Yücel Cultural Foundation's Young Art Programme brings young people together through theatre, music, dance and drawing workshops, fostering creativity, self-expression and collaborative creation.
✨ Completely free👥 Ages 16–29📍 Istanbul / Sultanahmet📅 November 2026 - January 2027
As part of this in-person programme in Sultanahmet, Istanbul, young people aged 16–29 engage regularly in creative activities through theatre, music, dance and drawing workshops.
The Young Art Programme aims not only to develop technical skills but also to help young people express themselves through art, develop their creativity, experience making art together and build a lasting relationship with the arts.
The programme gives young people who are interested in art and eager to learn the chance to explore different artistic disciplines and create together.
All workshops are free! Participants whose schedules allow can take part in more than one workshop during the programme.
📅 Programme Information
Programme: Young Art Programme – Fifth Edition
Location: Sultanahmet, Istanbul
Participants: Young people aged 16–29
Format: Regular, in-person workshop sessions
Workshops: Young Theatre, Young Music, Young Dance and Young Drawing
Fee: Completely free
Programme Period: November 2026 - January 2027
🗓️ Weekly Workshop Schedule
🎭 Monday - Young Theatre: 20.00-21.30
🎨 Monday - Young Drawing: 20.00-21.30
🎵 Tuesday - Young Music: 19.00-21.00
💃 Wednesday - Young Dance (Beginner): 20.00-21.15
💃 Wednesday - Young Dance (Advanced): 21.20-22.40
Please note: Young Theatre and Young Drawing take place on the same day and at the same time, so their schedules overlap.
👥 Who Is the Programme For?
Young people aged 16–29
Anyone interested in art and personal development
Those who want to discover a new artistic discipline
Those open to creating together in a group
Participants able to attend workshops regularly
Young people able to take part in end-of-term performances, presentations or exhibitions
No previous professional arts training is required for the beginner-level workshops.
WORKSHOPS
Four artistic disciplines, one space for creating together.
Explore each workshop's content, learning outcomes and timetable.
WORKSHOP 01
🎭 Young Theatre
For young people eager to discover the stage, explore new ways of expressing themselves and create together in a group...
Young Theatre offers a hands-on introduction to the basic tools of theatre. Throughout the programme, sessions focus on using the body and voice, movement, improvisation, character development, stage awareness, working with scripts and group creation.
Through theatre games and exercises, participants explore their expressive potential, learn to communicate and move with others on stage, and experience being part of a collective creation.
The workshop welcomes young people with previous theatre experience as well as those encountering the stage for the first time.
✨ What Will Participants Gain?
Greater awareness of how to use their body and voice
Improvisation and stage practice
Self-expression and confidence
Creative thinking and interpretation
Communication and collaboration within a group
Awareness of stagecraft and performance
📅 Every Monday Dates: 2 November 2026 - 4 January 2027 Time: 20.00-21.30 Duration: 10 weeks
WORKSHOP 02
🎵 Young Music
In the Young Music workshop, music-loving young people explore their voices, develop musical expression and experience creating together.
In Young Music, participants discover both the individual and collective dimensions of music through solo and choral pieces. Activities include vocal technique, breathing, rhythm, singing together, musical harmony and interpretation.
While solo work gives participants room to discover their own voices and interpretations, choral work supports listening to one another, finding a shared rhythm, working in harmony and making music as a group.
A professional music or vocal background is not required. The workshop is open to young people interested in music who want to develop their voices and practise regularly.
✨ What Will Participants Gain?
Discovering their voice and musical expression
Awareness of breathing and basic vocal technique
Developing rhythm and musical listening skills
Experience practising and interpreting solo pieces
Singing and blending with others in a choir
Preparation for stage and performance experience
Building a habit of making music with other young people
📅 Every Tuesday Dates: 3 November 2026 - 5 January 2027 Time: 19.00-21.00 Duration: 10 weeks
WORKSHOP 03
💃 Young Dance
Young Dance creates space for self-expression through movement, body awareness and exploration of dance's creative possibilities.
Young Dance focuses primarily on contemporary and modern dance practices. Through hands-on sessions, participants explore the relationships between body, movement, rhythm, balance, coordination, space and music.
Alongside technical practice, the workshops explore improvisation, movement research, body awareness, use of space and movement compositions. The aim is not simply to learn set movements, but to help participants understand their bodies, develop their own movement vocabulary and express themselves through dance.
