E-MAGAZINE

Best Career for Your Zodiac Sign

Virtual Exhibition: Book of Travels

Stay Tuned to Selector!

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UK Top Charts

Latest News&Announcements

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Welcome to the January issue of British Council Turkey E-magazine…. In this first issue of 2011 we would like to once again wish you a very happy & prosperous new year.In every issue, we try to bring you up to date information about what’s happening at the British Council Turkey. We put together project overviews, voices of our staff, interviews, your articles and an events calendar for you to follow our upcoming events and activities. From now on, we also feature a “What’s Hot in the UK” section which will bring you the latest news and updates from the UK in arts, sports, festivals and many more...As we always say, your input is always the most valuable part of the British Council Turkey e-magazine; so we are waiting to hear your thoughts and voices about your experience with us. Please submit your articles to editor@britishcouncil.org.tr and share your voice with the rest of the readers who are young professionals, academicians, journalists, artists, teachers, students etc. We also would like to remind you all that we are getting very close to the submission deadline for our competition 7 Stories 7 Photos. Please visit our blog to read our readers’ submitted articles. Best of all, check out the surprises for the winners!From this month onwards our e-magazine is going to be bi-monthly. We hope you enjoy reading this issue and wish to meet you again in March.If you have any questions or would simply like to share your thoughts then please drop us an e-mail via editor@britishcouncil.org.tr.

Happy Reading!

✦Following the Foot Steps of Evliya Celebi by Esra Çanakçı ✦ELT Festival by Suzanne Mordue ✦Focusing on Arts and Culture by

Funda Küçükyılmaz ✦Your Zodiac Sign and Your Career

by Alper Kasap ✦Offices Voices - Emine Çarkçıoğlu✦Media and Diversity by Turgay

Olcayto✦Caroline Finkel on the Evliya Çelebi

Project ✦Integrated Dance by Gülüm Pekcan ✦How It All Started by Sibel Sagner✦Selector on Radio A by Özlem

Ataman✦UK Top Charts✦News and Announcements

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INDEX

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Last week, we visited Kütahya Dumlupınar University, within the context of Our Shared Europe Project.

Following the translation and production of Evliya Çelebi: The Book of Travels Exhibition into Turkish, we started our Anatolia tour from Evliya’s hometown Kütahya, on 8 December 2010 at Dumlupınar University which has a student population of 35,000.

We were very impressed with the hospitality of the University Rector, Prof.Dr. Güner Önce - an ex-Chevening Scholar, for hosting the exhibition as well as for organising the panel. The topic of the panel was Past and Present: Turkish & European Relations and aimed at providing an opportunity to the students to contribute to the discussions with experts on European Identity.

The exhibition was set up in the Administration Faculty and opened by the rector with a reception where students were also invited to attend. 900 people visited the exhibition during 5 hour period which well exceeded our expectations. Following this impressive and encouraging exhibition, we raised our expectations and hoped to see about 300 students in the panel discussion but were happily overwhelmed with the number exceeding 650. Dr. Murat Erdoğan from Hacettepe University European Studies Centre and Dr. Caroline Finkel, Historian and Writer were the panel speakers and helped the discussions by encouraging a participatory environment.

Participation was further encouraged through a series of opinion polls which looked at perceptions, beliefs and concerns regarding Europe and being European. The poll responses were as below:

✴ I would like Turkey to be a member of the European Union - 45% said YES✴Turkey is part of Europe - 50% said YES✴ Islam also made contribution to

development of Today’s European values and culture - 82% said YES✴ I can identify myself as European - 24%

said YES✴ I believe that Turkey will become an EU

member - 30% said YESTop dignitaries of Kütahya city were also

present and stayed until the closure, including the Governor, Gendarmerie Commander, Chief Constable, vice Mayor, senior bureaucrats, academics and press. The event was covered in 14 local media outlets. Together with the panel speakers, we also had a chance to talk about the project through the university radio programme.

The exhibition and panels will continue their tour through following the path of Evliya in Anatolia and we are hoping to reach many more university students to contribute to the debate and intercultural dialogue.

“Yes” said 82% of University Students to the contribution of Islam for the development of today’s European values and culture.

Following the Foot Steps of Evliya Çelebi By ESRA ÇANAKÇI, BRITISH COUNCIL TURKEY

Evliya Çelebi and Book of Travels Exhibition in Kütahya Dumlupınar University

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Focusing on Arts&Cultureby Funda Küçükyılmaz, BRITISH COUNCIL TURKEY

With various institutions we cooperate with in different areas, we organize seminars, festivals, exhibitions, plays and film viewing events in Turkey. The main purpose of our activities is to support creative and successful works in Turkey, to encourage a higher number of young entrepreneurs to take interest in these areas and to be a vessel for international innovative ideas in different areas using the cultural and commercial ties with the UK. Our activities, all oriented to these purposes, spread over a wide range.

