Urban education and local arts programs expand in Turkey

A growing movement toward “street education” is transforming urban spaces into active learning laboratories. This approach moves beyond traditional classroom boundaries, utilizing sidewalks, parks, squares, and historical streets to integrate a city's history, architecture, and socio-cultural fabric into the educational experience.

By bringing culture and art into public spaces through street theater, open-air workshops, and murals, this vision aims to democratize art and increase accessibility. Urban designers suggest that these living learning ecosystems foster a sense of belonging and spatial awareness among residents of all ages.

In Çerkezköy, the local municipality has launched its annual Culture and Art Academy courses at the Atatürk Cultural Center. The program offers 18 different branches across categories such as handicrafts, performing arts, technology and design, visual arts, and auditory arts. The courses cater to both children and adults, covering subjects ranging from robotic coding and musical instruments to traditional crafts like ceramics and embroidery.