Moderated by Meltem Çolak from STGM, the panel will feature Freda Manweiler from Smashing Times, an organization that supports artists in Ireland, Muzir.org founder, cartoonist and animal rights activist Aslı Alpar; Berna Güler, editor of Altyazı Cinema Magazine; communications expert and cultural worker Sait Fehmi Ağduk; Kerem Çiftçioğlu, Director of Communications and Campaigns at Hafıza Merkezi; and Ayşe Eraslan, Director of CultureCIVIC: Culture and Arts Support Program.
The program of the panel is as follows;
- Art as a mirror of society I SmashingTime I Freda Manweiler
The panel will discuss how art reflects the social issues and struggles of the time in which it was created. The function of art as a mirror of society will be discussed using historical and contemporary examples.
- Art as a means of protest I Muzir.org I Aslı Alpar
This session will focus on how art can be used as a means of protest against injustice. Using Picasso's “Guernica” and other contemporary artists as examples, the potential of art to create social change and its role as a symbol of resistance will be discussed.
- Art as a platform for the marginalized I Hafıza Merkezi I Kerem Çiftçioğlu
This session will focus on how art provides a platform for marginalized communities to make their voices heard and share their experiences. Using Frida Kahlo and other artists as examples, the empowerment of marginalized groups through art will be discussed.
- Art as a tool for dialogue and empathy I Altyazı Association I Berna Güler
Using examples such as JR's Inside Out Project and the way art can break down social prejudices and celebrate differences, the power of art to build empathy and dialogue between different perspectives will be discussed.
- Creativity as a catalyst for social inclusion I Hayat Evi I Sait Fehmi Ağduk
This session will focus on the potential of art to bring communities together and strengthen the sense of collective action. It will focus on artistic practices that increase social participation, such as the project “Waste Land” by Vik Muniz.
- What do activists in Turkey do and in what context do they use art? I CultureCivic I Ayşe Eraslan
The session will discuss examples of creative resistance in current protests and activist movements in Turkey. The focus will be on the effectiveness of street art, performance art and digital media in spreading activist discourse and mobilizing the masses.
The panel, titled Creative Action I Influencing Without Despair and Using Art as an Advocacy Tool, is organized as part of the fourth thematic meeting of the BİRLİKTE Program.