Creative Economy and Young Creative Entrepreneur Awards

Creative Economy recognizes art as a “profession” that goes beyond a means of livelihood for the artist and that is effective enough to contribute to growth of national economy. Within the scope of the Creative Economy program carried out in many countries including the UK, the Young Entrepreneur Awards have been running in Turkey since 2008. To date, a total of 7 award programs have been organized in the areas of Design, Interactive Media, Fashion, Publishing and Screen, and the finalists have found the opportunity to meet the leading names of their respective sectors in the UK through a sector tour where they took part in various events and activities and represented Turkey at the international leg of the award programme against the finalists of other countries.

Young Creative Entrepreneurs Club

We established the Young Creative Entrepreneurs Club in Turkey in order to maintain the relations built through Young Creative Entrepreneur Awards and so that young entrepreneurs

working in different disciplines could put their signatures under new collaborations. So far, we have organized two meetings including interviews with Paul Priestman, one of UK’s successful design entrepreneurs, Cemil Türünfrom the Yoghurt Computer Technologies Company active in the interactive sector, and Daljit Singh, founder of the London-based interactive communication company Digit.

Selector Radio

The radio programme Selector presented by DJ Goldierocks is now on air at Istanbul Yaşam Radyo, Eskisehir Anadolu University’s Radyo A, Trabzon Radyo KTÜ and Izmir Radyo Ege Kampüs to introduce new colours to the Turkish audience with examples from the newest indie, electronic, folk and funky hits from the UK music charts.

My City

My City is a project designed and implemented by the British Council in partnership with Platform Garanti Contemporary Art Centre andAnadolu Kültür within the scope of the EU-Turkey Civil Society Dialogue: Cultural Bridges Programme. As of 2009, five artists from Europe have started their visits to Canakkale, Istanbul, Konya, Mardin and Trabzon in order to produce a work of art for a specific city. Artists from Europe have carried out various

activities together with the project team and the local governments of the cities within the scope of this project, which gives them the opportunity to get to know Turkey and the city they are working in. Projects carried out with the support of various non-governmental organizations and local governments in order to promote a variety of different cities in Turkey and contribute to ensuring more investments for cities were opened to the public in October 2010.

My City Project also organized a guest artist program in cooperation with Platform Garanti Contemporary Art Centre.

Under the Project, Children’s Art events designed for children and young people in the 11-18 age group by the PACE Children’s Art Centre were carried out in Canakkale, Istanbul, Konya, Mardin and Trabzon, reaching 1500 children in each of the cities, making the total number of children reached 7500; in February 2011, the art works created by participating children and young people under the program will be exhibited in all project cities.

Moreover, the Project also included seminars and panels on “art in public space” organized in the project cities, and an e-magazine featuring new articles on both the Project and the theme of art in public space.

Some of the activities we support through project partnership with the British Council include The Jameel Prize 2009 organized by the Sakıp Sabancı Museum, the Kutluğ Ataman – The Enemy Insideexhibitions by Istanbul Modern, the Ahmet Hamdi Tanpınar Literature Festival, interviews with British playwrights by DOT, theIT Summit 2010, the Charles Leadbeater seminar, “Separate Voices” – Films from Northern Ireland, !f Istanbul Independent Film and International Istanbul Short Film festivals.

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By Suzanne Mordue, BRITISH COUNCIL TURKEY

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From December 6th to 10th we celebrated English teaching through our Ankara ELT festival. We looked at different areas of language, teaching vocabulary and listening; different types of learners such as teenagers, students with disabilities and also those preparing for exams.

We were pleased to see the majority of teachers attending the whole week and over 130 teachers took part in all. As we all know, it is important for educators to keep their skills and knowledge up-to-date. Many of the teachers I talked to at the festival felt that they had picked up a new technique or idea, which was for me a sign of success. There was also a real buzz in the workshops created by the enthusiasm of the audience.

We intend to repeat this festival in other cities in Turkey and our aim is not only to train teachers but also to make them aware of the all the free resources and support that we offer for ELT professionals. Additionally, these types of events can help build networks and therefore empower teachers. As William Glasser the American psychologist said ‘Effective

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The desire to know what is going to happen in the future is as old as the history of humanity.

While the science, technology, minds and emotions have evaluated: the use of surveys, scenarios, predictions and futuristic points of view have became prevalent as well.

