Cultural Interventions

The Cultural Policy and Management Research Centre (KPY) at Istanbul Bilgi University is

once again delivering its annual publication, covering major issues and debates of the 2014-

2015 period. This 2014-2015 issue is the fifth in the KPY Yearbook series, published by

Istanbul Bilgi University Press.

The central theme of the 2014-2015 Yearbook is the changing relationship between state and

culture – thus the overall title of the Focus section is Cultural Interventions. It is edited by

Kevin Robins and Burcu Yasemin Şeyben. Under this title we have two sub-sections, the first

addressing new public policies towards the cultural field, and the second exploring civil

society responses. We are discussing the theme of Cultural Interventions within a

comparative perspective, with cases from different countries. Thus, in the Turkish context,

there have been recent attempts by the Turkish government to close down state cultural

institutions, and to put in place a new regime of cultural governance. Also, in the Turkish

context, there is vital issue of state-generated censorship of cultural expression. Elsewhere

there are questions regarding state support for the arts in a context of deepening financial

crisis. There is also the issue, in all regions, concerning the sustainability of ever growing

numbers of cultural institutions and players. The second issue that we address within the

Cultural Interventions agenda concerns the changing civil society response to ‘official’ public

cultural policies. Here we have analysis from Turkey and Bulgaria, on civil society activism

in the face of emerging authoritarian state cultural politics.

In each Yearbook we have a themed Focus section, and an Open Space section. In 2014-2015

Yearbook the Open Space contains articles on cultural policy research, participatory

governance of funding in the arts, shopping malls as cultural spaces and a letter from Syria.

The Review section contains reviews of relevant publications and conferences.