What is LocalsDo
The part that starts after the workshop.
LocalsDo is the group around Istanbul Workshops. These are people who met at a table and kept meeting after it. Not a membership. Just a name for something that was already happening.
This is
LocalsDo Community
We walk the city together a few times a month. Anyone can come.
Open to anyone who has been to a workshop with us, and to anyone who has not.
Places we keep coming back to
- BalatPhoto walks
- PeraExhibition visits
- KaraköyPop-up events
- KuzguncukPicnics
- KadıköyCity discoveries
What is Community
A city, and the people in it.
Photo walks, picnics, exhibition visits, pop-up evenings. A few times a month, in different parts of Istanbul. You come for a craft. You leave with a city.
Who is it for
Anyone who turns up.
Open to anyone who has joined a workshop with us, and to anyone who has not. You do not need experience or equipment. Your Turkish or English does not have to be perfect.
What ties it together
Four things run through everything we do. They are warm, authentic, cultural and welcoming.
Warm
This is Turkish hospitality. We look after whoever walks in, whether it is their first meetup or their tenth.
Authentic
No performance. Just real places, real craft, and people who live here.
Cultural
Every meetup carries a piece of Istanbul. This city is layered. East and West have always shared a table here.
Welcoming
You do not need a plus-one. You do not need perfect Turkish or any experience. Turning up is enough.
WHAT WE DO
Beyond the workshop
Different fields, same group. Something new goes on the calendar every few weeks. The idea comes from members as often as it comes from us.
Photo walks
Cameras, phones, whatever you have. We walk a neighbourhood together and take photos. Balat, Kuzguncuk, the back streets of Karaköy.
Pop-up events
One-off evenings that do not fit any other box: a tasting, a small concert, or a makers' night in a borrowed space for one night.
Picnics
A blanket, a hill facing the Bosphorus, and everyone bringing something. This is the simplest thing we do, and usually the best attended.
Exhibition visits
Museums, biennial venues, gallery openings. We go together. Then we take a coffee and talk about it.
City discoveries
This is the Istanbul that is not on the postcards. A market at opening hour, a ferry at the right time of day, a neighbourhood a local wants to show off.
Helping each other
The quiet part: a flat to find, a language to practise, a portfolio to review, a hand on moving day. The network is the point.
Meetups
Meetups appear here once they are announced. The group hears first.
PastPAPER FLOWER BOUQUET WORKSHOP
29 Aug · Istanbul Workshops Studio
See how it went
PastCOLOR HUNTING PHOTOWALK/KUZGUNCUK
22 Aug · Kuzguncuk/Üsküdar
See how it went
PastTOTE BAG PAINTING WITH THE TRADITIONAL PATTERNS POP-UP WORKSHOP
13 Aug · Istanbul Workshops Studio
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PastFOOD IS THE TICKET: POP UP WORKSHOP- STAINED GLASS “THE CATS OF ISTANBUL”
9 Jul · Istanbul Workshops Studio
See how it went
How it works between us
Four things. That is the whole rulebook. They are what make a group of strangers worth joining.
01
Come as you are
You do not need experience, equipment, or perfect Turkish or English. Curiosity covers it.
02
Give a hand
If you can help someone here, do it: a contact, a lift, a translation. It comes back around.
03
Respect the city
We are guests in every neighbourhood we walk into. Stairwells stay quiet. We ask before we take anyone's photo. We leave nothing behind.
04
Say if you can't make it
Spots are limited, and there is usually a waiting list. If you cancel early, your place goes to someone who wanted it.
Moments from where it all began
Come to the next one
Tell us you would like to join and we will add you to the group where meetups are announced. No commitment. If a date suits you, come; if it does not, you need do nothing.
1
Say hello
Send us a message. Tell us you would like to join the community.
2
Get the invite
We add you to the group. Every meetup is announced there first.
3
Turn up
Pick a date that works, save your spot, and meet the rest of us there.
Join the community
We will only write to you about community meetups.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Got a question? We're here to answer! If you don't see your question here, contact with us directly on our Contact Page →
Are you the original Istanbul Workshops?
Yes, you are on the right page. We are the first brand under this name in Turkey. Our trademark is on file. The studio is in Üsküdar in Istanbul. Phone: +90 533 167 62 71. Site: istanbulworkshops.com.
Do you give a certificate of completion?
Yes, on request. At the end of the session we print a simple sheet with your name, the craft, and the guide's signature. No fee; just ask before the workshop ends. Guests often add it to their trip keepsake set.
How do I contact Istanbul Workshops?
The fast way to reach us is the contact form on our site. We reply in one work day. We also run a phone line. The line is open in studio hours. We help in English and Turkish on both routes.
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