🎭🎵💃🎨 Applications Are Open for the Fifth Edition of the Young Art Program!
If you are interested in the arts and want to develop your skills, explore different forms of expression and create alongside other young people, the Yücel Cultural Foundation's Young Art Program is waiting for you!
✨ Completely free👥 Ages 16-29📍 Istanbul / Sultanahmet📅 Application deadline: 24 October 2026
As part of this in-person program in Sultanahmet, Istanbul, young people aged 16-29 can take part in theatre, music, dance and drawing workshops and develop an ongoing creative practice.
The Young Art Program aims not only to teach practical skills but also to help participants express themselves through art, develop their creativity, experience creating together and build a lasting connection with the arts.
No professional experience is required. All you need is curiosity, a willingness to learn and create, and the ability to attend your chosen workshop regularly.
All workshops are free! You can even join more than one, as long as the days and times work for you.
PROGRAM / 01
📅 Program Information
Program: Young Art Program - Fifth Edition
Location: Istanbul, Sultanahmet
Participants: young people aged 16-29
Format: In-person, regularly scheduled workshops
Workshops: Young Theatre, Young Music, Young Dance and Young Drawing
Participation fee: Completely free
Application deadline: Saturday, 24 October 2026
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🗓️ Weekly Workshop Schedule
🎭 Monday - Young Theatre: 20:00-21:30
🎨 Monday - Young Drawing: 20:00-21:30
🎵 Tuesday - Young Music: 19:00-21:00
💃 Wednesday - Young Dance (Beginner): 20:00-21:15
💃 Wednesday - Young Dance (Advanced): 21:20-22:40
Important: You may apply to more than one workshop. However, Young Theatre and Young Drawing take place at the same day and time, so please check for scheduling conflicts when choosing your workshops.
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👥 Who Can Apply?
young people aged 16-29
Anyone interested in the arts who wants to develop their skills
Anyone interested in discovering a new art form
Those open to creating with a group
Participants able to attend workshops regularly
Young people able to participate in the final performance, presentation or exhibition
No previous professional arts training is needed for the beginner-level workshops.
WORKSHOPS
Four art forms, one shared space to create.
Explore the content, benefits and schedule of the workshops that interest you.
WORKSHOP 01
🎭 Young Theatre
For young people who want to discover the stage, explore new ways of expressing themselves and create with a group...
Young Theatre offers a hands-on introduction to the fundamentals of theatre. Throughout the program, participants will explore body and voice, movement, improvisation, character development, stage awareness, working with scripts and creating as a group through practical exercises.
Through theatre games and exercises, participants will discover their own means of expression, learn to interact with others on stage, move together and contribute to a shared creative process.
Both young people with previous theatre experience and those stepping onto the stage for the first time are welcome.
✨ What Will Participants Gain?
Greater awareness of how to use body and voice
Improvisation and stage practice
Self-expression and confidence
Creative thinking and interpretation
Communication and collaborative creation in a group
Stage and performance awareness
📅 Every Monday Dates: 2 November 2026 - 4 January 2027 Time: 20:00-21:30 Duration: 10 weeks
WORKSHOP 02
🎵 Young Music
If you love music and want to discover your voice, develop your musical expression and make music with other young people, Young Music is for you.
In Young Music, participants will explore both the individual and collective sides of music through solo pieces and choral singing. Sessions will include voice work, breathing, rhythm, group singing, musical harmony and interpretation.
Solo work gives participants space to discover their own voices and interpretations, while choral work encourages listening to one another, finding a shared rhythm, working in harmony and making music together.
No professional background in music or vocal training is required. The workshop is open to young people who enjoy music and want to develop their voice through regular practice.
✨ What Will Participants Gain?
Discovering your voice and musical expression
Awareness of breathing and basic vocal technique
Developing rhythm and musical listening skills
Experience working on and interpreting solo pieces
Singing together and finding harmony in a choir
Preparing for stage and performance experiences
Building a habit of making music with other young people
📅 Every Tuesday Dates: 3 November 2026 - 5 January 2027 Time: 19:00-21:00 Duration: 10 weeks
WORKSHOP 03
💃 Young Dance
We welcome young people who want to express themselves through movement, develop body awareness and explore the creative world of dance.
Young Dance focuses primarily on contemporary and modern dance. Through practical activities, participants will explore the relationships between body, movement, rhythm, balance, coordination, space and music.
