Based in Istanbul, the Theatre Foundation of Turkey (Türkiye Tiyatro Vakfı – TTV) is dedicated to preserving and passing on Türkiye’s rich theatrical heritage. Founded five years ago, the foundation’s ultimate goal is to establish the Turkey Theatre Museum and Research Centre – a space that will safeguard the country’s theatre memory for future generations.
With support from our Culture and Arts Fund, TTV is implementing the project “Theatre is Our Treasure” Exhibition and Event Series. Through this project, the foundation aims to highlight key themes from the history of Turkish theatre, while raising awareness and encouraging collaboration among local and national authorities to create the Theatre Museum.
Read our interview below to learn more about the importance of preserving collective memory in theatre and the impact of today’s economic conditions on arts and culture in Türkiye.
We are the only institution in Türkiye specialising in theatre heritage.
Can you tell us about TTV’s mission and the work you’ve carried out so far?
Our foundation works to create an inclusive and comprehensive record of Turkish theatre – an integral part of our cultural identity. We believe the only sustainable and permanent way to protect this heritage is by establishing the Turkey Theatre Museum and Research Centre.
We envision this museum as a space that preserves our theatre’s collective memory, reconnects us with our history, and offers a welcoming meeting point for everyone – including children and people with special needs.
Since our establishment, all our efforts – from archiving and oral history interviews to building a literature database – have been focused on laying the groundwork for the museum. We digitise archives collected through donations and purchases and record interviews with theatre practitioners whose experiences enrich Türkiye’s cultural memory.
Our literature database project compiles information from all digitised Turkish libraries, and we’re now working to include non-digitised sources, private collections, and museum archives.
To increase public awareness of theatre heritage, we also organise talks such as “History Conversations in Our Theatre” and “Masters Remember Their Masters”, alongside our social media campaign #ArchiveTuesday, where we share stories from our archive.
We have previously led pioneering initiatives such as the panel “We Need a Theatre Museum” (2018) and the European Theatre Museums Visit and Meeting (2019), which laid the foundation for building international collaborations.
The absence of a Theatre Museum means the loss of cultural heritage.
Why do you think Türkiye still doesn’t have a Theatre Museum, and what challenges have you faced in trying to establish one?
When a theatre artist passes away in Türkiye, we often lose not only a person but also a vital part of our cultural heritage. Personal archives – such as scripts, stage notes, sketches, and photos – are frequently lost, sold, or discarded. As a result, this valuable heritage disappears without being shared with society.
Without a museum, these losses disrupt our cultural continuity. Many historical theatre buildings are being demolished or repurposed, and important magazines have stopped publishing. Had we had a museum, these materials and memories would have been preserved.
Building such an institution requires significant financial resources and strong public partnerships. Over the past five years, we’ve met with many key decision-makers. Although our discussions were positive, no concrete steps have yet been taken. Fortunately, awareness of the museum’s importance is growing among local authorities, which keeps us motivated and hopeful.
The arts world in Türkiye is facing an existential crisis.
How have the current economic conditions affected the arts, particularly theatre?
The economic situation has impacted everyone, but as always, the arts and culture sector suffer first. Many large corporations prefer to invest in their own cultural centres rather than supporting independent initiatives like ours. As a result, the cultural sector is not only struggling financially – it’s facing an existential crisis.
We’ve built one of the most comprehensive theatre archives in Türkiye.
You’ve carried out extensive work in oral history, archiving, and documentation. What has been achieved so far, and how are you collaborating with public institutions or private donors?
All our work aims to build the infrastructure for the Theatre Museum and Research Centre. Unfortunately, archiving in Türkiye remains a limited field, often sustained by individual efforts. For theatre – an art form deeply rooted in memory – this lack of a systematic, accessible, and reliable archive hinders both artistic production and academic research.
So far, we’ve created one of Türkiye’s most comprehensive theatre archives, built through donations from 35 collectors and 34 oral history interviews. Our goal is to digitise this material, make it publicly accessible, and support it with a database that includes all existing theatre-related academic sources.
We collaborate closely with institutions such as the Atatürk Library, Istanbul Research Institute, Kadir Has University, and SALT Research. To open our digital archive to the public, we need to upgrade our technical infrastructure – and we’re currently fundraising to achieve this.
The ‘Theatre is Our Treasure’ exhibition is a preview of the future Theatre Museum.
Can you tell us more about the activities of the project we’re supporting through the Culture & Arts Fund?
Our project, “Theatre is Our Treasure” Exhibition and Event Series, is designed as a preview of the Turkey Theatre Museum. For the first time, we will share parts of our rich and diverse archive with the public.
The exhibition will be held at Tütün Deposu, Istanbul, from 20 November 2025 to 24 January 2026, and will feature a unique collection of materials – from stage designs, posters, and costume sketches to Ottoman and Turkish handwritten play scripts and rare photographs.
Interactive sections, including oral history recordings and visual installations, will offer visitors a “living archive” experience. The exhibition will also include a special tribute to Genco Erkal and his theatre.
Through this project, we aim to bring together artists, theatre lovers, young people, cultural institutions, and local authorities to highlight the significance of preserving both the tangible and intangible heritage of theatre in Türkiye. “Theatre is Our Treasure” is not only a celebration of the past – it’s also one of the most concrete steps towards realising the Turkey Theatre Museum and Research Centre.
If we had a museum, these treasures wouldn’t disappear so easily.
Finally, can you share the story behind TTV and its inspiring journey?
Once upon a time, in a country without a theatre museum, each passing theatre artist took with them a piece of cultural history. A woman who had dedicated her life to theatre – named Esen – decided this had to change.
Despite being told she was “crazy” to dream of such a thing, she persisted. She organised a panel called “We Need a Theatre Museum”, which sparked excitement among university theatre students and drew many volunteers to the newly formed foundation.
With little financial support and no sponsors, Esen managed the foundation on a modest budget, supported by European funds and passionate young people. As awareness of TTV grew, so did public trust – and those who had long held onto precious archives began donating them to the foundation.
Today, TTV stands as a testament to that belief and perseverance. Yet, to continue sharing Türkiye’s theatre heritage with the public, the foundation still needs a larger space and resources to make its digital archive fully accessible.
