BILSEM students Esin Umay Diktaş and Çınar Fakçı won first place in the 16-18 age category at the 2026 World Youth Art Competition, which brought together young artists from different countries around the world. Other works prepared by BILSEM students throughout the year were presented to the audience as part of the End of the First Semester Event held in Narlıdere.
At the 2026 World Youth Art Competition, which brings together young artists from different countries around the world, BILSEM students Esin Umay Diktaş and Çınar Fakçı were awarded first place in their respective age categories. Comprising renowned artists, art academics, and industry professionals, the jury evaluated the works based on technical mastery, expressive power, stylistic accuracy, emotional conveyance, and creative presentation. This achievement demonstrated that the artistic productions of BILSEM students resonate on international platforms as well.
Young Authors Met with Their Readers
At the same time, artworks created over the course of the first semester by students enrolled at the Arkas Science and Art Center under the mentorship of their teachers in the fields of painting, music and literature, were presented to parents and guests through an exhibition, concert and signing event organized within the scope of the “End of the First Semester Event” at the Narlıdere Atatürk Cultural Center. The event combined the students’ semester-long output within an interdisciplinary program.
As part of the event, Deniz Karaboz, Elvin Sağlam, Zeynep Turan, Sevde Özçelebi, and Arya Ergin, who published their books under the guidance of Turkish language and literature teacher Ali Can Kayaş, met with their readers and signed their books. Esra Çiğdem, whose book was published under the mentorship of Turkish teacher Ebru Taşkıran Özdemir, also took part in the book-signing event. Some of the students’ books are available for sale via Kitapyurdu.
Art Exhibition and Concert Held Together
The painting exhibition, curated under the supervision of visual arts teacher Engin Çetinkaya, presented works showcasing the students’ creativity and artistic viewpoints, and the concert program, prepared under the guidance of music teachers Yaprak Hazman Başdek and Filiz Şahin Gürsoy, formed the finale of the event. The students’ on-stage performances met with audience interest.
Narlıdere District Governor Kadir Taner Eser and District Director of National Education Zeynep Başdaş participated in the program and met with students and teachers.
BILSEM institutions are independent special education institutions affiliated with the Ministry of National Education, established to provide out-of-school support education for students who continue their formal education and are identified by experts as having special abilities in general (intellectual) ability, visual arts, or music, enabling them to develop their talents. As of today, “Arkas BILSEM,” one of Türkiye’s 363 BILSEM institutions and one of the 15 in Izmir, has been continuing its educational activities since 2020 in a building donated by Arkas on the campus of Arkas Narlıdere Vocational and Technical Anatolian High School.
