Humorous and Iconic Memory of an Art Event

Assos International Performing Arts Festival, which
was held between the years 1995 and 1999 in Assos, in
a small village in the Western Turkey, is the topic
of this study. The festival was based on
site-specific art works which were produced in three
weeks in Assos and most of the time with the
collaboration of the local people. Local people
participated in the festival sometimes just by
openning their garden to theatre rehearsals or by
acting in the plays, or by helping to sew the
costumes.Through interviewing with the participants
of the festival, both with the artists and the local
people of Assos, it is asked how the festival was
remembered. The implications of commemorating the art
director of the festival, Hüseyin Kat rc o lu, who
died untimely in 1999, shows itself in various ways
including a reflection on his role between the
artists and the local people of Assos. Through
tracing the exciting, humorous and joyful moments in
the festival narratives, the interaction between the
festival and the everyday life in the village was
explored. Through the memoirs of the festival, this
study also discusses the emergence of contemporary
performing arts in Turkey in 1990s.

Autorentext

Born in 1983 in Balikesir, Turkey. Had her BA degree frompsychology Department in Bogaziçi University, Istanbul, in 2006.She wrote her MA Thesis in Sabanci University Cultural StudiesProgram in 2008.

Klappentext

Assos International Performing Arts Festival, whichwas held between the years 1995 and 1999 in Assos, ina small village in the Western Turkey, is the topicof this study. The festival was based onsite-specific art works which were produced in threeweeks in Assos and most of the time with thecollaboration of the local people. Local peopleparticipated in the festival sometimes just byopenning their garden to theatre rehearsals or byacting in the plays, or by helping to sew thecostumes.Through interviewing with the participantsof the festival, both with the artists and the localpeople of Assos, it is asked how the festival wasremembered. The implications of commemorating the artdirector of the festival, Hüseyin Katircioglu, whodied untimely in 1999, shows itself in various waysincluding a reflection on his role between theartists and the local people of Assos. Throughtracing the exciting, humorous and joyful moments inthe festival narratives, the interaction between thefestival and the everyday life in the village wasexplored. Through the memoirs of the festival, thisstudy also discusses the emergence of contemporaryperforming arts in Turkey in 1990s.