Amed Theater Festival Begins

The 10th Amed Theater Festival has begun at the Amed Culture and Congress Center under the slogan “Our Light Grows Brighter,” organized by the Amed Metropolitan Municipality. Co-Mayor Doğan Hatun said that multilingualism has existed in the city for thousands of years.

“Our Light Grows Brighter”

The festival was organized by the Amed City Theater. Co-Mayor Doğan Hatun, Sur District Co-Mayor Fatma Gulan Önkol, and Director of Cultural and Social Affairs Zeynep Yaş attended the reception. Representatives of organizations, artists, and many theater enthusiasts were also present.

In the opening speech, actors Ömer Şahin and Perinaz Delazy spoke in Kurdish and Turkish. They said that theater is not only a collective creation but also a collective resistance.

Hatun: Multilingualism has existed in the city for thousands of years

Co-Mayor Hatun said that art is the path from darkness to light. “Multilingualism has existed in our city for thousands of years. Multilingual and multicultural art will always exist in Amed. These activities are held in Kurdish, Turkish, and Armenian. This shows that all peoples can live together,” Hatun said.

After Hatun’s speech, a video presentation about Kurdish actor Bavê Teyyar was shown. The actor died in an attack in January. Later, a theater stage was named after Mehmet Emin Yalçınkaya, an actor who died in 2018.

“PALMA” Dance Performance

At the end of the ceremony, the dance performance “PALMA” was presented. This project was first shown in November at Akbank. “PALMA” combines universal dance and visual storytelling.

The choreography was created by Serhat Kural. Music was produced by Onur Seçki and Oğuz Turgutgenç served as the repetiteur. The dancers include Ay Çakır, Ceren Sezgi Çopur, Duru Yılmaz, Derin Ağma, Gizem Yalman, İpek Özgen, Nazlı Deniz Mercan, and Rayna Keleş. Lighting design was done by Utku Kara and costume design by Ece Özlem Yeşilbaş.

The festival will continue for 9 days between April 25 and May 4. It will feature plays in Kurdish, Turkish, and Armenian as well as workshops.

Source: Botan Times, 04/25/2025