Türkiye seeks to revive boarding conservatories to expand arts education

MUĞLA

Turkish cultural authorities are pushing to revive the tradition of boarding conservatories as part of efforts to make arts education more accessible across the country, especially for students from remote regions.

Tan Sağtürk, director general and artistic director of the Turkish State Opera and Ballet, said the move would allow conservatories to serve as national institutions rather than local ones.

“Without boarding options, these schools end up catering only to students living nearby,” he told the press during the 22nd International Bodrum Ballet Festival in the southwestern province of Muğla. “But conservatories should belong to all of Türkiye.”

Sağtürk, who attended the state conservatory in the capital Ankara as a boarding student, recalled how the system once brought together young talents from every corner of the country.

In the past, major state conservatories in Türkiye operated as boarding schools. These institutions provided intensive, long-term training in disciplines like ballet, music and theater, starting from a young age.

Students were admitted through talent-based exams and often relocated from distant provinces to attend.

Over time, however, many of these boarding units were phased out, limiting access for students from outside the immediate region.

Sağtürk noted that he had discussed the issue with the Education Ministry, university rectors and other higher education officials.

“We must reactivate the boarding programs within conservatories affiliated with universities. Otherwise, talented children from smaller cities or villages won’t have a chance unless their families can afford to relocate with them,” he explained.

In parallel with these structural proposals, Sağtürk said they began identifying and evaluating promising young artists across the country through fieldwork in fine arts high schools.

As part of this initiative, they launched an opera and ballet festival that began in the southeastern province of Şırnak and toured 23 cities with relatively limited exposure to live performing arts.

The second edition is already in the works.

“We also organized a concert titled ‘All My Hope Lies in Youth’ in Istanbul, in collaboration with students from these schools. It was incredibly moving,” he said.

Sağtürk added that audience numbers for the state opera and ballet have doubled in the last year and a half, despite global challenges.

“That’s a remarkable achievement. It shows that we’re in the middle of a genuine arts movement in Türkiye,” he noted.