In Pursuit of Theatre Makers
In Pursuit of Theatre Makers (Tiyatrocuların Peşinde) is a YouTube video project that merges field travel with theatre research to explore cities through their contemporary stage practices, performative traditions, and religious rituals. The series focuses on four cities in eastern Turkey: Kars, Erzurum, Van, and Tunceli.
Following a research phase spent reviewing regional academic literature and documentaries, project creator Nadir Sönmez spends ten days in each city collaborating with local consultants: Duygu Çelik in Tunceli, Elif Candan in Erzurum, Emre Yalçın in Kars, and Cem Düzova in Van.
Guided by these researchers and artists, he connects with local actors, students, and storytellers to record testimonies, state theatre performances, and living traditions, spanning Alevi Cem ceremonies in Tunceli, Christian services at Van's Kurtuluş Church, ashik duels in Erzurum, and Caucasian folk dances in Kars.
Drawing on visual anthropology and ethnographic film, the episodes are structured as vlogs that document contemporary regional artistic life while serving as reference material for both researchers and theatre audiences.
Supported by CultureCIVIC
