Alarko Holding And IKSV Join Forces To Help Younger Generations Grow Up With Art

Recognizing that artistic production plays an important role not only in social development but also in the advancement of humanity in science, technology, and entrepreneurship, Alarko Holding has become the "IKSV 2025 Festivals Children and Youth Workshops Sponsor" to help the younger generations grow up with art. Through this "First Step to Art" collaboration, Alarko aims to open the doors to a lifelong journey of learning and discovery for children and youth.

Alarko Holding, which has been supporting young people through various programs for 70 years as part of its social responsibility approach based on equal opportunities, is now collaborating with the Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts (İKSV), Türkiye's oldest cultural and arts institution, to launch a new project called "First Step to Art" to help young generations grow up with art. Alarko believes that artistic production and awareness are closely tied to economic and social development, as well as sustainable growth, and now, it has become the sponsor of workshops for children and youth, which will be held during the Istanbul Film, Music, Jazz, and Theater Festivals. Organized by İKSV, these festivals annually showcase prominent national and international artists and performances for audiences in our country. 

Ümit Nuri Yıldız, CEO of Alarko Group of Companies: “Our youth, with a greater appreciation of culture and the arts and involved in creative production, will be the architects of a more inclusive and sustainable future."

Ümit Nuri Yıldız, CEO of Alarko Group of Companies, described the "First Step to Art with Alarko" project as a meaningful investment towards a higher level of social development, saying, "We consider art, the common language of mankind, a unique power that has the potential to shape a sustainable future. For almost 30 years, we have been privileged to cooperate with İKSV, one of the most important actors in the world of culture and art in our country. And now we are embarking on a new journey to introduce the arts to our children and young people, who are our country's greatest asset. We wish to see our children as individuals who will grow up inspired by the light of art by sponsoring the İKSV 2025 Festivals Children and Youth Workshops. Hundreds of children and teenagers will have the opportunity to explore art and their own creativity in workshops held across the city during the Istanbul Film, Music, Jazz, and Theatre Festivals. I believe that our youth, with a greater appreciation of culture and the arts and involved in creative production, will be the architects of a more inclusive and sustainable future".

İKSV General Director Görgün Taner: “We will be able to reach more people with the support of Alarko Holding.” 

Görgün Taner, Director General of Istanbul Culture and Arts Foundation (İKSV), made the following statement regarding working with Alarko Holding:: “İKSV has been working for more than fifty years to provide our audiences with the highest quality productions in various disciplines of culture and art, and to conduct programs that are in support of artists. We strive to make culture and the arts accessible to a wide range of audiences and generations through our year-round events. Through İKSV Alt Kat, we are happy to contribute to the emotional and intellectual development of children and young people by designing inclusive and creative events that combine the excitement of art and learning. We will be able to reach more people with Alarko Holding's support as the “Children and Youth Workshops Sponsor at İKSV 2025 Festivals”. I would like to sincerely thank Alarko Holding for this support, which is invaluable in helping us to sustain cultural and artistic activities.”

Art, education, and fun all in one!

Children and Youth Workshops at İKSV 2025 Festivals, held with the support of Alarko Holding, which believes in the importance of equal access to quality art education and art's undeniable role in social development, are as follows: 

Stop-Motion Animation Workshop: The Stop-Motion Animation Workshop for young people aged 14-18 is organized in cooperation with the Istanbul Film Festival. Teenagers will produce short films with the stop-motion technique in the workshops to be organized between April and June 2025. At the end of the workshop, the films produced by the participants will be published on İKSV's and Alarko's YouTube channel. 

A Musical Weekend: The "Hip-Hop Dance Workshop" organized in cooperation with the Istanbul Music Festival will be held at Yıldız Park, Yoğurtçu Park, and Habitat Park for children between the ages of 7 and 9 and 10 and 12. The workshops, to be held in June, are designed to provide young art enthusiasts with an experience that enhances their creativity while helping them learn to appreciate rhythm and music.

Jazz Workshops: In these events, which will be held at İKSV Alt Kat in July 2025 for children aged 6-8 and 9-12, the participants will have the opportunity to develop their rhythm, improvisation, and self-confidence through jazz music. 

Drama Workshops: The drama workshops, which will be held for children in the 4-6 and 7-9 age groups during the mid-term break in November in cooperation with the Istanbul Theater Festival, will develop children's expressive skills through creative activities and backstage experiences through Sevinç Erbulak's book "A Day at the Theater". 

"From Early Childhood to Youth: Growing Up with the Arts"

In 2019, İKSV published a report titled "From Early Childhood to Youth: Growing Up with the Arts" as part of its cultural policy studies. The report emphasizes that engaging in structured, regular, challenging, and clearly defined arts programs from an early age not only enhances children's sensory education and cognitive development but also fosters their awareness of social responsibility.   The report, written by Prof. Dr. Feyza Çorapçı, suggests that exposure to the arts in early childhood helps individuals to express themselves and to develop self-control, decision-making, problem-solving, and leadership skills. It strengthens the ability to work with others, to succeed in school, and to socialize during middle childhood. The report emphasizes the potential of arts workshops organized by competent civil society actors outside the formal education system to broaden the interests of children and young people with their topical content. Based on this comprehensive research, the workshops are carefully designed by the IKSV Alt Kat team, taking into account the age and developmental level of those participating.