Summer 2015 on the Islands
Schools, exams, rain and Ramadan, now, finally it is mid-summer. Exciting days have come after relatively calm days. We want to concentrate on another side of the activities. Culture and art activities.
While activities in the city consist of open air concerts only, activities on the Islands increase in every aspect.
Restaurants, beaches, water sport clubs, Anadolu Club of Büyükada are becoming addresses of entertainment, concerts, races and exhibitions from time to time.
Summer programs of Çelik Gülersoy Culture and Art Center (old Adaevi), Saklı Bahçe, Büyükada Library, Adalar Kültür Derneği Club House have been already announced.
A new one, Dutlu Bahçe at Heybeliada is added to the above centers.
Some important cultural activities in this summer are as follows;
Austria Days in the Islands will be held between 21-25 July. There will be 4 concerts at cultural activity areas of Büyükada and Heybeliada and one movie at Lale Theater, the only open air theater of Büyükada and all Islands. Details can be found below.
This year, Islands are also included as one of the activity areas of 14th İstanbul Biennial, from 5th of September to 1st of November. 5 areas of Büyükada will be used for the Biennial.
It was our dream to see the Islands as an important culture and art center. Now it is being realized by civil initiative. This dream is developing step by step not like the festivals made by municipalities of seaside towns, which were bursting like bubbles. Now our target is to increase cultural activities on the islands covering whole year instead of summer months only.
This article is prepared for those asking what they can find if they go to Islands in the summer months.
Austrian Days on the Islands
Cultural activities, consisting of 4 concerts and one movie will be organized by participation of Austrian and Turkish artists educated in Austria, Activities will start with opening concert of Ludus Ensemble at Anadolu Club on 21st of July, Tuesday evening and close on 25th of July, Saturday evening, with Alliance Quartet Concert at front garden of Halki Seminary.
Alliance Quartet consisting of 4 Austrian artists is an important music group that is frequently invited to international music festivals and will perform the final concert.
‘Austrian Days at Adalar’ are being organized with cooperation of Austrian Consulate, Austrian Cultural Office, Baki Bilgili and Adalar Foundation, Adalar City Consul and Anadolu Club.
Full Moon Turkish Classical Music at Heybeli
Traditional full moon Turkish Classical Music concert organized by Heybeliada Gönüllüleri Association will be at Heybeliada Water Sports Club in the evening on 30th of July.
One part of 14th of İstanbul Biennial is on Büyükada
14th of İstanbul Biennial ‘SALTWATER: a Theory of Thought Forms’, drafted by Carolyn Christov- Bakargiev, organized by İstanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts (İKSV), will be open to the public in over 30 venues on the European and Asian Sides of the Bosphorus with more than 80 participants from Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, Middle East, South America and North America. SALTY WATER will expand to temporary settlement areas such as boats, hotels, old banks, parking lots, gardens, schools, shops and private houses in addition to museums.
Historical Places of Büyükada are among the activity areas of 14th Biennial.
Kaptan Paşa Seabus giving public transportation services since 1997 will stay at the quay during biennial as an exhibition space. Büyükada Public Library is also one of the exhibition areas. Five rooms and courtyard of Splendid Palace Hotel, built by Kaludi Laskaris in 1908-1911 at Art Nouveau style will host biennial projects and public programs.
Rizzo Palace, built in 19th century and used as residence till 1961, then bought by Balıklı Greek Hospital Foundation and used as guest house till 2010, and Mizzi Mansion, built in the second half of 19th century and restored by Italian Architect Raimondo D’Aranco after 1894 earthquake are among the exhibition areas at Büyükada. Other exhibition spaces on the Islands are Mansion at No: 57, Çankaya Street which was built by an Armenian trader for his daughters in 1907-1908 and where Trotsky had stayed for a short period during his exile years and which is currently being used for TV series and the other one is Yanaros Mansion which is also called as Trotsky House. Trotsky lived in this house built by Nikola Demades in 1850’s between 1932-1933..
A new Cultural Space at Heybeliada: Dutlu Bahçe
Heybeliada Library Initiative has become an association now and organized a garden allocated by one of its members as a new venue for its activities. Dutlu Bahçe began its activities with Heybeliada history workshop. It seems that more activities will follow soon.
Transportation 