Speaking within the scope of the Second Century Economics Congress organized by Izmir Metropolitan Municipality, Istanbul Bilgi University Art and Cultural Management Department Head Assoc. Dr. Serhan Ada said, “Even though the turnover of the cultural economy seems to be at the same level in the last 10 years, there is a loss of 30 percent. We have to review the values that we have accepted as immutable until now,” he said.

Speaking within the scope of the Second Century Economics Congress, Istanbul Bilgi University Art and Cultural Management Department Head Assoc. Dr. Serhan Ada made a presentation titled “On the Verge of New Cultural Policies”.

Saying that the share allocated to culture in Turkey has decreased to 4 per thousand, Serhan Ada said, “There is also a serious decrease in the consumption expenditures of the households. Although the turnover of the cultural economy seems to be at the same level in the last 10 years, there is a loss of 30 percent. While the added value in the cultural economy was 1 billion 209 million dollars in 2014, it is 800 million dollars today. When we look at the people working in the cultural sector, we see that the weight is in handicrafts.”

“Everyone needs the right to culture”

Emphasizing that cultural diversity is at least as necessary as biodiversity, Ada stated that it is time to establish a cultural diplomacy and cooperation council and said: “It is now a must to consider climate priority, public health and the well-being of all people in every work done in the field of culture. Everyone deserves the right to culture. Access to culture and participation in cultural life should be recognized for all people and observed in practice. The actual exercise of cultural rights should be among the most arduous policies.”

“As long as there is no justice, these losses will continue”

Underlining the importance of discoverability as equal rights, Ada said, “The artist and the work of art can be discovered. The only remedy that can prevent our likes from being manipulated by algorithms. We are all members of these platforms. First of all, it is necessary to reach the possibilities of digitalization to artists and their products outside the mainstream. This depends on the observance of the principle of fairness. Only during the pandemic, more than a hundred musicians in our country had to end their lives in desperation. More than ten million jobs were lost in 2020 alone in the world. As long as there is no justice, these losses will continue. Equity is not an easy thing to achieve. We have to review the values that we have accepted as immutable until now,” he said.

“New cultural policies should be developed”

Assoc. Dr. Serhan Ada said, “In the new century of the Republic, we have to work hard to develop new cultural policies that are rights-based and that take into account the characteristics of the earth and our geography. “The task of developing the regulations that will prove Turkey’s leading role in this field, which it has long deserved but failed to realize, and especially training programs on cultural management and cultural policy will be waiting for us, those who come after us,” he said.

Source: (BYZHA) – Beyaz News Agency