ZEYNEP AKGÜL

Ankara - Turkey’s first Women’s Theatre Festival to be organized by Ankara Theater of Art (AST) and Atölye Kültür Sanat (Workshop Culture and Art) will be held in March. The theme of the theater festival is women and it aims to support both art and women's struggle. We talked to Gizem Aldemir, art consultant of the festival, about Turkey’s first Women’s Theatre Festival.

Could you tell us how this project was started?

As you know, all culture and art activities in Turkey have been stopped due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The theater has been also affected by the pandemic. The Ankara Theater of Art was also affected and it came to the point of losing its theatre stages. Despite all difficulties, the AST came together with other organizations and decided to organize a theatre festival to keep working. The theme of the theatre festival was decided to be ‘women’, Turkey’s unhealed wound.

What do you want to emphasize by organizing the festival?

Most of us agree on the power of art to reach and heal people. Theatre is one of these art branches having this power. And it is very important how you will use this power. As can be understood from the name of the festival, the main theme of the festival is ‘women’. Our aim is to raise a concern about femicide and all forms of violence against women in Turkey by organizing this festival.”

The theme of the festival is women’s solo theatre performances

What will be in the content of the festival?

This year, the festival will be organized for the first time. The theme of the festival in 2021 will be women’s solo theatre performances.

“These empty seats are like women taken away from us”

There will be empty seats during the festival due to the Covid-19 pandemic. And the photos of killed women will put on these seats. The tickets for these empty seats will be sold. Those who want to support will be able to buy tickets for empty seats. A large proportion of the incomes from these tickets will be donated to organizations supporting women’s struggle. Where does this idea come from?

As I mentioned before, art has power. It takes its power not only from itself but also from its audience. This festival will be organized during the pandemic; therefore there are rules to be obeyed. For example, there will be empty seats. These empty seats are like women taken away from us (killed women). Surely, we cannot fill the spaces of the killed women, and women subjected to violence but we can do something so that there will be no more space. We will do our best to support the struggle of women’s organizations.

Could you tell us about the date and program of the festival?

The festival will be organized in many cities. Bandırma Municipality will host the festival between March 1 and 5. The second phase of the festival will be organized in Ankara at Bilkent Stage of the AST on March 4,9,10 and 11. Ayvalık Municipality will host the third phase of the festival between March 23 and 27. The virtual festival will be organized by the Çanakkale Municipality between March 8 and 17; the municipality will share the theatre plays on its social media accounts.

“Our aim is to organize the festival every year”

Will the festival be organized every year?

Our aim is to organize the festival every year. And we work and we will work on this. Surely, we need organizations to support and to be sponsors for the festival.