But the demand to the astrology and the desire to know about the future has never decreased.

Each sign of the zodiac has specific traits and characteristics, as well as strengths and weaknesses, associated with it. Based on this general blueprint, it's possible to assess which career paths would be a good match to each sign.

Capricorn: December 22 - January 19 The sign of Capricorn is usually synonymous with "work." They are practical, conservative, ambitious, and traditional. They believe in the hierarchy of the workplace and aren't happy unless they're in a leadership role. They do well in professions that deal with concrete, material things, such as banking, construction, landscaping, engineering, and computers. They excel at business administration, as well as high-ranking military roles. Best place for you to work is British Council!Aquarius: January 20 - February 18The Water-bearers are unconventional, unpredictable, visionary, and creative. They balance out their "oddness" with a very strong humanitarian bent. They really excel when they are able to use both sides of their unique personalities in professions that help people. They make excellent counselors, holistic practitioners, politicians, writers, and astrologers. They are usually fascinated by science, and naturally make great scientists, inventors, computer wizards, and astronauts. British Council makes the best employer for you!Pisces: February 19 - March 20The Fish are known as the most emotional, intuitive, and spiritual sign of the zodiac. They are attracted to any type of creative profession, whether it's one of the performing arts, or something else that allows self-expression, like graphic design, hair dressing, or photography. They can also use their powers of intuition in a healing profession, and make excellent social workers, physical therapists, nurses, veterinarians, and psychologists. It looks like British Council is the best place for you to work for!Aries: March 21 - April 19Rams are energetic, forceful, dynamic, and competitive. When faced with obstacles, they will literally "batter" them down until they win or at least

expend the most energy trying. They are born leaders, with a blind faith in themselves that enables them to push ahead without fear. This combination of traits make them excellent entrepreneurs or investment bankers. They are also natural-born heroes, and do well at dangerous jobs in law enforcement and criminal justice. You will be a great team member for British Council!Taurus: April 20 - May 20This earthy sign craves stability and practicality, in life as well as career. They are known as the worker bee of the zodiac, with an unmatched focus and single-mindedness of purpose once they get going. They also have strong organizational abilities, and are often the pillar of their company or community. They excel in business, perhaps as a banker or certified public accountant. But there is also a strong artistic and sensual side, so they often end up in careers that involve food, wine, flowers, luxury goods, and arts & design. You will be a shining star at British Council!Gemini: May 21 - June 20Gemini is known as the sign of the Communicator. They are like mini-info feeds, constantly gathering and processing information that they love to share with friends and strangers alike. They need plenty of mental stimulation, and are quick thinkers and fast talkers, so they tend to thrive in a dynamic, fast-paced, challenging environment. Media or advertising are great fits, as Geminis make excellent journalists, writers, editors, and publicists. They also do well in the field of education. Teaching allows them to share their knowledge in a gratifying way. British Council is the right place for you!

Your Zodiac Sign and Your CareerBy Alper Kasap, BRITISH COUNCIL TURKEY

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Cancer: June 21 - July 22Crabs are known for their sensitive, nurturing, and perceptive natures. They are often found in caregiving roles, such as nursing, therapy, social work, gardening, and childcare. On the flip side, they excellent money managers, and it is the rare Cancerian who doesn't have a nest egg socked away in case of emergencies. They can be good leaders as well, known for their empathetic and intuitive qualities. On the business end, they make good bond traders, bankers, and stock portfolio managers. Your career will shine in British Council!Leo: July 23 - August 22Leo is the shining star of the zodiac, so they usually excel at some form of performing art or artistic pursuit. Their larger-than-life personalities make for excellent actors, comedians, dancers, artists, and rock stars. Performing isn't their only area of expertise, however. They are good team leaders and do well in dynamic, high-profile positions. They are attracted to careers that offer high status and prestige, such as doctor, lawyer, business executive, or even President of the United States! Best place for you to work is British Council!Virgo: August 23 - September 22Virgos are known for being service-oriented, attentive-to-detail, perfectionist, and highly organized. Within the service industry, they make excellent managers at hotels, restaurants, and spas. With their sharp, critical minds, they are natural editors, researchers, teachers, and critics. They truly believe that any job worth doing is worth doing right and will never turn in sloppy work. A profession where every tiny detail is important is where they shine the brightest: publishing, science,

