There Is a Village Just Around the Corner
Spaces for Collaborative Cultural Production in Rural Areas
December 2026 – May 2027
AMASYA, ANKARA, ESKİŞEHİR, GAZİANTEP, İSTANBUL, İZMİR
Affiliates:
ESKİŞEHİR: Sakin Okul Derneği
GAZİANTEP: Kırkayak Kültür Sanat ve Doğa Derneği
İSTANBUL: koop Kent Çalışmaları Kooperatifi
The closure of village schools in rural areas not only limits children's access to educational opportunities but also leads to the loss of shared spaces where they can participate in cultural production. In response to this spatial and cultural deprivation, "There Is a Village Just Around the Corner" aims to transform three disused village schools in Eskişehir, Gaziantep and İzmir into temporary spaces for learning and cultural production through the active participation of children and local communities.
Starting in December 2026, the project will implement participatory placemaking activities with children and village residents in Kayı (Eskişehir), Karaburçlu (Gaziantep) and Yakaköy (İzmir). Using locally available and recycled materials, temporary spaces will be created to host film screenings and creative workshops. Alongside screenings focusing on cultural heritage and ecology, stop-motion animation workshops will be organised for children aged 7–17. Drawing on their surroundings, local memory and everyday experiences, children will create their own short films.
Implemented through a collaboration between Puruli Culture and Arts Association, Urban.koop, Kırkayak Culture and Sakin Okul Association, the project aims not only to repurpose three public spaces but also to bring together expertise from different disciplines within a rural context.
By the end of the project, at least nine animated films produced by children will be screened in the villages and across five cities. The methodologies and experiences jointly developed by the four organisations will also be documented and shared through an open-access digital "Learning and Outcomes Guide". In this way, the project seeks to revitalise cultural production in rural areas while developing a transferable working model for organisations interested in undertaking similar initiatives.
