41° – 29° Istanbul Network / Young Art and Design Center

Founded by Esra Nilgün Mirze on the occasion that Istanbul’s being a European Capital of Culture, the 41° – 29° Istanbul Network was reinforced even at the founding stage by the appreciation and support letters from Robert Palmer who prepared the European Cultural Capital Report, Vladimir Ashkenazy the renown chief and pianist of the European Union Youth Orchestra, James Wolfensohn the ex-president of the World Bank and Maestro Daniel Barenboim.

The main purpose of the "41 ° -29 ° Istanbul Network" is to constitute bridges of cultures between Istanbul and other European cities, to create long term and permanent cooperation and to support young artists for intercultural interaction. This is also one of the objectives of the European Commission that runs the European Capital of Culture program. 41° – 29° Istanbul Network focuses on making cultural policies that will help attain common grounds with the EU.

The project is given "European Culture Award" by the European Cultural Forum for its contribution to the world peace, young people, mobilization of young artists, development of culture and arts, and intercultural dialogue. In opening cocktail held in 12 September, Dieter Topp the President of the European Cultural Forum officially announced that the 2010 European Cultural Award would be presented to Esra Nilgün Mirze the project's creator and Chairman of 41 ° -29 ° Istanbul Network.

The Mayor synagogue is being anticipated for the center of 41° – 29° Istanbul Network. Nowadays some negotiations are carried out with the Jewish community for reaching out a long-term lease contract. If some sponsorship can be fond, the repair project which is aimed to finish by the end of 2010 will help save a cultural heritage as well as Istanbul will gain a cultural center where the values of European Capital of Culture would be represented in full scale.

Though not acquired a physical location, the 41° – 29° Istanbul Network launched its first projects under the title “PRELUDES” which was introduced to the public by the photograph exhibition "My City My Utopia" at the French Cultural Center on 12 September. The exhibition was realized in cooperation with Gaziosmanpaşa Municipality and Gaziosmanpaşa Behçet Canbaz High School following a workshop held by artists Muammer Yanmaz and Ilgın Eraslan Yanmaz together with four 15 years old high school students.

Within the same scope of cooperation with the French Cultural Center, the Red Light" installation by the French artist Bertrand Ivanoff took place at the same venue. Likewise the outcome of the workshop to be held by Ivanoff with students from Mimar Sinan University will take place in various venues of Istanbul in 2010.

Another “PRELUDE” event of 41° – 29° Istanbul Network was held in cooperation with Esenler Municipality. A choir composed of Esenler residents between the ages of 11 and 45 took on the stage to sing French and Turkish songs. The choir was trained by Bogazici University Choir Conductor Classical Music, Burak Onur Erdem and Choir Chief Veronika Portsmuth from Tallinn 2011 European Capital of Culture.

It is targeted to exhibit the photography and choir works of 41°–29° Istanbul Network in Brussels by 2010.