Seminar: Local Cultural Policies
Speaker: Özlem Ece
Time: 6:00-7:30 pm
As part of the "Curating Contemporary Art" Seminar Program, Özlem Ece, the Director of Cultural Policy Studies at İstanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts (İKSV), will host a seminar titled “Local Cultural Policies in Turkey” on March 7, 2024, based on the topic of the cultural policy report published by İKSV in February.
Local governments are significant participants in creating cultural policies both globally and in Turkey today. This situation places significant responsibilities on local governments and non-governmental organisations in the cultural field, while also enabling a strong collaboration and dialogue environment with the citizens of the cities they serve. However, despite their capacity to understand the sociocultural characteristics of the places they govern, local governments seem to lack sufficient financial and structural resources for adequate dialogue and collaboration. There is a critical requirement for local actors to design cultural policies in Turkey based on the needs of different cities and regions.
This seminar, titled “Local Cultural Policies” aims to open a discussion that will enable the collaborative design of local cultural policies with a long-term perspective. The session will discuss enhancing diversity, equality, and inclusivity in Turkey's local cultural ecosystem, as well as obstacles, opportunities, and challenges encountered in developing cultural policies, based on research conducted within the scope of İKSV's cultural policy research. Furthermore, aiming to consider the meanings attributed to culture by citizens, a dialogue is targeted towards the more effective and inclusive development of local cultural policies.
About Özlem Ece
Since 2010, Ece has been serving as the Director of Cultural Policy Studies at the Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts (İKSV). Özlem completed her bachelor’s degree in Public Administration in French at Marmara University and her master’s degree in Cultural Projects Management at Grenoble Institute of Political Studies. Between 2003 and 2008, she worked as project director and communication consultant on local, national and international projects in some of the most prestigious cultural institutions in Turkey. Throughout 2008, she worked as the General Coordinator of “Cultural Season of Turkey in France”, a project which was realised under the auspices of Turkish and French Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Culture and in collaboration with CulturesFrance.
Ece, who continues to design projects and publications on cultural policy and cultural management, is also a member of the Executive Board the UNESCO Turkish National Commission and Chairperson of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions Committee Additionally, she is a member of the advisory board of WOW (Women of the World) Istanbul Festival and member of the Executive Board of the Marmara Urban Forum (MARUF), organized by the Marmara Municipalities Union.
* To learn conditions of participation in a single seminar, we would kindly ask you to send an e-mail to apply@curatingcontemporaryart.org address noting the required seminar details. Single seminar participation fee is 250 TL.
* The program will take place on the online platform Zoom.