Sessions are organised into two groups according to participants' experience: Beginner Level and Advanced Level.
🌱 Beginner Level
Designed for those new to dance or wishing to build a foundation in contemporary and modern dance. Sessions cover body awareness, basic movement principles, balance, coordination, rhythm, use of space and simple movement sequences.
No previous dance training is required.
🚀 Advanced Level
For participants with prior regular dance training or practice who wish to develop their existing skills. More advanced technique, movement combinations, improvisation, dynamics, use of space and choreography help participants develop their own movement vocabulary.
✨ What Will Participants Gain?
Experience in contemporary and modern dance practices
Improved body awareness, coordination, balance and movement capacity
Exploring the relationship between rhythm, music and space
Self-expression through movement
Improvisation and creative movement
Moving and creating together in a group
Discovering their own movement vocabulary
Developing a regular dance practice
📅 Every Wednesday Dates: 4 November 2026 - 6 January 2027 Duration: 10 weeks
💃 Beginner Level: 20.00-21.15
💃 Advanced Level: 21.20-22.40
WORKSHOP 04
🎨 Young Drawing
Perhaps you love drawing but do not know where to begin. Or perhaps you have been drawing for years and are looking for a space to create regularly.
Young Drawing focuses primarily on observational drawing and pencil sketching. Participants explore the possibilities of line while practising observation, visual analysis and translating what they see onto paper.
Sessions explore line, shape, proportion, composition, light and shade, volume and perspective through observational studies and pencil drawing exercises based on different objects and visual references.
The programme helps beginners build a foundation and gives more experienced young artists the opportunity to improve their observation and drawing skills through regular practice.
The point is not to “draw well” but to want to look, observe, experiment and create.
✨ What Will Participants Gain?
Learning basic observational and pencil drawing techniques
Improving observation and translating what they see into lines
Understanding proportion and composition
Understanding light, shade and volume
Developing a regular drawing practice
Discovering their own drawing and visual expression
Developing visual thinking and creative production skills
📅 Every Monday Dates: 2 November - 14 December 2026 Time: 20.00-21.30 Duration: 7 weeks
CREATING TOGETHER
🌟 What Awaits You in the Young Art Programme?
While practising regularly in your chosen artistic discipline, you will have the chance to meet new people, create together and discover your own creative voice.
The Young Art Programme supports participants in gaining experience across different artistic disciplines. Participants whose schedules allow can attend more than one workshop.
To support young people's access to the arts, all workshops are completely free of charge.
🎭 End-of-Term Performances and Exhibition
At the end of the term, each workshop will present a final performance or presentation.
Young Theatre: Stage work and a final performance
Young Music: A final performance featuring solo and choral work
Young Dance: Presentation of movement and dance work on stage
Young Drawing: An exhibition of work created during the term
In this way, participants experience not only the learning process but also the opportunity to share their creations with others.
The goal is more than learning new techniques: it is to build a lasting creative practice, develop imagination and self-expression, discover individual strengths and contribute to a shared artistic process.
PARTICIPATION REQUIREMENTS
📌 Participation and Attendance Requirements
The Young Art Programme consists of a regular series of interconnected workshop sessions. Participants admitted to the programme are therefore expected to attend workshops consistently.
Participants are allowed a maximum of one week's absence per workshop during the programme.
Those attending more than one workshop must take all workshop days and times into account.
Participants attending multiple workshops are expected to meet the attendance requirements of each one separately.
End-of-term performances, presentations or exhibitions are part of the programme.
Participants are expected to take an active role in preparing the final presentations and in the collaborative creative process.
YOUNG ART – FIFTH EDITION
✨ Creating Art Together!
In theatre, music, dance and drawing workshops, young people develop their creativity, share experiences and create together.
📍 Location: Istanbul - Sultanahmet 👥 Age: 16-29 💳 Fee: Free 📅 Period: November 2026 - January 2027
At the end of the programme, workshop creations are shared through performances, presentations and an exhibition. 🎨✨
You can explore workshop content and weekly schedules in the sections above.
PROGRAMME
📝 About Young Art – Fifth Edition
The fifth edition of the Young Art Programme offers young people a space to express themselves and create together through regular theatre, music, dance and drawing activities. Workshops take place in person in Sultanahmet, Istanbul, and are free of charge.
📌 Workshops run from November 2026 to January 2027. For detailed days and times, see the workshop sections above.