pharmaceuticals, bookkeeping, and accounting. British Council makes the best employer for you!Libra: September 23 - October 22Libra is the Diplomat of the zodiac, with a highly developed sense of justice and fairness. The most obvious career choice, judge, is actually a really good fit for people born under this sign, as are other careers in law enforcement. They also make great networkers and facilitators; qualities that are good for public relations, sales, customer service, and ambassadorship. They are naturally artistic and do well at jobs involving art and design, music, and dance. British Council will serve to all of your career aspirations!Scorpio: October 23 - November 21Scorps are famous for being intense, passionate, and secretive. They love mysteries, and any career field that allows them to unravel them is a great choice: working for the FBI or CIA, psychiatrist, detective, or criminal justice. Scorpios also have tremendous powers of concentration and will power, and would do well as a surgeon, courtroom lawyer, or executive secretary. British Council is the right place for you!Sagittarius: November 22 - December 21Sagittarians are known for being active, optimistic, and enthusiastic. They dive into things headfirst, and are often known to step on a few toes along the way -- they're not too known for tact! This doesn't prevent them from being great team players, and do well as salespeople, animal trainers, and fitness coaches. Their strong interest in philosophy make them great lawyers, professors, and ministers. You will be happy to work for British Council!

Best Career for Your Zodiac Sign!

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Every work day starts with a cheerful “good morning!” in the British Council Ankara office; unmistakably it is Emine Çarkçıoğlu’s voice greeting her colleagues. Emine, even on Mondays, manages to put a smile on her and on her office friends’ faces.

A business administration graduate from Gazi University, Emine has been with the British Council more than three years. She is the one behind “İş’te Biz de Varız’ project, a challenge for vocational school students to show their innovative minds in entrepreneurial skills proving that they are most hireable work force in Turkey.

Emine is a Capricorn and definitely a cat person – she has two cats at home just to prove that. When asked whether she thinks that her sign has something to do with her character, she immediately fires back “I am determined and very patient person, isn’t that a clear indication that I am a Capricorn?” She is for sure a Capricorn by all means.

Indeed she is determined, once she loves something, she holds on to it; like her taste of music. Unlike some of the so called die hard rockers - now turned their attention to more subtle genres as they age - Emine is still a rocker. An avid fan of Iron Maiden and AC/DC, Emine gives mini rock concerts in the office every time her cell phone goes off playing “Back in black” from AC/DC which sends some of her friends into a panic mode trying to turn the blaring ringtone off when she leaves her cell

phone on her desk while in a meeting and the office director is sitting two desks down from her desk.

Emine says that her work life should be as much fun as her taste of music. She says that she cannot commit herself fully, if she does not enjoy what she is doing. She says that “I inject fun into everything I do; a tiny P.S note into me e-mails, a funny and motivating speech in the beginning of day-long meetings; I always try to do things differently in my day-to-day office work just for the sake of sparking fun in my and others’ lives.”

Although a colourful and a friendly persona in the office, one aspect of Emine Çarkçıoğlu separates her from the rest of the staff and makes her a bit scary office friend; she truly loves everything do to the with sharks! She proudly says that “I can watch documentaries, movies as poorly as they might have

Office VoicesEmine Çarkçıoğlu Education Projects Manager - Vocational Education & Skills

been made, it doesn’t matter; as long as they have sharks in them, I watch them.”

It is truly difficult to digest the information that this shark lover rocker British Council employee is also a great cook in the kitchen. She strongly believes that she is unbeatable at cooking “zeytinyağlı fasulye and barbunya.” As some her colleagues who are lucky enough to taste her food, it is difficult to contradict her claim; if you are, of course, not up for being fed to the sharks.

Emine is getting ready for the third “İş’te Biz de Varız” challenge which will take place in March 2011. You may want to check out her projects by visiting British Council Turkey website.

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Social Role of MediaBy Turgay Olcayto, Vice President of Turkish Journalists Association

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journalists, journalism students and communication faculties. The editing commission consisted of two academics, one representative from British Council and one representative from TGC, and carried out a meticulous work, completing the “Diversity Guide”. With a tasteful design, the Guide was printed both in Turkish and in English. It was distributed to all newspapers and radio and TV channels in the mainstream media. Furthermore, the Guide was sent to academic members and students of Communication Faculties. Through TGC, the Guide also reached professional organizations and members of local media organizations. Another benefit of this productive collaboration was that it made it clear that there was a need to update and disseminate the Turkish Journalists’ Declaration of Rights and Responsibilities in the light of the inputs from these efforts. Nowadays, TGC’s “Professional Ethics Committee” is working on this matter.

Faced with the rapidly changing technology of our modern times, media is also making a great effort to renew itself. However, there are still some shortcomings in the care it shows to the human element. When working on this Project, we also revealed the truths that will help the media’s perspective on Woman, Child, Gender Discrimination and Identity problems .Looking back, now we see that one leg is still missing: Media’s view on the disabled. I think a joint Project on this matter will fill this gap, further increasing the value of the Diversity Guide.

