Category: Culture
Review: Özgen’s “magnificent” Turkish dance showcase deserves a bigger platform
On 3rd Oct., a capacity 300 people packed into a North London theatre to be wowed by this spectacular Turkish dance production. A cast of 42, dressed in stunning costumes, performed exquisitely in a show internationally acclaimed Turkish Cypriot dancer Özgen wrote, choreographs and stars in. The show bills itself as a ‘community’ event, bringing together […]
The re-birth of a nation: talk by Dr Haldun Solmaztürk
The 77th year of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk’s passing has been commemorated across Turkey and the Turkish Diaspora today. Turkey’s founding father not only presided over vital military victories at Çanakkale and the Turkish War of Independence, which liberated Turkey from foreign powers, but also helped usher in a new modern era with a raft of […]
Final few weeks to see Mehmet Ergen’s critically-acclaimed play Clarion at the Arcola
Following a sold-out run in April, Clarion – a dark comedy about the state of British media – is back for a short run at the Arcola theatre in Dalston. Produced by the Arcola’s award-winning creative director Mehmet Ergen, this debut play by former journalist Mark Jagasia is a sharp and riotously witty observation about […]
Hussein Chalayan’s Gravity Fatigue sells out in advance of world premiere at Sadler’s Wells next week
Tickets for all four shows of Hussein Chalayan’s new dance theatre production Gravity Fatigue have sold out. The show premieres at Sadler’s Wells – the world’s leading dance space – next Wednesday. Chalayan, 45, returns to the venue that hosted his iconic Afterwords collection…
AK09 and Tano G collaboration puts an ambient spin on new hip hop EP Exhibit One
AK09, aka Yılmaz Korkmaz, and Tano G have joined forces to create five original hip hop tracks whose sound is very much rooted in London. Tano G’s atmospheric productions forms the perfect backdrop to AK09’s heartfelt lyrics about fighting temptation and your personal demons, the challenges of song-writing, and journeys to self-betterment. The delivery is […]
Mustafa Hulusi’s Flyposting exhibition
Conceptual artist Mustafa Hulusi has long been fêted in art circles. On a par with his better known Turkish Cypriot peers Tracey Emin and Hussein Chalayan, his work certainly deserves much wider recognition. Born in London in 1971 and a graduate of Goldsmiths College and the Royal College of Art, Hulusi produces evocative paintings, videos, […]
Aşk – a show about love told through Oriental, Romani and Sufi dance
Next Saturday sees the return to London of a spectacular community show called ‘Aşk’ – Turkish for ‘Love’. Since its world premier in London last May, the show has travelled to Australia for sell-out performances and later this year will tour Japan. Written, choreographed and starring renowned Turkish Cypriot dancer Özgen, this exotic two-hour dance theatre […]
Top Turkish chefs will be cooking at this weekend’s Liverpool Food and Drink Festival
Now in its eighth year, Liverpool Food and Drink Festival have teamed up with the Turkish Tourism Board to bring the best of Turkish cuisine to Merseyside. This weekend, Turkey’s top chefs Zeki Açıkgöz, Koray Türk, Haşim Demirtaş, Kenan Gün and pastry chef Satılmış Çeribaşı will be cooking and demonstrating delicious Turkish dishes at Sefton […]
Learn the art of Islamic calligraphy at the Yunus Emre Institute this autumn
Calligraphy is the beautiful art of writing. This decorative art form combines visual aesthetics with the precision and functionality of hand-drawn letters created using pens or brushes. One of the most renowned forms is Islamic or hat (an Arabic word that means line) calligraphy, an artistic practice that is derived from the Arabic alphabet and […]