Northern Cyprus has a large and broad local artistic community, however information on its activities, exhibitions and projects can be hard to find and without an easy access to it, it might as well be on other planet.
Here German artist Heidi Trautmann guides us through safely…..

Some Summer Thoughts and Hot Ideas of Entertainment

“For all those who have stayed behind in Cyprus struggling with the heat instead of enjoying an occasional downpour of good cold rain and temperatures ranging weekly between 8 and 32° C in the middle European countries:

It is the first time that we have thought of having air condition installed in just one room of the house but bravely I said NO! We will get so used to it that we will not leave the cooled-down room. So we continue to look for the slightest breeze and have siestas! (Or take the car and do some shopping which is cooler but more expensive).

The evenings are a true relief and then we look for entertainment with a fresh breeze:
We went to see Dance of Cyprus (below), There are more performances to follow.

It is a good season for evening entertainments in the open air, and there Kyrenia starts to take a leading role with its great Amphitheatre, but please do not forget to take cushions with you – although there are some offered to hire for the evening as I remember from last time.

Fantastic! We will have Carmina Burana here beginning of September. So look out for tickets.

On Thursday, August 6, there will be a performance by the Municipality Theatre of Istanbul with the play “The Master of Istanbul” at the Kyrenia Amphitheatre, tickets available at the Municipality.

There are regular concerts given at the Büyük Han in Nicosia, inside and outside of the building during different hours of the day until late at night, chamber, pop, jazz, latin. When you pass there, ask! Don’t forget to try the handmade börek, or visit my ceramic friends on the first floor, or any of the other handicraft shops.
On Saturday mornings my friend Mehmet Ertug (pictured below), the last puppeteer, will give you the news of the day with the help of Karagöz.

And we enjoyed an evening at the coast at Silver Rocks Restaurant (Lapta); how pleasant, the new owner has built a wide platform closer to the sea and there you get the full breeze plus sun set, you hear the waves splash onto the rocks and all is set to get romantic without sweating. Quite a different atmosphere to the old Shirley Valentine, and food and service are very good.

In the art scene nothing much is on the agenda;  I wanted to go and finally visit the TRNC Art Collection at the Ismet Güney Art Centre, but – I don’t know what made me call the Cultural Department to confirm the viewing times – it is closed until September for the summer holidays! From then on – as usual: Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays, but I will in due time reconfirm the information.

I have been talking to our theatre people from the Lefkosa Belediye Theatre; they have nearly finished setting up the 2009 theatre festival programme with established theatre groups from Turkey who between September 2 and 26 will perform at the Atatürk Cultural Centre at the Near East University. Good theatre is to be expected, and for good theatre you don’t have to understand every word. I am certainly going. As soon as I have the programme complete with all the details I will let you know.

As from September on the art scene will become active again, sidestreets with their Kyrenia activities, art exhibitions are planned, concerts given.

In the meantime, make the best of the heat, look for a shady place under a tree and read good books – why not something by Cypriot Turkish writers? Contemporary literature and poetry! …..and perhaps the ice-cream man comes by again with his car: Ding-a-ling-a-ling.”

Read all about the festivals and more about art and culture in www.heiditrautmann.com under Art News – Cultural Events – Latest Adventures.