Turkish Journalists Association (TGC) became a partner in 2006 to the Project launched by BBC World Trust and British Council in 2005 on media’s social role. A commission was set up when the TGC board of directors reached a consensus that such a Project would be useful for the media that influences the public opinion with its news and visuals, and the commission started to work. In the first meeting held in Istanbul-Polonezköy in the January of 2007, editor-level employees of newspapers and televisions, Ombudsmen, managers from TGC and British Council, academics, and representatives from relevant non-governmental organizations were present, along with expert editors from BBC. In the two-day meeting, it came on the agenda to prepare a “Diversity Guide” which journalists would need in informing the public accurately and impartially. The manner of covering sensitive issues such as “Child”, “Woman”, “Gender Discrimination” and “ Identity “ was discussed from different angles. I must say that these discussions were very high quality and fruitful. In the following months, two more meetings were held in Istanbul. An editing committee was set up at British Council in Ankara to prepare a booklet using the inputs from these discussions that could be offered to

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Caroline Finkel on Evliya Çelebi Project

by Dr Caroline Finkel,Honorary Fellow University of Edinburgh & University of Exeter

'That is how they do it, so we cannot criticise it'.Even out of context, these words from the 10-volume Book of Travels of the great Ottoman Turkish scholar and traveller Evliya Çelebi seem like a useful motto for out times. They sum up the values embodied in the British Council's Our Shared Europe project (www.oursharedeurope.org), which proposes that we, people of many cultural identities who live side-by-side, regard one another with tolerance. The OSE project seeks to show us that we share much in the present, as we have in the past, and that we must re-capture this common ground if we are to have a enjoy a stable future. But first we need

to understand one another and the cultures we inhabit. The OSE project has chosen Evliya Çelebi to symbolise this learning process. His is a name familiar to every Turk, for his insatiable curiosity, his spirit of adventure, his openness to whatever came

his way, his originality as a recorder of his times—and much more. These qualities are timeless and will serve us well today, as they did Evliya Çelebi as he roamed the world.

Evliya Çelebi was born in 1611. The coming year is the 400th anniversary of his birth, and has been declared a year of celebration of his life and work by Unesco. Within the framework of the OSE project, the British Council has commissioned an exhibition about Evliya Çelebi and his world, for which I was one of several advisers. The exhibition highlights the cultural artefacts and experiences shared by the British and Ottomans that underpin the British-Turkish relationship in our time. The exhibition has already been shown in London, including at the opening by the President of the Yunus Emre Turkish Cultural Centre, and is now touring

Turkish universities as a one-day display, alongside a panel featuring two speakers—myself discussing Evliya Çelebi as a figure for our times, and European Union specialist Asst Prof. Dr Murat Erdoğan of Hacettepe University.

Our first stop on the tour was Kütahya, chosen because it was Evliya Çelebi's ancestral city, and the local people thus have a particular affection for this remarkable individual. The event was hosted by the Dumlupınar University; Dr Erdoğan and I each spoke for 20 minutes to an audience of some 400 students, leaving an hour for questions. Dr Erdoğan talked about aspects of the EU today, giving essential information that is often overlooked, and showing an array of cartoons that relate to Turkish accession. I emphasised the absolute entitlement of Muslims and Turks to a welcome within today's Europe, since they have had a home there for centuries. Only by knowing about the commerce and cultural exchange between the Ottomans and western states in the past, and the deep contribution to western culture this produced, can we hope to understand the present. This means rejecting the favoured story of opposing Ottoman and European worlds, for ever at war, and preferring instead to contemplate and learn about the history that we share. It is the task of the historian to remind people that we need to focus on the things that unite us, not those that divide us. In the end, there can be no national history, only shared history, because history knows no borders, whether between people or states. This was as true in Evliya Çelebi's lifetime as it is now. The questions from the students were lively. They freely expressed their frustration at the state of Turkey's EU membership process, and wondered if their

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future lay within the alliance. Yet those we spoke to told us they enjoyed the event. For our part, we must hope it exposed them to views of the world that they might not otherwise have encountered. We are sure that it will have encouraged them to reconsider, and to realise that the EU needs them, with their energy and creativity and the particular outlook on the world that their geography and history have formed. As well as looking back in order to understand how we got to where we are today, we need to look forward and work out how we can build a better world for us all.

