Anadolu Kültür is a not-for-profit company which was  established in 2002 with the participation of individuals and institutions from various venues of arts and culture.

The objective of Anadolu Kültür is to help create a more transparent, open-minded, constructively critical society; to develop a culture of dialogue across borders and boundaries; to facilitate mutual understanding and to contribute towards a more pluralistic society.

Anadolu Kültür aims to be a platform and facilitator for cross-cultural collaborations and exchange between artists and cultural organisations.

To achieve the above, Anadolu Kültür undertakes the following activities:
• to initiate and realise artistic, cultural and socio-cultural projects, programmes and events;
• to support the production and co-production of artistic works;
• to organise workshops, training sessions and debates;
• to develop participatory cultural policy initiatives in collaboration with the local authorities;
• to create a strong network of partners from different fields and backgrounds

Experience
With the establishment of Diyarbakır Arts Center, Kars Arts Center and a broad network of associates (NGOs, universities, local authorities etc.) in Anatolian cities, Anadolu Kültür has been a driving force in circulating art through Anatolia and to facilitate cross-cultural collaborations and exchange.

Since the beginning, Anadolu Kültür has closely cooperated with the European cultural institutes like British Council and Goethe Institute in promoting cultural events in Anatolian cities, i.e. touring of exhibitions, film screenings and workshops. These activities have helped to increase the visibility of European arts and culture in Anatolian towns.

Diyarbakır Arts Center (DAC) organizes exhibitions, performances, workshops and debates. DAC’s Library focuses on arts and culture. The Cinema Europe in Diyarbakır, supported by Eurimages, mostly shows Turkish and European films.

Anadolu Kültür has been working on a local cultural policy program which aims to develop participatory cultural strategies in Anatolian cities to promote democratic culture and social inclusion. The program is taking place in Antakya, Çanakkale and Kars.

Anadolu Kültür, in partnership with Swiss Academy for Development (SAD), promotes projects in İstanbul and Antakya to motivate youth with diverse ethnic and religious backgrounds in order to initiate a genuine dialogue through actively participating in the civic life.

Anadolu Kültür has realized prison projects involving various art workshops, seminars, film screenings and concerts held in prisons and the publication of short stories and poetry written by the prisoners. Lately, it is working in high security prisons.
Tütün Deposu, a cultural space in the center of İstanbul hosts exhibitions. From 2008, it will start serving as a platform for and a facilitator of artistic collaboration and exchange between artists from Anatolia, Caucasus, Balkans and the Middle East.

Anadolu Kültür took part in the organization of two contemporary art exhibitions by Armenian artists in İstanbul: Art Without Borders (in cooperation with Armenian Center for Contemporary Art) and Soviet Agitart: Restoration / A Poster and Photography Collection from Armenia (curated by Samvel Baghdasaryan and Armine Hovhannisyan)

Kars and the Caucasus
Anadolu Kültür has been working in Kars since 2005 in cooperation with the Municipality of Kars and local NGOs. Anadolu Kültür has contributed to the establishment of the Kars Arts Center and the Namık Kemal House. It has realized exchange of exhibitions between Turkey and the Caucasus countries and joint projects where artists and academics from the region have participated.

The Kars Arts Center organizes workshops for the youth interested in arts and culture. With the participation of artists from Istanbul, Ankara, Europe and the Caucasus, workshops on photography, film and script writing are being held. The Kars Arts Center also helps the cultural and artistic groups from Kafkas University to meet with the audience in the city. The Center also provides space to the local theater and music groups to practice and perform.
Anadolu Kültür has promoted photography projects jointly prepared by Turkish, Armenian and Georgian photographers such as Young Eyes of Caucasus and Merhabarev. In cooperation with the Koç University Anatolian Civilizations Research Center, it has organized a workshop titled “The Medieval Architectural Heritage of the South Caucasus and Eastern Anatolia” where academics from Turkey, Georgia and Armenia had participated. Anadolu Kültür also works on the heritage issues and organizes handcraft development programs for the local women.

In the coming future, Kars will be the northeast border and the gate that opens to the Caucasus, not only for Turkey but for the European Union. The local cultural fabric of Kars and the cultural activities of Europe and the Caucasus will meet and thrive on each other in this city. Networks of communication will be established between cultures and artists from Europe, Turkey and the Caucasus, who will come together in Kars to share ideas, work and create together.