PART 3: Involvement of the Community 

Arts education in Turkey falls largely under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of National Education. Other actors who have a significant role and important duties in this field are the Council of Higher Education, Interuniversity Council, Ministry of Culture and Tourism and Ministry of Development. Arts education in Turkey falls under the scope of both formal and non-formal education.

Formal education is the education conducted in a school environment on a continuous basis through education programs prepared in line with certain objectives and for individuals in specific age groups and at the same level. Formal education comprises preschool, primary, secondary and higher education institutions. Arts education in formal education system is comprised of

Education programs provided in scope of the curriculum in preschool, primary and secondary education institutions,

Fine arts education departments in education faculties (GSEB) and faculties of fine arts and conservatories in higher education.

In 1993 the Ministry of National Education started a project for the education of gifted children. As a result of these efforts, Science and Art Centers (BİLSEM) were opened under the General Directorate of Special Education, Guidance and Counseling Services with the objective of educating gifted students in the field of science and art. The BİLSEM Directive went into effect in 2007.

Non-formal education includes the activities of public institutions and private establishments outside the formal education system. The fact that formal education on its own fell short of keeping up with the social changes instigated by advances in science and technology turned adult education into a viable approach in many countries today. The importance of adult education within the education system has increased.

A large part of the non-formal education activities carried out by the Ministry of National Education is realized by community education centers that have a very extensive organizational structure. As concepts like lifelong education, lifelong learning, adult education and continuing education gained importance and priority, the significance of community education centers also increased.

In the Arts Education Re(thinking) in Turkey (2014) article it is mentioned that arts education programs offered by cultural institutions and organizations in the non-formal education system allow art to reach audiences in a wider array. These programs provide the opportunity for individuals who have not participated or have received limited education in the formal education system to develop their cultural literacy skills and increase their access to culture.

The non-formal education programs offered by museums, galleries or cultural centers opened by municipalities or other public institutions and the not-for-profit culture and art institutions (SALT, Istanbul Modern Museum, Sakıp Sabancı Museum, Akbank Art Center, CerModern, Baksı Museum, etc.) vary in number and scope. These programs present the children and adults with a new space of education outside the school. Arts education programs designed for different age groups are especially important as they offer a space for children to develop their creativity as well as new possibilities to freely express themselves.

On the other hand, despite all the positive efforts of cultural institutions, without public support, this type of educational activities that enable children to combine arts with other disciplines and everyday life can only reach a limited number of students across the country.

According to their website, Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts (İKSV) is announced to be among the grantees of the International Fund for Cultural Diversity (IFCD), established under Article 18 of the UNESCO 2005 Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions. The grant will support İKSV in realizing the nation-wide project of Thread of Culture: Empowering Turkey’s Local Cultural Professionals, proposed and to be carried out by the Cultural Policy Studies department of İKSV. One of the nine eligible projects to receive funding among 480 projects from 60 countries, Thread of Culture is also the first project to receive the fund from Turkey.