Residency programs for people in social justice to take the time and space to advance their work alongside a global community of co-conspirators.
The Bertha Accelerator creates a space where social justice advocates from around the world can come together to re-think, re-organize and re-inspire themselves. Accelerators bring together a global community of co-conspirators to brainstorm challenges, connect with one another and leave re-charged, taking what they’ve learned back to their movements and organizations at home.
We know that social justice work is wide-ranging and takes form in a variety ways, so each Bertha Accelerator is curated around a different theme or pressing social justice issue, to make space for this.
The 2026 Bertha Artivism Accelerator
A mini residency for past and present Bertha Artivists
Bertha Artivists from across the years are coming together to connect, reflect and strategize in a four day program in autumn 2026. Taking place at Postane - a Bertha Member Space - in Istanbul’s historic Galata district, the Accelerator will provide the space and time for Artivists to co-learn, create and collaborate.
Those attending will bring a project, idea or problem they’re currently facing in their practice to the residency and will work on it with like-minded Artivists. There will also be opportunities to understand artivism practices in Istanbul, how they operate under shifting political and institutional conditions and the role of cultural spaces in confronting political violence and silencing.
Find out how to get involved with Accelerators below!
For more information on attending an Accelerator, please contact Sarah Terrazas at saraht@berthafoundation.org
For more information on partnering with us, please contact Sarah Terrazas at saraht@berthafoundation.org
In November 2024 the first ever Bertha Accelerator came to life and fifteen activists from around the world came together to reflect, rest and be re-inspired. All were connected through a common focus on creating and holding physical spaces that advance social justice. The Accelerator was hosted at Bertha Retreat on Boschendal Wine Farm and in the city of Cape Town itself, in partnership with Bertha House and Philippi Village with accommodation at Dorp, a boutique hotel.
The 2025 Bertha Accelerator was held at Postane in Istanbul’s historic Galata district. The program offered space to explore the power of communication for social change in a vibrant setting rooted in activism and community. As storytelling shapes public opinion and mobilizes communities, activists must craft ethical, values-driven narratives that connect with audiences. Participants gained practical skills from experts in media, communications and movement building to shift narratives, build community and inspire action.
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