Interpreting rural cultural heritage through art and entrepreneurship
The mission of the project Remarkable Romania: interpreting rural cultural heritage through art and entrepreneurship, funded by EEA Grants 2014-2021 under the RO-CULTURA programme, is to contribute to the development of rural communities using the accessibility of rural cultural heritage for both local communities and tourists as a coordinated growth strategy.
Why do we think we need to intervene?
We can all see – whether specialists or lovers of rural communities – how tangible and intangible heritage is a rich and varied resource that remains insufficiently conserved and valued.
How do we achieve this?
Using heritage interpretation techniques. We open up and facilitate discussion about the identity elements of a place by stimulating emotions and making emotional connections with their holders.
What can we do?
Together with specialists, we are developing a methodology for interpreting heritage, aimed at local authorities that are members of the Remarkable Romania network and those that will join in the future.
We are testing the methodology by operationalising an interpretation centre for local tangible, intangible and sensory cultural heritage in the commune of Vad, in the existing premises of the Tourist Information Centre.
Between 2022 and 2024, our programme is funded by EEA Grants 2014-2021 under the RO-CULTURE Programme.
Project components
Research and training
Travelling in each of the 12 villages involved in the project, in order to identify and map material and immaterial local heritage elements that have not yet been researched, published or recovered yet.
Translating research findings into proposals for community revitalisation based on local cultural heritage, with the involvement of partners from the Liechtenstein National Museum and French specialists from the Sites et Cités Remarquables de France network.
Residencies
In August 2023, six contemporary artists benefited from the Remarkable Romania residencies in six host municipalities, members of our network: Mănăstireni, Moldovenești, Bârsana, Fundata, Bucium and Vad.
Artists-in-residence
Irina Botea Bucan & Jonathan Dean
Ștefan Radu Crețu
Orsolya Gál
Nona Inescu
Alex Mirutziu
Mihaela Moldovan
The tangible, intangible and sensory heritage is preserved not only through the history of the place, but also through the work of local craftsmen and producers who make sure that a little bit of the magic of the village remains in the visitors’ hearts.
Our network brings together a community of craftsmen and local entrepreneurs that you will soon be able to discover.
Heritage Interpretation Centre
The centre will tell the story of one of the 12 communes included in the project in a dynamic and engaging way. Using new media, contemporary art and heritage interpretation techniques, this space will become a community cohering factor and a point of promotion for local initiatives.
About the financers
The EEA grants represent the contribution of Iceland, the Principality of Liechtenstein and the Kingdom of Norway to reducing economic and social disparities in the European Economic Area and strengthening bilateral relations with the 15 beneficiary countries in Eastern and Southern Europe and the Baltic States. These funding mechanisms are established on the basis of the Agreement on the European Economic Area, which brings together the EU Member States and Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway as equal partners in the internal market. In total, the three countries contributed €3.3 billion between 1994 and 2014 and €1.55 billion for the 2014-2021 funding period. More details are available at: www.eeagrants.org and www.eeagrants.ro.
The RO-CULTURA programme is implemented by the Ministry of Culture through the Project Management Unit and has the overall objective of strengthening economic and social development through cultural cooperation, cultural entrepreneurship and cultural heritage management. The budget of the Programme is approximately 34 million euro. More details are available at www.ro-cultura.ro.
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