Digital Bridges

The « Digital Bridges » project:

The “Digital Bridges” project aims at giving an innovative dimension to the cultural dialogue between Turkey and EU, by using the new technologies of information and communication and the new types of media. The more concrete contribution of this project to the dialogue between EU and Turkish civil society is the setting-up of a transnational multimedia cyber-platform enabling young journalists, cultural operators, artists and public opinion to dialogue on culture-related themes and events and promoting e-journalism. Throughout the duration of the project (until February 2011), this platform will relay the work of multicultural teams of French, Romanian and Turkish students in journalism that will cover, analyse, and produce multimedia contents about several major cultural events. The “Digital Bridges” cyber platform is the first step for the creation, at the end of the project, of a new Turkish-European hub of cultural innovative communication that based in Eskisehir for training the young generations to the new forms of journalism.

Approach:

Our approach is motivated by two main observations: Firstly, the role of the media is of paramount importance for the shaping of public opinions and influencing national debates. Therefore, it is a necessity to involve them in the dialogue between civil societies and cooperate with them to broaden and strengthen the cultural cooperation between Turkey and EU countries. Secondly, the new information and communication technologies are nowadays playing a major role in connecting people beyond borders and allowing transnational debates, relations and cooperation at the grass-root level.

Aims :

• Promoting mutual understanding and cooperation between the EU members states’ and Turkey’s civil societies
• Taking advantage of the new technologies of information and communication for promoting transnational civil society dialogue
• Stressing out common cultural heritage and similarities between Turkish and EU member states’ cultures
• Promoting new kinds of journalism (e-journalism, European journalism, cultural journalism) that can contribute to intercultural dialogue
• Ensuring dialogue between young people, artists, cultural operators and media

Main activities:

• Setting-up and running of a multimedia cyber-platform enabling young journalists, cultural operators, artists and public opinion to dialogue on culture-related themes and events and promoting e-journalism
• Coverage of the three European Capitals of Culture 2010 : Istanbul , Essen and Pécs by Turkish, Romanian and French students in journalism
• Coverage of the Turkish cultural season in France (1^st July 2009 – 31^st March 2010) by Turkish, Romanian and French students in journalism to enable the Turkish Cultural Season in France to have a Europe wide impact outside of the French frontiers.
• Organization of a conference on European Common Cultural Heritage at the Anadolu University
• Coverage of the implementation of other cultural activities carried out in Turkey by the cultural institutes/ offices of EU member states
• Creation of partnerships between European online media/networks

Planning of Digital Bridges activities

Partnerships:

Project contractor:

• French Cultural Institute of Ankara

Partners

• ESJ (School of Journalism) of Lille (France)
• Anadolu University of Eskisehir (Turkey)
• University of Bucharest (Romania)

Associates:

• TRT
• Dimitrie Cantemir – Romanian Cultural Institute of Istanbul,
• French Cultural Institute Istanbul
• French Cultural Institutes Izmir

Contact person:

Philippe Maurel
Project Coordinator
Tel: +90 312 431 50 55
Fax: +90 312 433 05 00
E-mail: philippe.maurel@ifturquie.org