Software-backed system to compile cultural memory

ANKARA

The Cultural Civilization Foundation (KÜME) launched the ODAK project, making the first step to build a long-term cultural memory by systematically compiling cultural and artistic activities produced in Türkiye.

According to a statement from the foundation, cultural and arts events taking place in Türkiye are being recorded for the first time by a software-supported and continuously updated system. ODAK is designed not only as a compilation of cultural production but also as a data-driven, analyzable and sustainable monitoring infrastructure.

The project aims to make cultural production visible within a holistic framework by tracking activities in the field of culture and arts across Türkiye on a daily basis. Through specially developed software infrastructure, more than 200 web sources nationwide are regularly scanned and events are compiled in an updated data pool.

Beyond a printed publication, the project continues throughout the year with an openly accessible digital platform. Developed specifically for ODAK, the platform offers a dynamic structure that continuously monitors, updates and archives cultural and artistic events across the country. Thanks to its software infrastructure, the platform scans hundreds of different sources at regular intervals, recording cultural production in real time.

The digital platform, available at odak.kumevakfi.org, serves as a comprehensive reference point that gathers information in one place, allowing users to follow events by city, filter them by specific periods or artistic disciplines and compare cultural intensity throughout the year.

Data collected on the platform undergoes an editorial evaluation process and is transformed into an analyzable dataset. It serves as a digital archive enabling retrospective analysis, identification of trends and monitoring of transformations in the cultural and arts field.

The platform is expected to expand with additional data sources. One of the project’s first outputs, the book “ODAK 2025,” presents a selected compilation of the data collected and processed throughout the year. The publication serves as a printed output of the ongoing digital monitoring process and offers a visible panorama of a year in culture and the arts.

Through ODAK, KÜME aims to make data produced in the cultural and arts field a reference source for academia, public institutions and sector stakeholders. By providing an infrastructure that can be used in areas ranging from cultural policies to strategic planning, the project establishes a long-term cultural memory.