Founded upon the help announcements from the ceramicists whose workshops and houses were under fire hazard during the forest fires started in August and couldn't be extinguished for days, the Ceramic Solidarity Platform started as a small collegiality but grew into a great unity of love. Now, the platform began to provide rehabilitation support through art to kids affected by the fire.
Prof. TUGRUL EMRE FEYZOGLU
Upon the help announcements from the ceramic artists whose workshops and houses were under fire hazard during the fires started as of by August 1st 2021 and took for days impacting many residential areas as well as the forests of our country, Ceramic Solidarity Platform has been founded by the Hacettepe University FAF Ceramic Department Lecturer Prof. T. Emre Feyzoglu and begun to spread around Turkey after the participations of MeClay Ceramic Workshop founder Muge Eryılmaz and ceramic artist Alev Oskay from Istanbul.
Founded over social media with a fully amateur approach and linked to no institution nor organization at all, the Platform was at first step seeking to meet the urgent help requests of Pinar Balkan from Marmaris Hisaronu and Bagdegul Demirturk from Bodrum Mazi and then assumed the duty of supporting the relief attempts by Tarik Kartal from Bodrum Umurca, Atila Gedik from Marmaris Armutalan, Safak Ucman from Datca and Gulden Yeginaltay from Manavgat. Founded on Whatsapp - a social communication media, the Platform has reached to lots of ceramic artists in a short time and grew rapidly and functions beyond expectations with the great interest and support from our colleagues.
The Platform, with participants' suggestions and incoming requests, has first tried to supply the materials needed for fire respond and with the participation and support of companies that immediately accept to take part such as Kalaclar (Murat Kalaclar), Refsan (Gokhan Karaaslan), Metin Ozgüven Work Safety Materials (Metin Ozguven) and Graser (Sebahattin Gundogdu) and the devotion and encouragements of the platform members, has ensured the delivery of materials such as fireproof shoes, fireproof gloves, walky-talky, fireproof blanket, arm-band, headlamp, helmet, chargeable flashlight, active carbon mask, alkaline battery, fireproof overalls, megaphone, fire extinguisher and safety googles requested and may be needed by our colleagues in Marmaris Hisaronu, Bodrum Mazi, Bodrum Umurca and Datca at first.
And upon the request of participating from the students having ceramic education all over Turkey, Ceramic Student Solidarity Platform has also been established within the same period and with Hacettepe University FAF Ceramic Department Doctor of Arts Student Hilal Kucuk taking the responsibility, this group has met Gulden Yeginaltay's 'sanitary' request from Manavgat and sent materials to this area such as plenty amount of diapers, toilet papers, paper towels, wet wipes, women's pads, cologne.
Post-fire rehabilitation through art
After being able to extinguish the fire although it's late and our colleagues Pınar Balkan and Bagdagul Demirturk getting over the fire with the minimum material damage possible, these friends of ours have been contacted again, and as a platform we have supported their request for "Rehabilitation Through Art" to kids who were affected by the fire in their region and lived the dread and we have ensured the delivery of materials to both regions such as plenty amount of various ceramic sludges, modelling pens, turnets, rolls, ceramic dyes, glazes, dyeing aprons, acrylic dyes, canvases, brush kits and palettes. Both our colleagues will be conducting this work in secondary schools in their regions. In order to keep supporting this purpose and ensure the continuous sustainability of ceramic practices by our children in these regions, with the latest supports from its' members, our platform has sent a ceramic kiln to the school in Bodrum Mazi with the support of Refsan and is working to be able to send a same one to the school in Hisaronu.
Ceramic Solidarity Platform has first started as a small collegiality and later turned into a great unity of love with the participations of our connoisseur artists and teachers, academicians, students, workshops, companies and many voluntary people. Many participants have left the communication network after they provided their contributions and made room for new participants but they have also continuously followed the process and endeavored to make their connections be a part of this. There are many heroes whose names should be memorized in here. But it's not possible to write each one of them. Expecting their understanding, we express our endless thanks to all participants who have been a hero of this platform.
