OPEN CALL #6 PROJECT #220
SURFEST II VILLAGE FESTIVALS
The Meeting of Culture and Art with Rural Areas: The Impact of SurFest II
The “SurFest II: Village Festivals” project, implemented by the Women's Culture, Art and Literature Association (KASED) in collaboration with Sur Municipality under the Grassroots Projects Grants, took place in the villages of Bağıvar, Özekli, and Çarıklı in the Sur district of Diyarbakır between September 19-21, 2025. The project aimed to strengthen the right of women and children living in rural areas to cultural access; it organized workshops for women on painting t-shirts and canvas bags, and games, sports, and theater activities, as well as concerts and folk dance performances for children. In total, approximately 300 women, 1,500 children, and over 2,000 viewers were reached; the events supported cultural production and social participation in the native language. The festival created a strong demand and ownership of cultural and artistic activities in rural areas, strengthened local government-NGO cooperation, and established a model for sustainable cultural work.
