Working Hours: Mon - Fri 9.00 am - 5.00 pm

About

Turkish-Canadian Society (TCS)

The Turkish-Canadian Society (TCS) is a registered non-profit charitable organization in British Columbia, Canada. The Society focuses on Turkish arts and culture and aims to help build a connected, inclusive, and peaceful society where people share values and care for each other.

Since its foundation in 1963, the Society has organized numerous cultural events, participated in multicultural festivals, concerts, art exhibitions, and collaborated with other organizations (e.g., ATAA, SFUW, VIFF, NWFF, STFF, Seattle TurkFest, Peretz Centre for Secular Jewish Culture, EuroFest). The Turkish-Canadian Society is a proud member of the ATAA UN Committee, which focuses on six pillars of the UN Sustainability Goals.

Our Mission

To increase the public knowledge of contemporary and traditional Turkish art and culture while creating a productive environment, as well as sharing the history and teaching the language, for the enrichment and educational benefit of the people of Canada.

Our Vision

To have a resourceful, compassionate, caring, vibrant community that embraces, nourishes and supports everyone, takes pride and ownership in its cultural roots, and collaborates with other Canadian organizations and charities that share the same foresight.

Vancouver Turkish Film Festival (VTFF), one of the most successful and well-received ethnic film festivals in Vancouver, is a volunteer-based cultural activity of the Turkish-Canadian Society. Turkish Tunes, our community music event, attracts Canadian music lovers by showcasing a wide range of music genres from Anatolia. Turkish-Canadian Society has been honoured to be awarded the BC Arts Council’s Arts Impact Grant for both VTFF and Turkish Tunes. The formal TCS choir, Turkish Choir Ensemble Vancouver, was founded in 2003 and its annual concerts are always a hit. The quarterly online magazine, Toplum, focuses on a specific theme (e.g., sustainability, education, women’s issues, art) for each issue. The TCS Talks is our series of online interviews which started during the Covid-19 pandemic.

In order to honour the 100th anniversary of the Turkish Republic, two events are started in 2023 which will be held annually: An art exhibition by women artists’ on March 8th (Women’s Art on Women’s Day) and Vancouver Ataturk Run in May to commemorate Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founder of modern Türkiye, and to celebrate the Youth and Sports Day. Arts workshops, Turkish folk-dance groups, poetry nights, and Turkish language classes for children are other cultural activities that were held throughout the years.

Turkish-Canadian Society appreciates the exceptional support of our volunteers, community partners, and sponsors for their outstanding contributions.