Evliya Çelebi is a historical figure from what must seem a remote past. But Unesco clearly thinks he has value for today, and so do the devisers of the OSE project. His Book of Travels is part of every Turk's set of references, and his adventurous spirit and compendious knowledge are appreciated by his heirs. In 2009 I participated in a horseback expedition through NW Anatolia that followed the early stages of his pilgrimage to Mecca in 1671—in every village we passed through the villagers knew what he had to say about their place. No historical figure can match him in the Turkish public imagination.

The Book of Travels is a virtual as well as a traditional exhibition (www.thebookoftravels.org). Showing the traditional exhibition around Turkish universities, accompanied by a panel discussion highlighting its relevance, is a very positive

venture, whether the way it wins hearts and minds is measurable or not. A similar exhibition could well be created to represent the relationship between many other countries and Turkey, whether they are European Community members or not. Admirable as it is to show it to Turkish audiences, it is equally important that it be seen by audiences within the EU who urgently need informing about their past and the debt they owe to the non-Christian 'others' with whom they live. The exhibition can be translated into any language and made widely available. After all, Evliya Çelebi travelled through much of Europe, wrote eloquently about what he experienced, and his name is not unfamiliar to many there—Unesco's support will make him even better known.

The disenchantment with the EU ideal articulated by some of the students at Dumlupınar University is hardly to be wondered at, given the slow rate of progress towards membership. This disenchantment is matched by hostile attitudes toward Turkey within the EU and among other candidates. Hence the OSU project. Governments seem incapable of educating their citizens about how we all came to be living alongside people with whom we supposedly have little in common, and the British Council is playing an essential role in enlightening us that we share a long history that can provide a solid foundation for treating one another with greater respect.

Evliya Çelebi was born in 1611. The coming year is the 400th anniversary of his birth, and has been declared a year of celebration of his life and work by Unesco.

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To raise awareness of the rights of disabled people through integrated dance with the support and experience of the UK. Our partners were Turkish Disabled Peoples Confederation; Çankaya Municipality; Gülüm Pekcan & Okyanus (Turkey); Stop Gap-Adam Benjamin (UK).

Devinimler Yaşama Sevinci Dancing Community was set in 2002 in cooperation by British Council, Gülüm Pekcan Dance Theatre, Çankaya Municipality and the Solidarity Association for the Physically Disabled.

The aim was to prove that individuals with and without disabilities can experience and produce together. In this line, disabled individuals with a love of dancing met professional dancers. A quite intensive work schedule of 12 hours a week, divided into 3 days, was started. Under my management, the preparations for the show were also carried out hand in hand with the dance sessions. And finally, after 3 months, a group of 20 participants were on the stage for their first performance. During the dance sessions, British Adam Benjamin, invited by the British Council, organized workshops as guest trainer. In time, the other partners withdrew from the project, and as Gülüm Pekcan Dance Theatre we continued the activities as the main sponsor and manager.

Today, our dance community has left behind 6 years of dancing. We are continuing to express our founding purpose through the performances we stage, through our workshops and also through the television and radio programs in which we appear. Reaching thousands of people, the dancing community has become successful in giving messages, communicating and raising awareness through art. This Project, helping disabled people to courageously take their place in the social life, has also encouraged non-disabled individuals to communicate with disabled individuals.

Integrated Danceby Gülüm Pekcan

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How It All StartedBy Sibel Sagner, Teacher Trainer

I truly believe that working at British Council is the best thing that has ever happened to me  both as an English Teacher and a Teacher Trainer. When I first started, I was asked to set up the Teacher Training Department to reach and train as many

teachers as possible. I do remember that every single day, I was bombarded with numerous phone calls from teachers all over Turkey, all asking for Teacher Training Sessions. That is how we started....I would like to share with you how one of the trainees (Şirin Soyöz)expressed herself after the training sessions. “The main reason why I participated this course is that I see it as a great opportunity to improve myself as a teacher with the magic stick and guidance of my professional teacher trainer, Sibel Sagner and my colleagues. Being an English teacher is a huge responsibility as we deal with two major parameters which are constant but dynamic: language and human factors. ELT has an educational value with a special focus on

guiding learners on their pathway to become autonomous learners. Classroom management is another issue; we, as teachers have to be alert and energetic all the time while creating a positive environment. What about being creative by changing the pace and the types of activities we provide in accordance with the learning styles of our learners! All these seemed very complicated before I took a course at British Council. As our tutor said: A good teacher is actually the one who feels the exhaustion while preparing the lesson but not during the delivery of the lesson. The minute the lesson starts, we are no longer in the driving seat..we are just there as a guide.”

The new global home for English teaching on the web brings together everything busy teachers need, from classroom materials to ideas for development. The site is divided into four main sections: Think, Try, Talk and Transform

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Can you briefly introduce us to Radyo A?

