Music for peace: İstanbul’s inclusive choir inspires harmony among youth
Project: establishing inclusive youth choir ‘Together Stronger’
The Purpose
Research indicates that children and young people, 28% of Türkiye’s population, exhibit low participation rates in cultural and artistic activities outside of school, especially among disadvantaged groups.
The Challenge
To establish a fully inclusive choir workshop experience for children and young people, aiding in their development of social and cognitive skills through art and music.
The project fills the gap in music education for children with disabilities while fostering the development of social, emotional, and cognitive skills through art.
The Solution
The Together Stronger Voices Choir I was established within the İstanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts to address the need for inclusive and high-quality music education. The project sought to fill the gap in music education for children with disabilities while fostering the development of social, emotional, and cognitive skills through art.
The choir made its debut performance as part of the İstanbul Music Festival after a six-month workshop period. This successful performance enabled the choir to continue its activities and host a second concert in collaboration with the Music for Peace Orchestra at the Mehmet Zorlu Foundation Youth Summit.
The Impact
Evaluation results showed that the project provided an inclusive workshop environment where participants had fun, relaxed, and acquired new skills. Parents reported that, in addition to receiving quality music education, their children experienced social development and gained a sense of belonging and self-confidence.
A distinctive, innovative aspect of the project was that children and young people with various disabilities came together with those without physical disabilities. Hosting these choral events at IKSV Alt Kat brought together dozens of participants and their families from different areas of İstanbul.
As a result of the project’s success, important research insights and best practices have emerged, contributing to the formulation of long-term cultural policies and investments.
Source: World Cities Culture Report 2022
Image Courtesy © Getty/Canva
