Building Peace Through Art: Istanbul 2027

Hello, dear friend and supporter! We have such gratitude for your ongoing belief in and support of BW artists and their creative activist journey to change themselves, their communities, and our world. We want to send you some updates.

We are pleased to announce that for the 2026 Summit, we have assembled impactful partnerships with the Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Art, the Hisar School’s Kalem Academy for Writing, and UFI Middle East and Northern Africa.

Additionally, young people from both the Turkish and Iraqi communities living and studying in Istanbul are applying to become 2026 Istanbul artists!

We want to be honest: Bringing our International Intercultural Summit to life is more expensive than ever. Inflation, fuel prices, and global tensions are having a profound effect on every single line item of our budget. We’re a small but mighty organization with a strong commitment to underwriting the travel costs for the amazing young people who are passionate about attending. Breaking Walls also covers all in-country expenses, including accommodations, three nutritious meals daily, cultural explorations, and the culminating performance of the multidisciplinary art created during the Summit for every young person and adult Director Team member. 

It’s important to BW’s Board of Directors and to me that you’re aware we are diligently monitoring the global situation regarding travel safety and staying in Istanbul, and that we're in constant contact with the parents of the young people attending.

To reinforce why we host our Summits, and it’s more important than ever that 2026 Istanbul becomes a reality, Tangier Artist Moha Shares His Excitement for 2026 Istanbul Summit

“As the 2026 Breaking Walls Summit in Istanbul draws closer, I feel that familiar inner spark slowly turning into a wildfire—the kind of energy only this community knows how to awaken. July feels both close and impossibly far. I’m beyond thrilled to return to a space that feels like home the moment we gather, to reconnect with the family, and to be surrounded again by that rare sense of safety, warmth, and creative freedom. I can’t wait to welcome new voices—especially Turkish artists—into this shared circle built on Connect, Create, Change. I know there will be conversations that heal, silences that speak, and art that emerges naturally, the way it always does when hearts meet before expectations.

I’m just as excited for what this summit will reveal in me. Every Breaking Walls gathering has helped me discover parts of myself I didn’t know were waiting—through collaboration, vulnerability, and the courage to take up space. I look forward to writing new songs, sharing stories, learning from artists who turn lived experience into impact, and reviving the deep bonds formed over years of shared creation. I’m certain Istanbul will be another turning point—a chapter where growth, connection, and purpose intertwine once more. Stepping into this next summit, I do so with gratitude and an open

Links:

• 2026 Istanbul Summit in Istanbul
• Moha and Imane, Tangier Artists, Talk BW!

To prepare for our 2026 in-person Summit in Istanbul, we gathered as a virtual creative community.

Being part of the two-day virtual Summit this year brought me back to what first drew me to Breaking Walls in 2019: the mix of honesty, discipline, and shared purpose that pushes every participant, artist, and mentor to show up fully.

Even though the Summit was online, the energy was very real. You could feel the anticipation from Day 1: cameras turning on, people adjusting to the space, everyone trying to understand the group’s tone and rhythm. That early tension was the natural pressure that comes when young artists enter a space where they know they’ll be asked to think deeply and express themselves openly.

What stood out to me most was the balance between structure and freedom.

The ensemble-building exercises bridged the gap created by the screen. The writing prompt pushed everyone to clarify their thoughts. The breakout rooms fostered honest, focused work. And throughout it all, the mentors kept a strong, steady presence, helping the artists bring out their best without taking over their process.

For me, the experience felt like reconnecting with a part of my Breaking Walls journey. I remembered what it felt like to be the young artist trying to understand my own voice. Now, returning as someone who has grown within this community for 7 years, I can see the transformation, not just in myself but in the way Breaking Walls continues to evolve.

Over both days, what I valued most was the environment: open, challenging in the right ways, supportive without overdoing it, and honest enough to allow real conversations. The tension between artists and mentors was productive, leading to better work, clearer thoughts, and stronger relationships.

This experience reminded me why I continue to choose art as a language: it forces me to stay honest. It pulls me into conversations I didn’t know I needed. It connects me to people I wouldn’t have met otherwise.

And keeps me believing that art continually builds something human, truthful, and necessary.

We are all eager to join together in person in Istanbul this July!

Imane, Tangier Delegation