst artistic and cultural professionals. In the statues, the main objective of AICA Turkey is to bring together art critics, writers, editors and curators, TV editors, and culture journalists who are working on 20th century and contemporary art and culture, and who wish to develop international knowledge, communication and cooperation. AICA Turkey aims to protect the professional, ethical and legal interests of these professionals; to cooperate in defending the rights of their members; to facilitate exchange of information at an international level, in collaboration with the official and private cultural institutions and art management, curatorial studies departments of universities.

Hangar Art Association

In 2006 people from different backgrounds and professions, from the fields of art and social development work, came together to support young people and formed the Hangar Art Association. Hangar combined art with social themes in the public sphere by organizing various art activities, workshops and festivals.