TWPA Festival of Creativity! British Turkish Cypriot Community Celebrates Art, Culture, and Heritage

AVRUPA TIMES-The Turkish Women’s Philanthropic Association (TWPA) hosted its annual Festival of Creativity last weekend — a vibrant celebration of art, writing, music, and culture that brought together the British Turkish Cypriot community and its friends.
Held at Hornsey Parish Church in North London, the festival aimed to inspire creativity and self-expression across generations, encouraging participants to explore their inner passions, joys, and feelings while celebrating their heritage. 

A Celebration of Expression and Heritage
The festival was designed by TWPA Chair Seyyare Beyzade to inspire the diaspora of British Turkish Cypriots—and indeed everyone—to dare to imagine, create from the heart, and express emotions ranging from joy and love to sorrow and pain. The event also complemented TWPA’s year-long Art and Creative Writing competitions, showcasing entries from talented community members.
“The Festival of Creativity was about expression — about having the courage to be yourself and share what’s inside, while honouring our heritage,” said Beyzade. “It was incredible to see generations come together, creating, performing, and celebrating everything that makes us unique.”

Interactive Community Activities
The festival featured a rich variety of interactive experiences designed for all ages:
    •    Community Wall: Attendees added their own words, drawings, and reflections to a shared wall, creating a living artwork that captured the collective spirit of the community.
    •    Community Canvas: Individuals contributed to a large collaborative painting, experimenting with color and technique to create a shared expression of creativity.
    •    Koza Jewellery Stand & Exhibition: Artisan Ayşe İbrahim showcased unique Koza artwork and jewellery-making demonstrations.
    •    Live Music and Participation: İbrahim Mani performed on the saz, with Mutlu, Mine, and Eral Beyzade on the davul, encouraging attendees to sing and jam along. Several davuls and tambourines were available for everyone to join in.
    •    Exhibition Honouring Turkish Cypriot Artists & Writers: From the Ottoman era to contemporary Turkish Cypriots worldwide, this exhibition highlighted how art and literature shape cultural identity and inspire new generations.
    •    Creative Writing & Art Displays: Entries from the competitions were displayed for everyone to enjoy prior to the prize-giving ceremony.

Additionally, children from Hornsey Atatürk Turkish School and Ali Rıza Degirmencioğlu Turkish Schoolperformed traditional folk dances, delighting the audience. Attendees could also enjoy traditional Turkish Cypriot food, and Sonay Yacup Yacupsoy read an original story written specially for the event, along with selected readings from the creative writing competition.

Judging and Awards
Entries for the art and writing competitions were judged anonymously by panels of professionals from the creative industries, ensuring fairness and impartiality. Judges included Deniz Özalp, Semra Eren-Nijhar, Ali Uysal, Suzan Darbaz, Sonay Yakup Yakupsoy, Arzu Shevket, and Fusun Dedazade. Winners were announced during an afternoon prize-giving ceremony, with organisers praising the high standard of entries and congratulating all participants for their creativity and effort.

Community Spirit and Looking Ahead
The festival also recognised the invaluable support of TWPA Trustee volunteers, including Havva Beyzade, Semahat Mustafa, Ayşe Osman (compere), Fatoş Djahit, Nesrin Nevzat, Peri Mehmet, Sonay Yacup Yacupsoy, Serife Ayvaz, and Ayşe Mitoglu.
A TWPA spokesperson said, “It was a true celebration of creativity and community spirit. We’re already looking forward to next year’s festival.”