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The Project 'Bayanlar Hurdaci' – Collections, findings and working amongst the hurdaci community of Istanbul.
The Turkish word 'Hurdaci' means junkman. There are many men wandering the streets looking for unwanted and thrown out materials that they can sell on or use to gain some kind of earning. There are also 'Eskici' which means antique collector or collector of old things. Comparisons can be drawn to the 'rag and bone man' of England, individuals who would travel through the streets by horse and cart collecting rags and other unwanted goods. It is still possible to see these workers through cities in the UK but not as popular as it was. Within this context, Istanbul, Turkey a developing country it is still an extremely common job to take These men add another layer to the sound scape of the city (especially in the residential areas). They use a distinctive call to alert household owners of there presence. I don't know how well tracked the unemployment rate in Turkey to date is but a recent Turkish unemployment demographic in 2011 shows 12% of the Turks are unemployed and therefore many inhabitants make there own way of earning a living- selling things on the streets, from hand knitted socks, to tissues and lighters, old children's toys and collected old items. Billie Beckley has been based in Istanbul, Turkey for the past year and working on the streets playing music. Meeting various street performers and others working from the streets. This experience of living and working amongst this poorer community of Turkish and Kurdish people has spurred her to take to the streets again, but this time as a performative collector along with textile installation artist Laura Blake looking to find initiative ways of working and collecting materials enable making their final project under a . This also brings me to highlight the changes to financial support for the arts in the UK. The arts are amongst one of the biggest community to be effected; with cuts in arts organisations, university departments, libraries. Now both starting life as an artist we consider new ways of working. With inflation on taxes- we like to think this project is also a comment on being self sufficient artists, making our selves adaptable to the financial crises we are in and may stay in for a while. You can find Laura Jane Blake and Billie Beckley wandering the streets of Istanbul calling up to apartment blocks and searching all the nooks and crannies of the city. We are on a mission to collect old clothing, unused items and cardboard boxes. Without money or budget how next is the best way to get what you need- look for it, ask for it, find it in bins. It is unbelievable how easy we have found it to collect in this area of the city. The pair dress up and head out to work. They are collecting stories from other street workers/ Hurdciler/ market sellers and eskici. On the 24th November we will be staging a cabaret show which will be a place to show what you can do. In central Istanbul- Beyoğul there are contemporary arts but lacking some interesting different performance nights. Laura – interested in urban interventions, playful materials and working within spaces Billie- looking at theatrical happenings, street performance and management. Cep- Contextual inquiry project. A third year university set project. Looking into the street working community of an area in Istanbul I have been situated for the past year. After performing to thousands on the streets and working with musicians from all over the world, I wanted to continue to use this space to perform within but also discover other routes to take in and around this city as a performer. With collaborating artist Laura Blake we have been walking the streets dressed as rag woman- colourful and strange to this society- we are collectors, we are performers, we bring noise to the street below your window. In the way men will come and deliver breads, potatoes and other goods to your front door. Lowering a bucket down out of your window and to the floor you collect your goods and pull them back up to your houses. I have been fascinated by these men. Where are they from, what are their routes, who do they take and then sell to? In which parts of town? Where is the best part of town? Unfunded we find other ways of setting up this cabaret show/ How can we afford materials- we find them- ask for them- take them from bins- the unwanted material goods that we can make magic with. 'working on the streets' Not just passing by restaurants and cafes but going to homes. I quite like this idea of in house entertainment- order a curry and a performance 10% discount if they perform before 9pm. There is something in delivering a service, making others lives easy, it means we get to see both sides- the street life and home life. Right now we have reached a point of reflection (midway into the project) I feel it is important to do before getting tied down with talking and discussing what you will do. We are having regular weekly making days... the house we are living in has also become our studio and we have different artists that come and spend an afternoon working in the space. Building props – sewing costumes or making installation works. DIY central! I have found that busking- playing music- exploiting myself to some extent has really aided me for this project. I have meet many people over my year here and now I want to draw all of these things together and make a finally showing combining every ones skills and interests.. For example: We have Hink- a graphic design team working on poster designs and film documentation We have art team ( managed by Miss Blake her self) many german girls helping with costume and design We have performers, a real mixture of random findings. From people that I have met on the streets to those I have seen on stage and then others who are only just starting out. The concept of this showing for sure isn't anything original or new but within this culture it is something different. Maybe not for everyone but there will always be a crowd for a different night like this. Project manager – After leaving on the 1st December I would really like to pass on this performance night concept to someone based in turkey. One girl Ayse- I will meet today to find out if she could be interested in taking over when I leave and essentially have this night running in many bars after I have left. She is working in music management- it would be a good project for her maybe. bars and venues- for this performance we will show the night in nina's (a newly opened jazz bar) I want to support the program of this bar and through sending info to the press I hope to help advertise the space. Photographers who willingly follow us around taking pictures of us collecting and interacting with the local hurdaci and eskici workers. They join us for journeys showings and explorations Maria- A girl we have met only really recently. She is working on a project called 'I pack my bag' – travelling from one place to the next with her sewing machine in her suitcase. She is also a collector of clothing- she asks for memories with the clothes and then sets her self in the comforting atmosphere of cafes and bars where she sits and adapts these items of clothes sewing in messages on the material and hearing stories from those who kindly donate. We have come together and decided to put together a performative showing using our range of skills in performance, space interation, sewing and music. I want to improvise movement, spoken word or song around these stories that have been given. I have invited two French musicians, violin and contrabass to join us in making a showing in Kolektif kafe on Wednesday. These are the kinds of interactions we try to embrace if even ephemeral happenings. As an experimentation and ways of working with strangers who share a passion to play with what they do. THE PROJECTThe Project – The heart of this project lies in collecting. The streets of Instabul are inhabited by Hurdacis and Eskicis, the collectors of the unwanted, Collections and findings and working amongst the hurdaci community. You can find Laura Blake and Billie Beckley wandering the streets of Istanbul calling up to apartment blocks and searching all the nooks and crannies of the city. We are on a mission to collect old clothing, unused items and cardboard boxes. Without money or budget how next is the best way to get what you need- look for it, ask for it, find it in bins. It is unbelievable how easy we have found it to collect in this area of the city. The pair dress up and head out to work. They are collecting stories from other street workers/ Hurdciler/ market sellers and eskici. On the 24th November we will be staging a cabaret show which will be a place to show what you can do. In central Istanbul- Beyoğul there are contemporary arts but lacking some interesting different performance nights. The heart of this project lies in collecting.The streets of Instabul are inhabited by Hurdacis and Eskicis, the collectors of the unwanted, The joint venture will culminate in a cabaret night, 'Hurdaci'. Gathering theatrical, musical, written and artistic people from across the city, Billie will organise. A major aspect of this project is the lack of funding supporting it. Primarily formed as a university project of Billie's there is no outside funding or support for any of the final event or making leading up it. As two English artists at the beginning of our careers, we are heavily affected by the cuts to current Birtish creativity. With this lack of support, we find ourselves needing to collect what is free in order to make. With full belief that this is possible, we openly challenge the current funding crisis. |
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