Who has the power to stop the unfair distribution of grants in theater, and who will put an end to it?

"I could do that too"

The summary sentence of modern art in society. 

You might be newly familiar with this sentence, but we, the theater people, have been living with it since day one. It has certainly been said behind every actor who appears before people, whether on stage, on screen, or on the silver screen.

As you know, half of our society are actors, and the other half are referees. You could say all of them are politicians. Recently, doctors, teachers, and engineers have also been added to the mix, but I will return to my own profession immediately without getting into those topics.

I say my profession because theater is my profession. Again, almost the entire society confuses the work they do with their profession. Whichever is at the forefront that day becomes their profession. Do you think it is that easy to acquire a profession? For example, does writing these lines, and you reading them because they are likely published, make me a columnist? I don't think it should. I am afraid. I am afraid and ashamed to be known for work I do not know. I never do work in a field for which I have not received training. I could multiply examples like not making claims without citing sources, and I could elevate myself to the level of an ideal human being.

While there is a lot of conceptual confusion in our country, in addition to these, professions have become mixed up. "Documents" have become the determinant of who does what, and these "documents" are easily obtainable. A system was established at the Ministry of Culture to determine the number and capacity of private theaters. When you upload the specified official documents (tax plate, chamber of commerce registration, SGK list, activity certificate) to the system, you are registered in the database.  Registered theaters can also benefit from grants and projects. The system says; "Hey company, you are now a 'theater' for me, and you can apply to all the projects I have prepared to support theater"

In this way, they are trying to ensure that theaters can catch their breath and survive. Isn't that great so far? 

You see that theater people easily receive grants. It doesn't matter how much they receive. In our country, a grant is -money that comes out of thin air.- We never feel responsible for the money we receive, and we also tell everyone -come here, there is free money-. In return for these grants received once a year, it is expected that a play will be performed with very weak supervision. I think the reason for the weakness of the supervision is the trust placed in artists. However, with the artists' spouses, technicians, cousins, and neighbors, many companies are being established one after another. All of their documents are complete. The system gives approval. Since the system does not question professional competence and ethics, dozens of fake companies find themselves within the pennies allocated to theater people. How does it happen that these fake companies, or the fakes of fakes, companies that are not even basement-level, start receiving more grants than names who have been performing on stage for years, are known, recognized, and guide Turkish Theater? Then you say, well, our people found a loophole in the system and jumped in. But why did you leave the supervision, or were you made to leave it? What exactly is happening there? 

I am calling out to the Ministry. Who has the power to stop the unfair distribution of grants that has been overlooked until this year, and who will put an end to it?

Hasn't the time come for artists to trust the ministry? Is there an authority in our ministry that thinks about saying -Let's do it. Now the artists of our country will get their security- instead of listening to the so-called theater people who object to the artist card?

Despite the theater people who say "do not disclose the distributed grants," will it be announced this year to whom, how, and how much the grants were given?

Will our ministry be a reference for us regarding visas so that we can perform international tours? Will the taxes that were reduced while we could not perform plays during the pandemic be reduced now? When will theaters with professional competence be exempt from taxes? I didn't say companies. I said theaters. Will the "companies" registered in the database be re-examined in terms of compliance with professional competence? When will the relationship between art and politics be distanced from the level of closeness to the government? 

Gizem Duman Şeşen

Member of the Executive Board of the 'Let Our Theater Live' Initiative / Actress - Founder of Kuzguncuk Sanat