STORY: Turkish ceramist offers artistic solace to patients
SHOOTING TIME: May 23, 2024
DATELINE: May 24, 2024
LENGTH: 00:03:34
LOCATION: Ankara
CATEGORY: HEALTH

SHOTLIST:
1. various of people suffering from various health issues finding therapeutic solace in ceramic art in Türkiye 
2. SOUNDBITE 1 (Turkish): DUYGU KAVUKCU, Ceramic artist
3. SOUNDBITE 2 (Turkish): DEMET ULUDAG, 53-year-old breast cancer survivor
4. SOUNDBITE 3 (Turkish): CEYDA YILMAZ, 23-year-old university student suffering from anxiety

STORYLINE:

People suffering from various health issues are finding therapeutic solace offered by a female Turkish ceramist willing to go the extra mile for those in need of inner well-being and emotional support.

In a small studio in the distant Batikent district of Türkiye's capital city Ankara, a cheerful group of participants engage in small talk as they work on different ceramic objects.

SOUNDBITE 1 (Turkish): DUYGU KAVUKCU, Ceramic artist
"We want people who participate in our courses to socialize, find themselves, and forget their grievances through clay art. We have witnessed that art therapy is a method of treatment for a patient or a person suffering from an ailment. Doctors and psychiatrists also support this argument. It's not only cancer patients, but we also have participants suffering from epilepsy or muscular diseases, and they all say that they find themselves in the art."

Kavukcu is now offering sessions that appeal to the souls of people with a range of conditions, including cancer and anxiety.

Demet Uludag, a 53-year-old mother of two, had been withdrawn from family and friends while she received chemotherapy for breast cancer diagnosed back in 2017.

However, she said her mood had significantly changed since she started molding clay and making ceramic objects.

SOUNDBITE 2 (Turkish): DEMET ULUDAG, 53-year-old breast cancer survivor
"Clay molding has become a therapy for my soul. You cannot battle cancer only with pills and medication. When your soul and your morale are lifted, you become more resilient to cancer. I recommend this form of therapy not only for sick people but for everyone because we are surrounded constantly by stress."

According to Ceyda Yilmaz, a university student struggling with anxiety and diagnosed with attention deficiency as a child, the process of working with clay is transformative.

SOUNDBITE 3 (Turkish): CEYDA YILMAZ, 23-year-old university student suffering from anxiety
"I have been suffering since my childhood from attention deficiency and 3 years ago, I was diagnosed with anxiety. Doing ceramics has helped me a lot in surmounting my psychological issues. I have learned to focus and stay at the moment. These sessions helped me to rebuild my self-confidence. We meet new people here and create something that boosts one's self-confidence."

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Ankara.
(XHTV)