Currently our team is in research and development of “nolongerland”. “nolongerland” in its dystopian glory, explores the human experience through death, forced identities, intergenerational belief systems, government dogma, work programs, war and the separation of people from country and country from itself. We begin by dissecting the geographic and governmental fall of former Yugoslavia, which serves as a through line for “nolongerland”. Historically and strenuously today, humans are fighting for safety and self-actualization all while the oppression of “an other” refuses to give an inch. Within any good storyline there are heroes, survivors and beautiful rebels who never give up. Celebrate these iconoclasts as they traverse through memory — the uncomfortable and the exquisite — while holding their people’s history and land close to their hearts.
As part of my series about “individuals and organizations making an important social impact”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Ilknur Ozgur.
Ilknur Ozgur is the founder and Executive & Artistic Director of Artstillery, a nonprofit immersive performance art company based in Dallas, Texas. Artstillery is a multidisciplinary arts and social justice organization that uplifts marginalized voices through original immersive productions. In her work Ilknur believes in shattering hierarchical structures created in traditional spaces.
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path and point in your life?
During a recent therapy session I unearthed a memory from my childhood. Today, I watch the memory like a movie clip, I’m not emotionally compromised from it and I can come in and out of it with new insights. Memories are malleable and I know throughout time that the memory has flexed. I was about 7 years old and visiting my grandparents in Skokie, Illinois. Skokie was home to a diverse population of cultures and nearby to the Turkish American Cultural Alliance or TACA. A place where they could go and feel a sense of belonging alongside other Turks. I spent most of my weekends as a child at TACA, it’s where I learned to read and write in Turkish, dance folklore and took lessons in Arabic and studied the Koran.
One weekend afternoon back at my grandparents home, as I watch this memory like a movie, I find myself standing on their front lawn. I watch as police show up at their doorstep, knock on the door and my grandparents open it. I hear what the police are saying and it’s not clear, it’s like gibberish. I think I remember it this way because my grandparents didn’t quite understand what they were saying either. At this time they were still learning the English language.
I see my grandparents becoming very upset and a look of helplessness comes over them. I see my mother running up to the porch from her car to their front door, and she is strong and resolute. The police try to put handcuffs on my grandfather, my sweet elder grandfather who uses a cane to stand steady. Who taught me since my early years to respect and love all religions, as each individual holds their beliefs strong to their hearts, just like Muslims do. That I should go visit my friends’ churches to learn about who they were, and that I could become a better listener and advocate for the human race.
My mother argues with the police. She says words like Muslim, hate, discrimination, not fair, he can hardly stand on his own, you can’t do this. I realize today, that on that day over 30 years ago, our neighbors were scared that a Muslim family lived next door. They called the police and accused my grandfather of something atrocious that he was not physically capable of doing, nor would do at all because they wanted us out of the community.
What my takeaway is, my grandparents in that moment, had no voice.
So, since then, everything I have done in my life from teaching speech communications, performance art, nonverbal communication, public speaking for community and small business owners and then starting Artstillery 6 years ago is all about social justice and a voice for others. Also, a voice for myself.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began leading your company or organization?
In Artstillery history there are a remarkable number of stories I could share. What a beautiful challenge to pick just one. One of the most important lessons I have learned in nonprofit success is relationships. My master’s thesis was on the survival trends of art making organizations in Chicago. I realized that each year the same number of arts organizations existed in the city as the year prior, even though hundreds of new arts organizations were started each year. So you would assume the number of existing arts organizations would grow year to year. However, what I found was that there was an exhaustive list of steps an arts organization had to accomplish to make it to year three. My research had found that an arts organization who made it past year three had the capacity to keep growing as long as they continued to work fiscally, culturally and based on certain relationship models for longevity.
So as arts organizations were formed, they or others would close, keeping the running numbers pretty consistent year to year. For us at Artstillery, we were all sitting together in 2022 and for the first time we actually counted the years we had been in existence. We all sat in silence when we realized it was six years. We then all acknowledged one another and how those that sat before us, had been sitting there since 2016. That we had formed a culture and value system amongst one another through change, being adaptable, iconoclastic and grounded in discovery, that we had survived the three year mark a long time ago. There is natural change that happens in nonprofit, people come and go, mission statements change, goals adjust, skill sets are developed and lessons are learned trial by fire. It’s good to continue to keep moving onward and upward in any situation you face.
It has been said that our mistakes can be our greatest teachers. Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
Our funniest mistake was underestimating ourselves. Before opening the doors to our productions for three years we would always have this moment that was fear based. I have this memory of hugging one of our original tech directors before we opened the doors to a sold out performance of “Dirty Turk aka Dirty Immigrant”. I was terrified. I whispered in his ear, “why did they buy tickets, why are they here, how dare we charge money for this piece we created, what are we doing?” That production ran for two months in 2018 (sold out) and then relaunched as part of the My|Gration exhibit at the Dallas Museum of Art in 2021 and sold out. We have this tremendous team of art makers, architects, engineers and community members that help us create the work. My mistake was fear based thinking, and that as a leader, is infectious and unhealthy for an organization. I’ve changed that now. Everything is based on faith and not fear. Living in fear is silliness and gets us nowhere.
