CULTURE

Latest News

• Protest against eviction of Kurdish cultural centre in Istanbul 

  In Istanbul, a demonstration was staged against the forced eviction of the Mesopotamian Cultural Centre. The artists vowed the continuation of their struggle to preserve Kurdish culture and language.
• Reading group in Germany discusses Öcalan's Sociology of Freedom 

  A group of German readers curious about the ideas of Kurdish people's leader Abdullah Öcalan created a reading group to read and discuss the book "Democratic Civilization Manifesto 3 - The Sociology of Freedom".
• Lêgerîn magazine publishes English and Portuguese versions 

  Lêgerîn magazine: after the Spanish came the English and the Portuguese.
• London Kurdish Film Festival online edition kicks off tomorrow 

  The 11th London Kurdish Film Festival (LKFF) will be going ahead online. The LKFF will open tomorrow, Saturday.
• AKP seizes the Mesopotamian Cultural Centre in Istanbul 

  The Mesopotamian Cultural Centre in Istanbul is to be evacuated today and handed over to the AKP-governed Beyoğlu Municipality. The cultural centre vows to take legal action.
• Culture and arts are forbidden in Van! 

  All social, political and cultural activities have almost come to a halt in this province of Van marked by prohibition.
• Young women and revolution in arts and culture 

  Kevana Zerin is one of the arts and cultural institutions for women in North and East Syria working for the empowerment of women through self-knowledge, culture and art.
• Attacks on Kurdish language and institutions 

  Pressures on Kurds have not changed since the 90s. Most institutions were closed with the state of emergency after the July 15 coup attempt, and now Turkish is imposed even in the Kurdish section. The attack has intensified in the last 10 years.
• Grup Yorum concert banned, audience arrested in Istanbul 

  Those going to the Grup Yorum concert in Istanbul were battered and arrested by the police who also made press members delete their photos.
• Paradigm-Basic Principles of Kurdish Freedom Movement in Swedish 

  A 116-page book presenting the evaluations of Kurdish people's leader Abdullah Öcalan.
• Grup Yorum members taken into custody 

  The Turkish regime’s repression against political music band Grup Yorum continues.
• Call for Turkey to keep Hagia Sophia an inter-cultural space 

  The Human Rights Council-appointed experts are urging authorities to preserve the “outstanding universal value” which resulted in the 1,500-year-old basilica, World Heritage Status, according to a press release.
• London Kurdish Film Festival presents official trailer 

  The LKFF Online Edition will take place from 15th - 24th August 2020 on our YouTube channel free of charge.
• Kurdish artists call out with music: Xwe nekuje! 

  Artists with the cultural movement TEV ÇAND, created a music clip called “Xwe nekuje”.
• Kurdish Berlin Film Festival celebrates its 10th anniversary 

  Like many other festivals around the world, the Kurdish Berlin Film Festival will also be online.
• Street theatre in Shengal: The tragedy and betrayal 

  The theatre group of Shengal Culture and Art Centre staged a street performance. The theme was the ISIS massacre of the Yazidi population in the region six years ago.
• Martyr Herekol Book Fair, a meeting point for different cultures 

  The fair gave good results in terms of organization. It was possible to find many cultural, political, historical and religious books.
• Afrin intellectuals open library in Tıl Rıfat 

  The library officially opened with a first collection of 400 books.
• Book fair in Qamishlo 

  Since Monday a book fair has been held in Qamishlo in Northern Syria. 39 publishers present 120,000 books in five languages. For the first time, children's books will also be exhibited at the fair. Seminars are offered in the supporting programme.
• Activists in Duisburg protest murder of women 

  Violence against women was protested in Duisburg, Germany.
• TEV-ÇAND: Hozan Serhat was an artist loyal to his people 

  In a statement released to mark the anniversary of Martyr Hozan Serhat, TEV-ÇAND said: "Hozan Serhat was a conscious and loyal artist. The artists who know the reality of the people express the truth of the society in their songs."
• Berbanga Rojava releases song for 33 Suruç martyrs 

  Berbanga Rojava music group released a song in memory of 33 martyrs of the Suruç massacre which was carried out by an ISIS suicide bomber on 20 July 2015.
• Digital GeoKino: “Stories of Destroyed Cities” 

  On Tuesday, the film "Çîrokê Bajarên wêrankirî - Stories of Destroyed Cities" by the Rojava Film Commune will be shown online. In addition, there will be an introduction to Rojava and a discussion with filmmakers from the Avakino film collective.
• YPJ graffiti in Vienna on the Rojava Revolutionary anniversary 

  Andrea Btoy painted the picture of a YPJ fighter on a wall of a house in Vienna on the anniversary of the Rojava revolution. The artist says: "International solidarity is important, that's why the Kurdish movement and Rojava are important to me."
• Rojava Intellectuals Union celebrates culture in Qamishlo 

  The festival this year was organised despite the great difficulties and resulted in the most successful to date with a rich programme including theatre, cinema, readings, music.