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IDO exhibition hall contributing to the art and culture to the city provided an opportunity, probably for the first time, for the Other children of the city to meet with their pieces of art. Besides children from two banks of Istanbul, who does not have the opportunity to go out of their street, met with their own art.

The exhibition hall witnessed the heart beat and enthusiasm of its little guests against the view of the sea, ship, sea gulls and Leander's Tower. The enthusiasm created by the future artist Ronahi was another flavour to the exhibition and he was appreciated by the volunteers of the foundation, trainees, instructors, representatives of the NGO’s and the families.

After these the cinevision show prepared by the art consultant Işıl Aydın and will be played at the hall during the day was began to be shown. The products of the painting and ceramic ateliers by Aude Scahaftingen and David Greco who has been working in the Başak Culture and Art Foundation as a painter and sculptor within the scope of the European Voluntary Service with children were watched with interest.

The chair of the Foundation Şahhanım Kanat, stated that the exhibition includes the results of the 5 different artistic studies (Başak Mobile Street Art Atelier, plays and dance shows, the project “Have a Nice Trip”, My World Atelier, Make Your Own Toy) conducted in the districts that the target group commonly live and the exhibition has 70 photographs.

Şahhanım Kanat continued:

Başak Culture and Art Foundation is an organization with the objective to help children and young people who are poor, disadvantaged and the victims of forced migration handle their problems with art, express themselves freely and become self-sufficient people. Becoming the 2010 European Capital of Culture has increased our responsibilities and we will continue our works on streets by expanding the borders. 

Şahhanım Kanat also explained that the cost-free activity locations are important for these kinds of organizations. She also thanked IDO which opened the exhibition hall to the “Colours and Voices from Başak Children” Photograph Exhibition and contributed to the exhibition, and Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Tourism Department which provide service for the transportation of the children from districts to the exhibition hall and Kanat stated that the exhibition will continue up to January 14^th.     January 12^th, 2010.

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We left behind another week in Başak Street League.

This is September 6^th. Our children played the games of the 4^th week. This is a “gigantic” league in itself with 80 children and other children who still want to enrol. All children who are a part of the league are very excited. This week’s games will also be contentious. This week we will see “pleasant games with intense struggles. We also get excited with the desire of the children to play and win even before they are on the field.

Before the game the last strategies are talked, on the one hand. And on the other hand, substitutes are stretching. Goal keeper, defence, midfielder, striker, referee, and the coach. We found everything (!) and established our own league. Like children, we also smile when we see the balls and uniforms taken from Istanbul Department of Youth and Sport and the vests, goal keeper gloves, and balls from the “Football for Everyone” authorities of the TFF. The amateur spirit in the football is finally with us. This is what makes us go forward.

We took our places on the field close to the starting of the game. While Joris and I took photos, Aydın was the assisting referee. The referee was Recep. Sometimes we frowned and at those times Aydın and Recep intervened. Sometimes we took Aydın from the game and I worked as the assisting referee. He took photos.

Recep was self-confident in every position. Fortunately we don’t have a situation that needs a card. The first game is very important. The winner would be in the first position in the league; this was just like a derby. Nihat Sokak, in which our foundation was established, vs. Şenol Sokak. The game finished as four to one. The winners were the children form Şenol Sokak. Anyway they all are our children. The second match was between Nurettin Sokak and Ceylan Sokak. The score was again four to one. Nurettin Sokak was also ambitious. Lower places in the league are also struggling, you know.

All plans were for the next week. Congratulations to our little players who struggle not only against each other but also against dust, ground, and the heat for their play. I request them to take part in every cultural and sport activities they believe that they will be successful as their older brother.

If you want to watch the next week’s games and contribute financially or emotionally to our children you can contact with us through www.basaksanatvakfi.org.tr or tel. 0-216-420-49-68.

Nurettin wins four to one against Ceylan, and lost to Şenol four to one.

Traces of Crampons on the Ground!

The mobile street art atelier of the Başak Culture and Art Foundation went and continue to go to a number of streets from the suburban districts of Istanbul.We went to Beyoğlu-Tünel with children living in the periphery to the city in order to participate in the Street Festival of the Hangar Art. What about the children of our street? Of course we did not leave them alone.

They have been playing football on weekends for two weeks.

Summer holidays are periods where children do not know where to spend their energy. There is something we know from our experience that boys spend all day out by walking from one part of the street to another. And of course this cannot be solution to what they can do with their energy.

Their request for this, which we delay most of the time, was accepted this time. They were very excited, they undertook the most duties of the organization and there was not much left for us to do. Board member and coach of the Kayışdağı Sport Club Kazım Yaman let us use the ground field on Sundays between 13:00 - 19:00 temporarily. 60 boys between the ages 12 and 16 were immediately organized and came to us. How? They formed 6 teams (Nihat Sokak, Nurettin Sokak, Şenol Sokak, Bülent Sokak, Gülçin Sokak, Ercan Sokak) and prepared their health reports and id photocopies and started practices and then the games. Unfortunately everything is not perfect. They wait for a coach to lead them now. We said it in the title as traces of crampon, but we just wished they had crampons.

Kayışdağı is windy today, it is sometimes impossible for children to see each other on the ground field. But the excitement of the children does not stop. The only thing that stops them is a kite and this makes them laugh even more because they try to catch it. We see what we saw before; they come together, talk and agree with each other, and decide. They organize themselves and play games according to the list they prepared. They have the opportunity to get to know other children form other streets. Sport is a good instrument for our children to do all these. We are content with this, but it would be better if this ground was not all around their eyes and noses. We wished they were in the fields of the Fenerbahçe Koleji just next to their field. Or it would be better if Ataşehir Municipality could help our children leaving their excuses aside.

Our volunteer from Italy, Joris, is also with them today. As the referee in the first game was one of them, they were not content with this and requested an impartial referee. And Joris left his camera aside and goes into field with a whistle.

The boys who don’t know our foundation much also come. They ask us how they can join to these games. And we say a health report and a copy of the id are sufficient. We invite and go back to the foundation while Joris is on the field for the second half of the game.Children come to the foundation and do not avoid saying hello to us with their smiling faces after they finished the game and left all their anger and violence on the field. The number of children appears to be increased.    

We want to express our expectations in terms of field and coach from Istanbul Youth and Sport Department, Ataşehir Municipality, Provincial Directorate for National Education, and sport clubs in Istanbul, and all organizations and institutions that have fields close to Kayışdağı in order to help our children express themselves via football.

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