Radio A, the radio station of Anadolu University, was set up on 16 March 1998 as a university radio. Anadolu University has been the biggest supporter in Radyo A’s establishment and its growth through constantly renewing itself. Except for the core group, our team members consist of students from various faculties who have found the opportunity to get radio experience. Radyo A broadcasts 24 hours a day, with 16 hours of it live. As a university radio, Radyo A maintains an alternative broadcasting approach. Our broadcast stream includes varying programs and music genres. Turkish pop songs are featured in programs like Türk Kahvesi; we have Karanlıkta Caz for jazz fans; hits of 60s, 70s and 80s are featured in Turuncu Plak, and our rock program is called  Rock Merkez. We have Devr-i Alem, which covers songs from different languages of the world other than English, and Soundtrack which features soundtrack albums from major movies. These are some of the special music programs currently in our stream.Our programs with narrated content include Aykırı Profil, which introduces the curious lives of prominent names (Ataturk, Mevlana, Picasso, Madam Curie, Barış Manço, Adile Naşit etc.), our cinema program Sekans, our talk show Misafir Odası which hosts important names coming to our university or city, and also Tam Onikiden.

Could you share with us why as Radyo A, the widely known and respected radio channel of the Anadolu University, you chose to include the program Selector in your broadcast stream?

It is possible to say that we have always been “one step ahead” in many areas as a university radio in terms of our technical and broadcasting approach. In addition, Radyo A, the radio

station of Anadolu University, is a university radio that is always open to collaborations and novelties. Hence, when British Council contacted us for the first-time broadcasting of the Selector program in a university radio, I must say we were pretty excited. It was a positive contribution for us that the Selector program

Selector Now on Radio AInterview with Assoc. Prof. E. Özlem Ataman Radyo A Executive Editor

Our listeners can follow the programs of Anadolu University’s radio channel Radyo A on 101.7 in Eskisehir or online from www.radyoa.anadolu.edu.tr.

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took its place in our broadcasting stream as one of our programs conforming to Radyo A’s alternative broadcasting approach.

As British Council Turkey, we wanted to share the Selector program particularly with universities instead of national channels. Considering that you have taken the lead in this initiative, do you think that we have managed to reach university students and local people with the Selector program? Who are the listeners, the audience of Radio A that broadcasts the Selector music program?

Radyo A’s primary target audience is the university students, followed by resident radio listeners who like foreign and alternative music. The Selector program, which we have started to broadcast in cooperation with British Council, is too new both for us and our listeners. In view of our listeners who were in expectation of such an alternative program, the Selector program will no doubt garner huge interest.

By whom and when is the Selector music program aired?

The Selector program is broadcasted on Radyo A every Tuesday on 16.00-18.00. The presenter is Ünal Kirlik, who closely follows up the music world and news.

What other activities would you like British Council to organize for university students?

In fact, British Council can spread the Selector program to all university radios through cooperation, like it did with Radyo A. Other than that, there could be some campus activities. Regarding campus activities, Radyo A is open to cooperation with British Council.

Do you have any joint programs with the radios of foreign universities? What do the university radios in Turkey need most, in terms of support?

Radyo A collaborates not with university radios abroad but with Açık Radyo and Radio 1812. The program Soul Sendikası, broadcasted on Açık Radyo, is also broadcasted on our Radio every week, Sundays at 23.00. With Radio 1812, we made an international radio program to raise awareness on 18 December International Migrants Day. This international radio program project was participated by 243 radio stations from 50 countries. The only radio station from Turkey was Radyo A, the radio station of the Anadolu University.

The biggest support needed by university radios is first of all the support of their own universities, and in this regard, I think Radyo A is very lucky. Unless a university radio cannot be supported technically and in terms of the broadcasting philosophy, I think there would be a vicious circle and the radio would not have the chance to develop and flourish. On the other hand, private radio stations should give a chance to students who have worked at university radios, who have gained a certain experience on radio broadcasting and who wish to do this job. We can say that Radyo A has taken the lead in this regard among many university radios; currently, former Radyo A members are working in many national radio stations, reaching the entire country with their radio programs.

