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SEAS Istanbul

20 - 28 March 2009

Suitcase on Istikal. Photo: Bernd Uhlig

Part of the objectives for Istanbul 2010 was to invigorate cultural activity throughout the city and encourage international exchange between international and Turkish artists and arts organisations. SEAS fitted this agenda well.

The Place

Istanbul is one of the great cities of the world. SEAS was based in the district of Beyoğlu on the European side of Istanbul, north of the Golden Horn. Beyoğlu is the main art, entertainment and night life area of the city. The SEAS events were based on or around the main pedestrian shopping street, Istikal. The area is touristic and cosmopolitan and has historically been the place where foreigners made their homes and ran their businesses. Istikal itself was busy with people all day long, and especially at night. We arrived in middle of local elections and the streets were full of political banners and flags. As a result it was difficult to gain the attention of the local politicians and officials. SEAS was a tiny fish in a very big pool.

Political and cultural context

Istanbul European Cultural Capital 2010 took over the role as host from IKSV and SEAS was its first major international event. During the early part of 2009, an internal dispute within the board of the Cultural Capital organisation over the direction of the project led to resignations and initially these internal difficulties slowed down the SEAS preparations and we, the management team began to have some misgivings. However SEAS Istanbul eventually proved to be an excellent project with big audiences.

The young team in the Istanbul 2010 company which SEAS worked with were efficient and good collaborators. The internal political problems at Istanbul 2010 affected the co-curation aspect of our collaboration and Istanbul 2010, obviously nervous of further public scrutiny, asked for the SEAS programme to be further adapted: the most significant change was the decision not to hold a SEAS Club event, which the Istanbul 2010 organisation felt would attract criticism from conservative elements. SEAS did not present Beer Tourist and Metro Boulot Dodo as a result.

Schedules were rethought and the existing partners (SantralIstanbul, DEPO/Tütün Deposu, GarajIstanbul and Talimhane Tiyatrosu) accommodated the change.

Istanbul 2010’s objective of engaging local artists also encouraged SEAS to develop a more workshop-based approach, extending the SEAS format from a straightforward performance and presentation festival into an interactive professional and intercultural exchange.

Main partners and setting, funders and cultural relations, workshops, art in progress

Istanbul venues and more partners

SEAS Istanbul in figures

Number of days: 10

Events: 55 including public outdoor events, the Baba Zula concert, events in theatres and other venues, workshops and the CityScape Cafes and Conference

Total audience: 10 000, not including the local events as above

Adam Jeanes Facebook diary: 16 – 29 March Istanbul
“We have started work. The two teams – Intercult and Istanbul 2010 – after months of preparations back and forth – at last sat together round the same table. People who had become close collaborators and even friends by email and sms at last met each other face to face. As often happens in these situations, there was a brief series of happy greetings and then everybody was talking practical matters. At some points, as many as six conversations were going on simultaneously.“