MİRAS Projects
MİRAS works with communities to develop initiatives that are bottom-up, benefit local artists and businesses, and are sustainable. Therefore, whenever possible, we work with local artists, teachers, craftspeople, businesses, and organisations. This ensures greater self-sufficiency and stimulates the economy now and in the future.
Our activities are divided into three clusters, each of which focus on education, working with community work, and research to ensure optimal efficiency and transferability.
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SÖZ: Music and Words
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Gastronomy
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Architecture & Sense of Place
Across these areas we also conduct research to ensure optimal efficiency and transferability.
Six months after the Kahramanmaras earthquakes, the devastation to buildings and infrastructure is clear. But rebuilding Hatay will take more than stones and concrete. Communities have been disrupted in unparalleled ways. Everybody in Hatay, from young children to elderly, have seen and experienced things that can be expressed in words and music with the right facilitation. Research and experiences elsewhere show this can be highly effective, as it contributes to healing, bringing together communities, and reconnecting to the history of a place. Working with local musicians, SÖZ will bring music and words to schools, adolescents, adults and the elderly. The city can only return to being a vibrant centre with sustained efforts in bringing together, healing, and reconnecting the people of Hatay.
Current Projects
SÖZ: Music and Words
From the beginning of recorded history, music has been one of the most powerful forms of expression to deal with complex emotions, bring together communities, and create a sense of connectedness to place. In Hatay, MİRAS will organise regular musical activities for children, adolescents and adults in camps, in container villages, and ultimately in old and new permanent neighbourhoods. The goal of this project is to bring together people around regular and beneficial musical activities, with the aim of bringing joy to their unsettled lives after the earthquake, to reconnect, and to help healing the traumas after natural disaster.
Activities will include percussion workshops, choral group rehearsals, traditional Turkish music lessons, and supporting music making in refugee communities. Rap and songwriting workshops will be facilitated by local musicians using locally manufactured instruments whenever possible. MİRAS actively supports the production and sale of musical instruments and other material to rebuild the economy around creative industries. All music projects will be supported by international experts who have a great deal of experience in this type of work.
The Sound of Hatay
From the beginning of recorded history, music has been one of the most powerful forms of expression to deal with complex emotions, bring together communities, and create a sense of connectedness to place.
In Hatay, MİRAS will organise regular musical activities for children, young people and adults in camps, in container villages, and ultimately in their old or new permanent neighbourhoods.
The goal of this project is to bring together people around regular and beneficial musical activities, with the aim of bringing joy to their unsettled lives after the earthquake, and to help healing the traumas after natural disaster.
One of the musicians MIRAS is colloborating with multifaceted artist Selin SUMBULTEPE.
Selin is a multi-instrumentalist, singer, songwriter and composer who moves effortlessly between styles. Having completed her degree at Mimar Sinan University Fine Arts Faculty State Conservatory, Selin has performed in classical music concerts and various jazz and popular music settings. She has released two studio albums independently so far, and continues to publish her own productions, in which story telling always plays a lead role.
In addition to her artistic performances, she focuses on rebuilding cultural bonds in the communities of Hatay through music and art. Selin Sumbultepe is one of the leading musician who organizes creative workshops, children’s yoga, music lessons and concerts in both Turkish and Arabic language, contributing to a sense of community and wellbeing in line with the goals of MIRAS.
Beats by Girlz Türkiye
Short Biography of Selin Sumbultepe
She was born in Hatay in 1986 and completed her undergraduate education at M.S.G.S University State Conservatory. Sh has released two studio albums independently so far. Her first album ‘Cızgan’ was released in 2017, and her second album ‘Ben Estim Sen Esme’ was released in 2021.
Sümbültepe, who is currently working on her third album based on her own roots, adorned with Arabic/Turkish lyrics that bring together Middle Eastern tones with Western music and cultural melodies, is, in her own words, preparing to change her shell.
Sümbültepe, whose story telling has always been in the leading role, continues to publish her own productions as a multi-instrumentalist, singer, songwriter and composer who moves between styles, and plays an active role as both a performer and an educator in the process of healing Hatay’s wounds after the earthquake.
Activities will include percussion sessions, children`s yoga, creative workshops, choral groups, traditional Turkish music, the music of refugee communities, rap and song writing, mostly facilitated by Selin Sumbultepe, Beats by Girls and local musicians and groups.
The Sound of Children
The children of Hatay have gone through unspeakable trauma on February 6th, with little space to express their feelings as the community struggled to deal with the primary needs for survival after the earthquakes.
In this project, Hatay classical flautist/jazz singer Selin Sumbultepe, The Beats by Girls Turkey Group members and local musicians will work with children and compose a song with children`s own words. This allows them to work together creatively, validates their experiences, and gives them a sense of joy and achievement in producing something of relevance and beauty against a backdrop of devastation and loss.
Düm Düm Tek: Percussion Sessions with Youth.
Weekly Percussion Workshops in Tent Camps and Container Villages
With these weekly percussion workshops children, adolescents and adults will gain many skills through exploring new objects, and this will help to build teamwork, improving motor skills and building self-confidence.