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Music Bestsellers1.Rihanna – Loud2.Plan B – The Defamation of Strickland Banks3.Take That - Progress4.Cee Lo Green – The Lady Killer5.Mumford & Sons -  Sigh No MoreSource: http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/chart/albums

Book Bestsellers 1.Jamie Oliver

Jamie's 30-Minute Meals 2.David Nicholls

One Day3.Emma Donoghue Room

4.Stieg LarssonThe Girl Who Kicked the

Hornets' Nest5.Matthew Johnstone The Alphabet of the Human

Heart

Source: www.amazon.co.uk/gp/

bestsellers/books

Cinema Box Office1.The King’s Speech

2.127 Hours3.Little Fockers

4.Gulliver’s Travel5.The Next Three Day

Source: www.ukfilmcouncil.org.uk

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Special recipes, food for

u p c o m i ng o c ca s i o n s , f e at u re d c h e f s , co ok i ng

techniques.. Find all about the British Food. See more than 250 recipes for January!

www.bbc.co.uk/food/

UK FestivalsFrom Wimbledon to Ascot, the Proms to the Edinburgh Tattoo, there are a range of exciting events throughout the year in Britain which you can plan your holiday around. Source: http://www.visitbritain.com/en/Events/

Museums1.Tate Modern

2.Late night openings 3.V&A

4.British Museum 5.Natural History Museum

Events1.Derren Brown2.Wales (Rugby Union)3.Disney Presents The Lion King4.WICKED: The Hit Musical5.Alan CarrSource: www.ticketmaster.co.uk/section?tm_link=tm_header

All upcoming big events in London from RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch to Imagine Children's Festival Source: http://www.timeout.com/london

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EducationUK Certificate for Agents Online Training

Online Training for Education Advisers: In its 6th year, we have started the training with high participation from Turkey as well as Georgia, Azerbaijan, Armenia and Ukraine on 3rd January. Over 75 candidates registered with the programme in December. The final assessment is due by the end of February. Successful candidates will be awarded with Education UK Certificate in March 2011. This training programme enables agents and college counsellors to effectively promote UK education and provide high-quality information, resources and services to potential international students. The course also develops their skills in finding the information they need and how to regularly update their knowledge.

Climate Arena on the Wheels

British Council’s photography exhibition depicting the effects of climate change in will be in Mersin on January 11, 2011 and in Urfa on January 27, 2011. Along with striking photos documenting the affects of Climate Change in Turkey, Climate Arena, a debate with experts on climate change, will also take place at the same venue and on the same day. Please visit the link to learn more about the upcoming exhibition dates and locations.

International Inspiration Schools Linking

Teachers and Head Masters from 15 schools and 3 Social Services Institutions from the project pilot cities of Mersin,

Trabzon and Ankara will visit Scotland between 15-22 January to start school links.

Launching the website of Social Entrepreneurship

The local social entrepreneur -ship website developed by TUSEV and linking into the global SE site will be launched in January 2011.  The scoping and needs analysis report prepared by TUSEV will be distributed to 8,000 stakeholders in January. 

Selector RadioStay Tuned!

Currently, the Selector Radio programme is being broadcast on Radio A in Eskişehir; on Yaşam Radio in İstanbul, on Radio KTÜ in Trabzon and on Radio Ege Kampüs in İzmir. We are aiming to increase the number of the cities broadcasting the programme and in the following weeks we are planning to include the university radio stations in Ankara, Konya and Antalya.

For further information please visit website.

Gülsün Karamustafa Exhibition

Gülsün Karamustafa completed her residency as part of the My City project at the Vienna Arts Academy. This exhibition will be focusing on her new works developed during her residency period. One of the main newspapers Die Presse already mentioned this exhibition as one of the upcoming important arts activities of 2011 on their Spezial Kultur annex. The exhibition will be held on the 20th of January at Akademie der Bildenden Künste Wien.

3rd module of Social Entrepreneurship training

The 3rd module of Social Entrepreneurship training in Bolu will take place on 20-21 January 2011. The best business plans prepared by the participants of the training sessions will be selected and seed funding will be provided for the plans by the Bolu Governorship.

Book Launch of My City

As part of the My City project there are number of books produced by the participating artists. Güneş Terkol and Leyla Gediz produced books in order to share their residency experiences through exampling photos and drawings of their artistic productions; Minna Henriksson and Joanna Rajkowska produced books as part of their works in Turkey. The books will be launched on the 21st of January at DEPO.

Winter Workshops for Primary School English Teachers in Mardin

Celebrating ELT in Turkey with our Winter Workshops in Mardin.

British Council trainers will be joined by Carol Read, a leading Primary ELT author and Alec Williams, an inspiring storyteller.January 31st-February 1st

ELT Blogathon 2011

This is a blog writing competition for teachers that will be featured on our TeachingEnglish website. It offers a chance to have an expenses-paid trip to IATEFL 2011 in Brighton, UK.

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© British Council Turkeyeditor@britishcouncil.org.tr

+90 312 455 3600

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