Alongside technical training, workshops will explore improvisation, movement research, body awareness, use of space and movement composition. The goal is not simply to learn set movements, but to help participants understand their bodies, develop their own movement vocabulary and express themselves through dance.
Participants will be placed in two groups according to their experience: Beginner Level and Advanced Level.
🌱 Beginner Level
Designed for those new to dance or looking to build a foundation in contemporary and modern dance. Sessions will cover body awareness, fundamental movement principles, balance, coordination, rhythm, use of space and simple movement sequences.
No previous dance training is required.
🚀 Advanced Level
Designed for those with previous regular dance training or experience who want to develop their skills further. More advanced technique, movement combinations, improvisation, dynamics, use of space and choreography will help participants develop their personal movement vocabulary.
✨ What Will Participants Gain?
Exploring contemporary and modern dance practices
Developing body awareness, coordination, balance and movement abilities
Exploring the connections between rhythm, music and space
Expressing yourself through movement
Developing improvisation and creative movement
Moving and creating together as a group
Discovering your personal movement vocabulary
Building a regular dance practice
📅 Every Wednesday Dates: 4 November 2026 - 6 January 2027 Duration: 10 weeks
💃 Beginner Level: 20:00-21:15
💃 Advanced Level: 21:20-22:40
WORKSHOP 04
🎨 Young Drawing
You may love drawing but not know where to start. Or perhaps you have been drawing for years and are looking for a space to create regularly.
Young Drawing focuses mainly on observational drawing and pencil sketching. Participants will discover the possibilities of line while practising observation, analysing what they see and putting it on paper.
Sessions will cover line, shape, proportions, composition, light and shadow, volume and perspective through drawing exercises based on various objects and visual references.
The program helps beginners build a foundation and offers more experienced participants the chance to improve their observation and drawing skills through regular practice.
What matters here is not being "good at drawing," but wanting to look closely, observe, experiment and create.
✨ What Will Participants Gain?
Learning basic observational drawing and pencil techniques
Developing observation skills and translating what you see into lines
Understanding proportion and composition
Understanding the relationships between light, shadow and volume
Developing a regular drawing practice
Discovering your own style of drawing and expression
Developing visual thinking and creative skills
📅 Every Monday Dates: 2 November - 14 December 2026 Time: 20:00-21:30 Duration: 7 weeks
CREATING TOGETHER
🌟 What Awaits You in the Young Art Program?
Throughout the program, you will have the opportunity to practise your chosen art form regularly while meeting new people, creating together and discovering your own forms of creative expression.
You don't have to limit yourself to just one art form. You can apply to and participate in more than one workshop as long as the days and times suit you. To apply for multiple workshops, you must submit a separate form for each one.
To make the arts more accessible to young people, all workshops are offered completely free of charge.
🎭 End-of-Program Performances and Exhibition
At the end of the program, each workshop will hold a final performance or presentation.
Young Theatre: Stage work and a final theatre performance
Young Music: A final performance featuring solo and choir work
Young Dance: A stage presentation of movement and dance work
Young Drawing: A final exhibition of artwork created throughout the program
Participants will not only experience the learning process but also have the opportunity to share what they have created with others.
The goal is not simply to learn new techniques, but to establish a regular creative practice, develop creativity and self-expression, discover personal strengths and create something together as part of a group.
PARTICIPATION REQUIREMENTS
📌 Participation and Attendance Requirements
The Young Art Program is a series of workshops that build on one another. For this reason, accepted participants are expected to attend workshops regularly.
Participants may miss no more than one week of sessions per workshop during the program.
Anyone attending multiple workshops must take all workshop days and times into account.
A separate application is required for each workshop.
The final performance, presentation or exhibition is part of the program.
Participants are expected to take an active role in preparing for the final event and in the collaborative creative process.
APPLICATION DEADLINE: 24 OCTOBER 2026
✨ We Look Forward to Your Application!
Theatre, music, dance or drawing... Choose one, or take part in more than one art form if your schedule allows.
📍 Location: Istanbul - Sultanahmet 👥 Age: 16-29 💳 Participation: Free 📅 Application deadline: Saturday, 24 October 2026
Anyone wishing to attend more than one workshop must complete a separate form for each workshop.
APPLICATION
📝 Application Form
You can complete your application in a new tab or open the form on this page. If you want to apply to more than one workshop, you must submit a separate application for each one.