Many young people will have had little to no experience of music performance, different instruments, or even musical understanding. Our percussion workshops allow young people to explore the percussion that they potentially have never explored before. This in turn can lead them to discover new hobbies and passions they could carry with them for life.
Body Percussion
Body percussion is the art of making percussive sounds with your body instead of using a musical instrument.
Research indicates that rhythm and movement interventions have the potential to support the development of self-regulation skills for preschoolers. Making sounds and music with our bodies may seem simple, but it is actually very complex. With our body percussion tutor Selin Sümbültepe, children will gain confidence in making music together body awareness using proprioception, motor planning, motor timing, rhythm, and coordination.
Master and Apprenticeship Master Classes with Local Artists
With these projects MİRAS will bring the local masters together with the young generation through talks, workshops, documentaries, interactive concerts.
Bağlama Atelier
After the earthquake, the craft of instrument making in Hatay came to an abrupt halt. In order to sustain the traditional knowledge and skill needed for making the iconic folk instrument bağlama, MİRAS tries to support the atelier of master instrument maker … in the village of Kirikhan, asking him to make instruments for children, amateur musicians and music students who most need them.
A donation of 250 euro will support the manufacturing of a cura or bağlama saz as a donation to an emerging musician in Hatay. We also strongly invite people from outside the earthquake zone (in Turkey and abroad) to buy an instrument from …, which can be sent to any destination.
Rebuilding Music Shop
After the devastating earthquake Antakya lost one of its major music instrument shop called Yamaha İzmir Müzik which was located in the heart of the city where many young people found space to make music, to teach, to engage with one an other.
Various music instruments from classical to folk music were being sold, many young musicians of Antioch Hatay were gathering to perform, it was also a cultural hub for the city.
With your support we can help reconstruct the music shop to support youth’s musical life.
‘Izmir Music’ store, which has been selling musical instruments and providing music courses in Hatay for 40 years, is trying to come back to life again.
Store owner Erdem Izmir whose shop was completely destroyed after the February 6 earthquake and lost all his instruments; defines the music store as a cultural meeting point where Fine Arts High School Music students and Conservatory preparatory students take music lessons. While the search for a store location in Hatay continues, we are calling music lovers for support for the provision of musical instruments and the employment of music teachers who will give music lessons in the store.
Let’s be together in the normalization process of many children, young people and adults with music by helping Izmir Music Store to come to life again!
Gastronomy
At MİRAS – Centre for Cultural Sustainability, we understand the profound impact of gastronomy in preserving and promoting cultural heritage. Through our LEZZET: Gastronomy and Culture project, our aim is to unite communities in Hatay by offering a diverse range of culinary experiences that bring joy and nourishment in the aftermath of the earthquake. From interactive cooking workshops and communal feasts to traditional Turkish cuisine lessons and food storytelling sessions, our activities cater to children, adolescents, and adults alike. By supporting local farmers and utilizing locally sourced ingredients, we actively contribute to the revitalization of the local economy through the promotion of the culinary arts. Join us on this journey of rediscovery, revitalization, and rebuilding Hatay through the universal language of gastronomy.
Gastronomy Header
At MİRAS – Centre for Cultural Sustainability, we understand the profound impact of gastronomy in preserving and promoting cultural heritage. Through our LEZZET: Gastronomy and Culture project, our aim is to unite communities in Hatay by offering a diverse range of culinary experiences that bring joy and nourishment in the aftermath of the earthquake. From interactive cooking workshops and communal feasts to traditional Turkish cuisine lessons and food storytelling sessions, our activities cater to children, adolescents, and adults alike. By supporting local farmers and utilizing locally sourced ingredients, we actively contribute to the revitalization of the local economy through the promotion of the culinary arts. Join us on this journey of rediscovery, revitalization, and rebuilding Hatay through the universal language of gastronomy.
Architecture, History & Sense of Place
At MİRAS – Centre for Cultural Sustainability, we recognize the profound influence of gastronomy in preserving and celebrating cultural heritage. With our innovative project, ARMA: Architecture, History & Sense of Place, we seek to bring communities in Hatay together by offering a rich tapestry of experiences that delve into the intersection of architecture, history, and a sense of place. From guided architectural walks and immersive historical tours to interactive workshops and enlightening storytelling sessions, our diverse activities cater to individuals of all ages. By supporting local artisans and utilizing indigenous materials, we actively contribute to the revitalization of the local economy and the preservation of architectural treasures. Embark on this enthralling journey of rediscovery, revitalization, and rebuilding Hatay through the captivating language of architecture.
Architecture, History & Sense of Place Header
At MİRAS – Centre for Cultural Sustainability, we recognize the profound influence of gastronomy in preserving and celebrating cultural heritage. With our innovative project, ARMA: Architecture, History & Sense of Place, we seek to bring communities in Hatay together by offering a rich tapestry of experiences that delve into the intersection of architecture, history, and a sense of place. From guided architectural walks and immersive historical tours to interactive workshops and enlightening storytelling sessions, our diverse activities cater to individuals of all ages. By supporting local artisans and utilizing indigenous materials, we actively contribute to the revitalization of the local economy and the preservation of architectural treasures. Embark on this enthralling journey of rediscovery, revitalization, and rebuilding Hatay through the captivating language of architecture.
