Held for the fifth time with the aim of creating the right climate for creative new generations to emerge, the Istanbul Children and Youth Art Biennial will take place from 19 April to 23 May 2018 under the concept “Here and Now!” The Biennial will present paintings, sculptures, installations, photographs, new media, video, music and dance performances by 5,000 students to the public. With the support of non-governmental organisations, 80 workshops, 200 guided tours, 45 panels and talks, and 60 concerts, recitals and performances will be held.
Brought to life by PALETDER (Palet Culture, Art and Education Association), the 5th Istanbul Children and Youth Art Biennial will be held from 19 April to 23 May 2018 under the patronage of the Presidency of the Republic of Turkey, with the support of the Istanbul Provincial Directorate of National Education. Besides Istanbul, the Biennial is expected to see strong participation from schools across Anatolia, particularly from Gaziantep, Erzincan, Hatay and Urfa. Projects by children and young people aged 4–18 are accepted.
Works by thousands of students
The Biennial aims to involve children from Istanbul, Erzincan, Gaziantep, Urfa, Hatay and 48 provinces of Turkey in its events. This year, more than 3,000 students from state and private primary and secondary schools are expected to produce work during the events, more than 2,000 art teachers to take part in the process, all groups – especially Syrian refugees, people with disabilities and disadvantaged communities – to be represented at the Biennial through partnerships with Kızılay (the Turkish Red Crescent) and NGOs, children and young people from 10 countries to participate, and 60,000 visitors to see the exhibitions and events.
5,000 artworks, 60 concerts, 80 workshops
The Biennial’s events include the main exhibition, workshops, music on the ferries, a maker space, music and movement performances, meetings with writers, encounters with artists, guided tours, teacher training, and spoken events such as conferences, panels and talks. The main exhibition, workshops and events will be held at Beşiktaş Çağdaş MKM, the Biennial’s main venue. As part of the Biennial, paintings, sculptures, installations, photographs, new media and video works by 5,000 students will be exhibited, and with the support of NGOs, 80 workshops, 200 guided tours, 45 panels and talks, and 60 concerts, recitals and performances will be held. During the Biennial, many experts invited from abroad will run workshops and carry out projects with teachers and young people.
A first in Turkey and the world
A first in Turkey and the world, the Biennial aims to raise the quality of arts education; to involve the 3 million students who make up 20 per cent of Istanbul’s population in contemporary art practice; to enable disadvantaged groups to make art; to share original works of art produced by children and young people with the public in public spaces; and to improve teachers’ professional skills. Curated by Leyla Sakpınar, Kader Akçay, Fırat Bingöl and Özgür Yener, the Biennial counts teachers, the Ministry of National Education, NGOs, local governments, universities and parents among its stakeholders.
- An Art Biennial of Children and Young People
Participation in the Istanbul Children and Youth Art Biennial grows every year. According to figures for 2010–2016, 24,736 students from 21 countries and 45 provinces of Turkey took part in the Istanbul Children and Youth Art Biennial with their works, projects and stage performances. 1,521 schools, NGOs and institutions were represented at the Biennial, 6,230 teachers produced and managed projects while guiding students in the events, and 180,800 students and adults took part in the Biennial’s events.
Looking at the demographic data, state schools made up 48 per cent of participating schools at previous Biennials and private educational institutions 52 per cent. Boys accounted for 48 per cent of students and girls for 52 per cent, while disadvantaged children and young people made up 12 per cent of participants.
Raising the creative new generations of the future
One of the largest organisations of its kind in the world, the Istanbul Children and Youth Art Biennial creates a space for sharing grounded in multiculturalism on a global scale, enabling different geographies and cultures to be expressed through the eyes and aesthetics of children. Children and young people, who can create work in many fields at the Biennial, from performance to dance and from video art to sculpture, also lead the way in building effective intercultural communication.
Enriched by the exhibitions, concerts, events and workshops of students on their way to becoming creators who shape the future and its technology, as well as producers and audiences of arts and culture, the Istanbul Children and Youth Art Biennial is followed by a wide audience of writers, artists, art lovers, teachers, students, parents and members of the press. Previous Biennials, held at a variety of venues across Istanbul including its ferries, squares, railway stations, warehouses, galleries and museums, have been visited by 180,000 people.
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