Initiated with the aim of promoting artistic and cultural exchanges between Europe and Turkey,
Be Mobile – Create Together! project will welcome around 30 international artists to the artist residency programmes across France, Germany, the Netherlands, and Turkey.
Supported by four established and active cultural institutions in Turkey – Institut français de Turquie, Embassy of the Netherlands in Turkey, Goethe-Institut, and İstanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts (İKSV), Be Mobile – Create Together! collaborates with 16 well-respected artist residencies across France, Germany, the Netherlands and Turkey to enable emerging artists and authors to spend time in artist residencies across Europe and Turkey. The mobility-based, co-creation-oriented and peer-learning-focused Be Mobile – Create Together! is realised within the framework of the EU-Turkey Intercultural Dialogue project, which is co-funded by the European Union and the Republic of Turkey.
After receiving over 600 applications from emerging artists, an international jury featuring representatives from the collaborating artist residencies and the partners of the project met in Istanbul on 24 and 25 June to decide on the laureates. A total of 30 artists – 15 from Turkey and 15 from France, Germany and the Netherlands – were selected to participate in the residencies from 1 month to 6 months; between September 2019 and June 2020. All costs related to travel, transportation, accommodation and artwork production will be covered by the project.
The representatives from residencies at the kick-off event
The jury members who visited Istanbul for the evaluation process consisted of Carena Schlewitt-Baecker from Hellerau-European Centre for Arts, Christoph Tannert from Künstlerhaus Bethanien and Yasemin Keskintepe from Akademie Schloss Solitude in Germany; Carine le Malet from Le Cube, François Tiger from La Cité internationale des arts and Julie Chenot from Camargo Foundation in France; Suzy Blok from Dansmakers Amsterdam, Şaban Ol from Rast Theater, Ton van de Langkruis from Writers Unlimited and Pieternel Fleskens from Jan Van Eyck Academie in the Netherlands. International jury members were joined by Head of Press and Cultural Affairs at the Embassy of the Netherlands in Turkey Dr. Quirine van der Hoeven, Manager of Goethe-Institut Istanbul Dr. Reimar Volker, Director of the French Institute, Ankara Sébastien de Courtois, as well as Bige Örer from İKSV and Omar Berakdar from arthereistanbul in Turkey. Following 2 days of jury meetings and cultural visits, the residency directors also got together with members of the art world at the Kick-Off Reception that took place at the İKSV Nejat Eczacıbaşı Building on Tuesday, 25 June. Fanny Rolland from Institut Français in Paris was also present at the event.
Laureates will be announced on 30 June on www.bemobilecreatetogether.eu.
Over 600 applications were received from France, Germany, the Netherlands and Turkey during the open call
The open call announcement for Be Mobile – Create Together!, which was open to emerging artists from the fields of visual, digital and performing arts, and emerging authors from France, Germany, the Netherlands and Turkey, was made at a press conference at Salon İKSV on 20 March 2019. Artists who have lived and worked over the last three years in one of the partner countries, who have started building a career, have participated in exhibitions and can successfully demonstrate an evolving portfolio that underlines statements in their artistic practice, were invited to apply to the project.
Over 600 applications were made to Be Mobile – Create Together! during the open call period. Over 60% of the applications were made by artists in Turkey to participate in residency programmes in France, Germany and the Netherlands, followed by artists in France, Germany and the Netherlands, in that order, applying to the residency programmes in Turkey.
Some statistics about the open call are as follows:
– 5% of applications were received on the first week, 11% on the second and third weeks, 8% on the fourth week, 19% on the fifth week and a whopping 57% on the last week.
– 58% percent of overall applications (and 60% of applications from Turkey) were made by female artists.
– The most preferred residency according to primary applications is İKSV residency (İstanbul), followed by Künstlerhaus Bethanien (Berlin) and La Cité internationale des arts (Paris).
– The residences that received the most overall applications are İKSV Residency, arthereistanbul, La Cité internationale des arts and Künstlerhaus Bethanien.
– 59% of all applications were received from Turkey, 20% of applications were received from France, 13% of applications were received from Germany and 8% received from the Netherlands.
– 40% of all applications were made to residencies in Turkey, 25% to residencies in Germany, 23% to residencies in France and 12% to residencies in the Netherlands.
– 61% of the applicants are from the field of visual arts, 22% from performative arts, 10% from digital arts and 7% were writers.
– 38% of all applicants were in their 20s, 50% were in their 30s, 9% in their 40s and 3% were in their 50s and 60s.
– The average age of applicants is 32.
30 artists will visit 16 different residencies across 4 countries
The selected 30 artists will participate in different residency programmes in Paris, Cassis and Issy-les-Moulineaux in France; Dresden, Berlin and Stuttgart in Germany; Amsterdam, Maastricht and The Hague in the Netherlands; and İstanbul, Ayvalık, Bursa and Şirince in Turkey, between September 2019 and June 2020. Artists from Turkey will be able to participate to the residency programmes in France, Germany and the Netherlands, while artists from France, Germany and the Netherlands will be able to visit the residency programmes in Turkey.
Be Mobile – Create Together!
Be Mobile – Create Together! will offer selected artists and authors the opportunity to reside in well-reputed artist residencies across France, Germany, the Netherlands, and Turkey, covering all costs related to travel, transportation and artwork production. The partner institutions of this project will connect residency programmes in Europe and Turkey and provide artists with an ideal environment for creation and production as well as the possibility of getting involved in the local art and cultural scenes. The project will thereby allow them to enrich their own practices through the exchange of skills and experiences. Beyond the traditional art hubs such as Amsterdam, Berlin, Istanbul and Paris, the project also includes peripheral residencies that wish to deepen their collaboration at an international level. Thus, the project not only provides emerging artists with a unique professional experience but also contributes to fostering intercultural relationships between Europe and Turkey.
Be Mobile – Create Together! is realised within the framework of the EU-Turkey Intercultural Dialogue project, which is co-funded by the European Union and the Republic of Turkey. The EU-Turkey Intercultural Dialogue project is designed within the scope of the Civil Society Sector funds constructed under the leadership of the Directorate for European Union Affairs (DEUA) and implemented by the Yunus Emre Institute (YEI). The contracting authority of the Intercultural Dialogue project is Republic of Turkey Ministry of Treasury and Finance, Central Finance and Contracts Unit (CFCU).
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