WHO WE ARE
Fotohane DARKROOM is a community-based and participatory arts project based in Mardin, Türkiye, mere kilometers from the Syrian border. During our workshops, children from diverse backgrounds – Syrian, Iraqi, Turkish, Kurdish – are encouraged to relate to each other and the world around them through the visual medium of analog photography.
OUR VALUES
We strive to create a safe and imaginative space where children can build friendships, expand their perspectives, and find healing through self-expression. The darkroom is founded on the fundamental belief in photography as a universal and therapeutic language, where children can experiment freely and engage in self-discovery.
OUR APPROACH
In our workshops, children are given analog cameras and taught to shoot, develop, and print their own photographs. We support their autonomy by prioritizing hands-on learning and adopting a do, don’t tell mentality. Our workshops are thereby exploratory in nature, prompting children to learn from one another and through personal experimentation. Learn more.
Meet the Team
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Serbest Salih is the co-founder and director of Fotohane DARKROOM, where he creates inclusive workshop curricula that integrates emotional expression, social connection, and the documentation of personal and collective memory. Born in Kobani, Syria, he’s run analog photography workshops for displaced youth since 2015.
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Amar Kılıç is the co-founder and director of Fotohane DARKROOM, where he leads analog photography workshops for children and youth in southeastern Turkey. Drawing from his personal practice, he teaches darkroom development, printing, and alternative processes to encourage youth to creatively document their lives.
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Hayriye Ataç, Program Coordinator, supports the development and implementation of our workshops and programs. In this role, she represents Fotohane across NGO networks in Turkey, while contributing to the identification and acquisition of grants and other funding opportunities.
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Izabel Della Siepe, curatorial and communications lead, oversees the development of the project’s voice and presence across multiple platforms. She plays a key role in shaping the written language that defines our project and oversees the physical preservation of Fotohane’s photographic archive.
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Aylin Şancı, visual content designer, plays a key role in shaping Fotohane’s conceptual design and communications strategy across digital platforms. She manages our digital presence through social media content, reports, presentations, and misc. graphics, ensuring each element reflects the project’s visual identity.
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Abdurrahman Kaya is a policy and advocacy associate at Fotohane DARKROOM, where he contributes his expertise in child protection, safeguarding, and social policy to support the development of ethical and inclusive practices.
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Esengül Avşar Kılıç, treasurer, oversees Fotohane’s financial and administrative operations. Drawing on her background in business administration, she ensures that all financial processes are conducted with precision, integrity and care.
Fotohane DARKROOM is continually grateful to our past and present network of collaborating artists and volunteers.Büşra Akgeyik
Osman Aşlamacıer