Vardiya approaches the archive as a living field of production—one that is reread, reinterpreted and brought into dialogue with the questions of today. Throughout the program, participants are encouraged to deepen their own research and production processes through their relationship with the archive, while also becoming part of a collective memory that is inherited and passed on to the future. Neslihan Başer, Mehmet Sinan Tarakçıoğlu, Kutay Sırıklı, Nilüfer Karanfil, Duygu Toprak and Meli R. Öztürk have been selected as the 2026 Vardiya researchers. As part of the Vardiya Public Program, we will hear from the researchers in sessions moderated by Merve Akar Akgün and S. Buse Yıldırım.

Program:

Session 1
Moderator: Merve Akar Akgün

14:00 – 14:15 | Neslihan Başer
14:15 – 14:30 | Mehmet Sinan Tarakçıoğlu
14:30 – 14:45 | Meli R. Öztürk

14:45 – 15:00 | Q&A

15:00 – 15:15 | Coffee Break

Session 2
Moderator: S. Buse Yıldırım

15:15 – 15:30 | Nilüfer Karanfil
15:30 – 15:45 | Duygu Toprak
15:45 – 16:00 | Kutay Sırıklı

16:00 – 16:15 | Q&A

June 6, 2026 – 14.00 / 16.00 – Oral History Workshop with Prof. Dr. Arzu Öztürkmen: Exploring the relationships between individual, social and collective memory through an oral history approach, this workshop will discuss the theoretical framework, methods and fieldwork processes. The construction of narratives, the representation of memory and the position of the researcher will be examined through examples.

June 7, 2026 – 14.00 / 16.00 – Ethnography Workshop with Assoc. Prof. Dr. Leyla Bektaş Ata: Approaching ethnography as a method of thinking, observing and writing, this single-session workshop addresses the foundations of the ethnographic approach, fieldwork experience and ethical debates, as well as autoethnography, self-reflexivity and the position of the researcher. The aim is to reconsider ethnography as a way of making sense of everyday life—a way of thinking that also encompasses the researcher’s own experience.

Note: Registration for the oral history and ethnography workshops will be made on the basis of the same group of participants.

Designed by the Kundura Hafıza Archive and Research Center for young people aged 14 to 17, this 5-day summer school, held August 17–21, 2026, opens up a space for young people to understand, internalize, protect and carry into the future tangible and intangible cultural heritage through interactive lessons, hands-on workshops, field visits and projects they will design with their own creativity. The sessions, in which tangible and intangible cultural heritage will be explored through many disciplines such as cultural heritage, archaeology, archival studies, museum studies, architecture and storytelling, will be led by educators who are experts in their fields.

Students who complete all the classes and workshops of the 5-day Cultural Heritage Summer School will receive a “Certificate of Participation” from the Kundura Hafıza Cultural Heritage Preservation Association. Students who earn the Certificate of Participation will become Kundura Hafıza “Cultural Heritage Ambassadors.”

Program

Day 1 — August 17

10:30 Icebreaker: Expectations and Program Overview Kundura Hafıza Team

11:00 – 12:00 Cultural Heritage and Its Components / Key Concepts / Cultural Heritage and Conservation Erinç Küçüköz

12:00 – 13:00 Kundura’s Memory: Exhibition Tour and Memory Walk Hafıza Team & Erinç Küçüköz

13:00 – 13:45 Lunch Break

13:45 – 16:30 Intangible Cultural Heritage and Documentation Workshop Erinç Küçüköz

Day 2 — August 18

11:00 – 11:00 – Archaeological Heritage and Conservation Figen Tokgöz

12:00 – 12:30 – Archaeological Experience Workshop Figen Tokgöz

12:30 – 13:30 – Lunch Break

13:30 – 14:30 – Architectural Heritage Rezzan Tüzün

14:45 – 16:00 – Architectural Model Workshop Rezzan Tüzün

Day 3 — August 19

11:00 – 12:00 Archiving and Keeping Archives Nurtaç Buluç

12:00 – 12:30 Archiving Workshop Nurtaç Buluç

12:30 – 13:30 Lunch Break

13:30 – 14:30 Museology from Past to Present Figen Tokgöz

14:45 – 16:00 Creating My Own Museum Workshop Figen Tokgöz

Day 4 — August 20

Beykoz Heritage Route

10:00 – 11.00 Visit to Mecidiye Kasrı

11:20 – 13:00 Visit to the Glass and Crystal Museum



13:30 – 14:00 Lunch break



14:00 – 15:30 Visit to the Çubuklu Silos

15:30 – 16.00 Evaluation session

Day 5 — August 21

11:00 – 12:00 Natural Heritage and Ecological Heritage Öykü Erinç Küçüköz

12:00 – 12:30 On the Trail of Ecological Heritage: The Memory of Nature Workshop Öykü Erinç Küçüköz

12:30 – 13:30 Lunch Break

13:30 – 14:30 Living Heritage and Stories Gülçin Uslu

14:45 – 16:00 Storytelling Workshop Gülçin Uslu

Certificate Ceremony

Aiming to increase teachers’ knowledge and awareness of cultural heritage, this two-day training program offers methods and sample practices for integrating cultural heritage into different subjects across the curriculum. The program focuses on educational approaches that will help students develop an awareness of heritage preservation and sustainability.

Making and Learning Gatherings for Children and Adults Continue!

For Hearing-Impaired Visitors: A Journey into Kundura’s Memory Guided Exhibition Tour
Kundura Hafıza Archive and Research Center, which organizes events that are accessible to everyone, will hold Turkish Sign Language (TİD) tours in two sessions on December 20 at Kundura Hafıza’s exhibition “Kundura’s Memory: A World Fit into a Factory.” The tours will be free of charge and open to a limited number of participants.

Designed by the Kundura Hafıza Archive and Research Center for young people aged 14 to 17, this 5-day summer school, held from August 18 to 22, 2025, opens up a space for young people to understand, internalize, protect and carry into the future both tangible and intangible cultural heritage, through interactive lessons, hands-on workshops and projects they design with their own creativity. The sessions, which will examine tangible and intangible cultural heritage through a range of disciplines such as cultural heritage, archaeology, urban planning, architecture and museum studies, will be led by academics and educators who are experts in their fields.

Students who complete all the lessons and workshops of the 5-day Cultural Heritage Summer School will receive a “Certificate of Participation” from the Kundura Hafıza Cultural Heritage Preservation Association. Students who earn the Certificate of Participation will become Kundura Hafıza’s “Cultural Heritage Ambassadors.”