Can you describe how you or your organization is making a significant social impact?
Artstillery provides individuals from marginalized groups with a space and platform to make their voices heard. We do this by working directly with community members by helping them share their own narratives. These interviews are incorporated into an immersive production, also known as an immersive experience. The community narratives we collect are weaved with research, original written pieces by our team, historical documentation and current events to create one original script. This script is our baseline for the immersive productions we create. We at Artstillery are not therapists, we make this clear, but what happens through the work is a form of narrative therapy for attendees.
Can you tell us a story about a particular individual who was impacted or helped by your cause?
“The Generations of Adam” investigated institutionalized patterns of abuse. More specifically, the domestic, spiritual, and political structures that exist to create and maintain control of environments where abuse occurs. Beyond these structural institutions of abuse, Artstillery investigated the concepts of victimization, shame cycles, the meaning of the term ‘patriarchy,’ and how these things participate in the perpetuation of power structures. We at Artstillery are informed of our impact after each performance night. After each performance there are interpersonal conversations that occur between viewer and our team members. In “The Generations of Adam” we were given feedback while the production was happening, as audience members whispered messages in our ears as performers. Viewers begin to understand that what they were watching is not only live, but adaptable and receptive. We were asked to speak additional messages in that given moment, and given new stories to incorporate the next evening. We tackled abortion rights and women in the audience would thank us for speaking to their experiences. We placed into the script a true narrative of a man who was kicked out of his home because he came out to his family, and the performative role was taken on by this individual, which was beyond moving each night he traversed through a narrative that was his. We will never forget his work and the moments we had in rehearsals together and throughout the performance run.
Are there three things the community/society/politicians can do to help you address the root of the problem you are trying to solve?
First, become monthly donors to the organization. They can do this via donor box on our website. Second, know that we are about partnerships. If you see we are working on a project that you have a vested interest in, please contact us (info@artstillery.org). We try to reach out to as many people as we can, but also have to work within the team’s capacity. I have learned that their capacity and mine is very important for our mental health and the health of the organization. When city leaders and politicians have access to relationships that will help us grow, connect us.
Are you working on any new or exciting projects now? How do you think this might help people?
Currently our team is in research and development of “nolongerland”. “nolongerland” in its dystopian glory, explores the human experience through death, forced identities, intergenerational belief systems, government dogma, work programs, war and the separation of people from country and country from itself. We begin by dissecting the geographic and governmental fall of former Yugoslavia, which serves as a through line for “nolongerland”. Historically and strenuously today, humans are fighting for safety and self-actualization all while the oppression of “an other” refuses to give an inch. Within any good storyline there are heroes, survivors and beautiful rebels who never give up. Celebrate these iconoclasts as they traverse through memory — the uncomfortable and the exquisite — while holding their people’s history and land close to their hearts.
What you are doing is not easy. What inspires you to keep moving forward?
Thank you for recognizing that. Every day the answer to this question is different. Today the answer is, because we can.
What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started” and why? Please share a story or example for each.
- Take an accounting class while you were in performing arts school.
- Take a grant writing class during your undergrad and practice, practice, practice.
- Make finance a minor during your performance studies.
- Take another minor in public relations.
- Take another minor in arts administration.
You are a person of enormous influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂
That all arts programming across the world begins to incorporate business training classes into their curriculum.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
“Never speak poorly of someone unless they are there to represent themselves”
This was taught to me by Assistant City Manager Liz Cedillo-Pereira. There will always be messages and ideas out there about you. You will always have opportunities to speak poorly about others in your circles, or place your ideas on their character to others. Yet, we do this, when that said person is not there to represent themselves. Then we think we will feel better after we do it. However, I never remember a time when I did “feel” better. I never felt better after this behavior, it just fueled a negative spirit inside of me. It didn’t put out any mental fires. I never felt less wronged by a situation. I never felt “wow feel this peace in my spirit”. So, I just don’t do it.
I thank Liz Cedillo-Pereira for placing this challenge in my humanity before me, it has changed my life.
Is there a person in the world, or in the US with whom you would like to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we tag them. 🙂
I don’t have an answer to this question. Never thought through this one.
How can our readers further follow your work online?
Instagram and facebook — @artstillery
Text the word Artstillery to 85100, and then confirm
Sign up for our bi-monthly email blasts via our website
This was very meaningful, thank you so much. We wish you only continued success on your great work!
Social Impact Heroes: Why & How Ilknur Ozgur of Artstillery Is Helping To Change Our World was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.