Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
Diğer, ss.1-11, 2025
Yıldız Kenter and her brother received the İlhan İskender Cup in 1960 for their excellent acting work. She received this distinction once more in 1962 and Turkish Women’s Association crowned her as Woman of the Year in 1963. Kenter made good use of this symbolic capital when she approached the Rockefeller Foundation again, in 1963. In a letter to Robert W. Crawford, one of the assistant directors of the Humanities and Social sciences division of the Foundation, she stated how keen she was to keep abreast of American theatre developments which she had not been able to see in person since 1955. Yet, she underlined that she managed to stay current of undertakings in major European theatre centres including Edinburgh, London, Paris and Stratford, thanks to sojourns paid from her own funds. Because she was now teaching at the İstanbul Conservatory, she thought it was time to visit university theatres in U.S.A. to observe rehearsals, classes, as well as acting and stage techniques. The best moment for her would be July 1963, following her Anatolian tour. Moreover, she wanted to go with her brother Müşfik Kenter. Kenter concluded her letter by highlighting her aforementioned awards8.
The Rockefeller Foundation officers agreed, considering that this tour would enhance the Kenters Turkish theatre work through the combination of domestic traditions with international insights. They were given a grant to visit theatrical centers in Europe, the United States, and Canada for as much as 92 days, beginning July 1, 1963. Kenter’s own terms were used almost literally in the Foundation Annual Report.