Dutch artists to teach street children
Dutch artists to teach street children
Thursday, April 26, 2007
IZMIR – Turkish Daily News
A group of Dutch artists came to provide activities and lessons for street children including theatre, pantomime, and dance to be performed at squatters’ housing districts for the week of April 23.
Theater player Sihali Yalincer, who came with the Dutch group, told Anatolia News Agency that they came to Izmir to teach dance, pantomime and theatre to the children who sell tissues and shine shoes in the streets. Stating that they would perform a show in the squatters’ housing district, Yalciner said with vehicles donated by different art foundations, they would take the street children to Amsterdam to perform their show together there as well.
The project called �From 7 to 70� is open to all who want to stay young at heart. �With the children from these districts, we will bring out the inner child within us. Our colleagues all came wholeheartedly. Just like doctors who answer the call of anyone in need, we too go to these districts to answer the call for more cultural activities,� said Yalincer.
A famous Dutch artist group’s director Rene Kres, 63, also said that with Yalciner they support each other’s project. Stating that he came to Turkey before for the 23rd of April’s National Sovereignty and Children Holiday to provide the children with pantomime lessons, Kress said, �It is great to accept Atatürk’s idea of a children’s holiday on the 23rd of April, because children are our future, which is significant for world peace.� Working as a professional dancer in Holland, Nancy Dorette, 28, said she came to Turkey to provide the children with the gift of dance.