“DEFENDING DEMOCRACY THROUGH ART” WORKSHOPS

“Defending Democracy Through Art” workshop is the first workshop of the educational program of the Museum of Memory for Historical Justice. In this human rights-focused workshop, the basic concepts of a democratic society constitutes the skeleton of the program.

Within the framework of rights-based concepts, our workshop blends drama and shadow-theater techniques in education, which are among the alternative education approaches of the twentieth century. The workshop is therefore unique in the world. We believe that this singular educational program will be an important tool for reaching to the younger generations.

This workshop places primary emphasis to developing alternative ways of dialogue through two powerful narrative techniques and pivots on the concepts of democracy. Based on improvisations, drama is a participant-driven approach and is experienced in a dramatic universe created through dramatic action. In this dramatic process, participants play a role, put themselves in the place of another, and transform an imaginative idea into action through empathy, personification, and identification.

The workshop shows participants how they can improve their ability to think and produce from another person’s point of view while using their own body and voice. The participants thus experience ways of producing alternative dialogues in the identity of another within the safe space of the game, both through the costumes they ‘put on themselves’ and the roles they play.

Through the ‘Defending Democracy Through Art’ Workshops, we aim to create a safe and healthy discussion field and collectively discuss concepts of democracy with participants aged 18-25 by using art and education tools. We find these workshops helpful and inspiring to learn and remember the fundamental components of a democratic society and to create an understanding of defending democracy together with the participants.

THE TEAM

Project Coordinator

Ü. Aylin Tekiner

Consultants

• Tülin Sağlam (Former Dean of the Faculty of Languages and History-Geography in Ankara University, Academics for Peace signatory, dismissed through a statutory decree.)
• Wendall Harrington [ZZ1] (Head of Projection Design Concentration at Yale School of Drama)

Project Preparation Team

• Narrative/Scenario developers: Tülin Sağlam, Cevdet Bayram & Aylin Tekiner
• Art Therapist: Cevdet Bayram
• Puppet designer and producers: Canan Su Vardal & Aylin Tekiner

Aylin Tekiner: Co-director of the Research Institute on Turkey, artist, writer, and human rights activist. She continues her studies on concepts of memory and justice, especially related to social traumas and tragedies. She completed her PhD in 2008 at the Institute of Educational Sciences, Department of Cultural Foundations of Education at Ankara University. Based on her PhD dissertation, her book Atatürk Heykelleri: Kült, Estetik, Siyaset (‘Sculptures of Atatürk: Cult, Aesthetics, Politics) was published by İletişim Publishing in 2010 and reprinted in 2014 and 2021. In the years 2015-2016, while continuing her post-doctoral studies at the Yale School of Drama, Aylin worked on shadow-play techniques. She exhibited her works in group and personal exhibitions in Turkey and abroad. Aylin is a member to the Social Memory Platform which was formed by 28 families of victims of political murders in Turkey, member to the Columbia University Center for the Study of Social Difference, and member to the Çocuklarız Bir Aradayız (‘We Are Children We Are Together’) Initiative, which conducts collective memory studies on the 1980 military coup.

Tülin Sağlam: Completed her undergraduate, graduate, and doctorate studies at the Theater Department under the Faculty of Languages and History-Geography at Ankara University. For her PhD thesis, she made research on drama in education at the Theater Department of Manchester University (1992-1994). She worked as a faculty member and head of department at the same department at Ankara University until February 2017, when she was discharged through the No. 686 statutory decree for signing the Peace Petition. Alongside her articles, she wrote two books, titled Kendi Oyununu Kendin Yap (‘Create Your Own Game’) and Liseler İçin Drama (‘Drama for High Schools’), and was a co-author of Meraklısına Drama Atölyeleri (Workshops for Drama-Lovers). She directed plays such as Sen Gara Değilsin (‘You’re Not Gara’), Eşek Arıları (The Wasps), Bir Evladın Terbiye Hadisesi (‘The Event of Bringing Up of a Child’), Üç Kuruşluk Opera (Three Penny Opera), Bukalemunlar (The Chameleons), Dünyadaki En Güzel Şey (‘The Best Thing in the World’, Children’s Theater), Dünyanın En Küçük Hikayesi (‘The Smallest Story of the World’, Children’s Theater), and Bahçe (‘The Garden’, Children’s Theater). She continued her studies on history and theory of theater, criticism, children’s theater, drama in education, and the anthropology of theater. Tülin Sağlam is a member of the ASSITEJ (International Association of Theatre for Children and Young People) in Turkey, KUKSADER, and Öğrenme Meraklıları Cooperative, and she began working as secretary and president at ASSITEJ Turkey in 1990. Starting in 2002, she served on the Board of Directors of ASSITEJ International for six years, one term as a consultant and one term as a member of the board of directors. Sağlam is a founding member and board member of ITYARN (International Theatre for Young Audiences Research Network), which started its activities within the body of ASSITEJ International in 2006, and was elected an honorary member of ASSITEJ International in 2021.

Cevdet Bayram: Primary school teacher, theater artist, and theater instructor. Bayram is a classroom teacher in the Zapyon Greek Primary School in Beyoglu, Istanbul, and he is a co-author of the book entitled 3. 4. Ve 5. Sınıflar için İstanbul Dersi (‘The Course or Istanbul for 3rd, 4th and 5th Graders’), and the author of a children’s book entitled Patazor. He worked as a trainer and workshop leader for 15 years at the Contemporary Drama Association Istanbul Branch, where he also served as vice president and board member. He organized various workshops as part of the ‘Conferences on Best Practices in Education’ in Istanbul, Adana, and Burdur, and conducted workshops in seminars of various institutions. Cevdet Bayram, who writes, edits, and directs theater plays, is one of the directors of Su Performing Arts Stage and a writer in Tiyatro Gazetesi (‘Theatre Gazette’).

Canan Su Vardal: Studied arts at Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University. While studying, she drew illustrations for platforms in Turkey such as Bant Mag and Sanatatak. She published a zine called Arabesk and later collected all the issues in a book. She earned her master’s degree in Basic Arts at Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University. In the same year, she was selected for the İKSV Study and Research Program and carried out studies under the consultancy of Zeyno Pekünlü and Zeynep Dadak. She worked as a court illustrator with Hafıza Merkezi and continues to work as an illustrator on various projects with the Center for Spatial Justice. In addition to being an illustrator, she has also written in publications such as Beyoğlu Cinema Magazine, Bant Mag, Calling Mag, Rağmen (Literature Magazine), and Cumartesi Ertesi, which was an immune-supporting Instagram magazine that Vardal and her two friends launched to make the feeling of the pandemic memorable. She continues her works on personal history and collective memory.