The Western University of Timișoara participated, between May 9 and 14, in the promotion of Timișoara and Banat, in several international events associated with the "Timișoara 2023 - European Capital of Culture" program.
On May 9, the exhibition hosted at the headquarters of the Congress of Deputies in Madrid, created by students from the Faculty of Arts and Design of the Western University of Timișoara, was opened. The exhibition focused on the young people's vision of the cultural and human heritage of the city, a symbol of the Romanian Revolution and a peaceful and democratic modern society. The event in Madrid was part of the cultural program "At UVT, Culture is the Capital!", included in the Cultural Program "Timișoara 2023 - European Capital of Culture", the Oameni territory, the Reflections station, financed by the Municipality of Timișoara through the Project Center, co-financed by the Timiș County Council, through the TimCultura 2023 program. During this period, in the organization of the Romanian Embassy in Madrid, Europe Day was marked, a moment that facilitated the first joint parliamentary meeting at the level of the European Affairs Committees. The event was close to the semester of the Spanish presidency at the EU Council, being intended to emphasize the close coordination relationship between Romania and Spain, as a visible support for the development of the European integration process.
Between May 10-14, UVT participated in the Romanian Culture Festival in Krakow, as part of a representative program run by the Romanian Cultural Institute in Warsaw. For five days, the public was invited to several events, from different fields - literature, film, visual arts, performance, music -, but also to Romanian language workshops for children and adults. Here were presented the Tales of Banat, filtered through the prism of contemporary art, at the prestigious International Center for Culture in Krakow, through the 12th edition of the Romanian Culture Festival. Friday, May XNUMX, was dedicated to the presentation in Poland of the XNUMXth century Central European Romanian Dictionary, the monumental work coordinated by Prof. Univ. Dr. Adriana Babeți, writer, essayist, journalist and teacher at the University of the West.
The event was addressed to students from the Jagiellonian University, where Adriana Babeți, Prof. Dr. Hab. Kazimierz Jurczak, Head of the Department of Romanian Studies and Dr. Olga Bartosiewicz-Nikolaev. This was followed by a debate on the literatures of the small peoples of Central Europe, hosted by the International Center for Culture.
Also, two documentaries from the "Secret Map of Timisoara: People and Places" series were screened in Krakow: Caffeine on Bega and Timpuri noi. A small revolution, followed by discussions with Adriana Babeți, the screenwriter of this series, and Alexandru Condrache, the project coordinator.
The two documentaries evoked the stories and history of Banat, in close connection with Central Europe, through the lens of "black soup" and coffeehouse culture. The event was organized through the partnership between ICR Warsaw and the Western University of Timișoara and benefited from the co-financing of the House of Culture of the Municipality of Timișoara.
As every year, the State Chancellery of Bavaria organized the celebration of Europe Day, now through an event held in Würzburg on May 13. The Consulate General of Romania in Munich participated in this event, organized in the town hall square in Wurzburg, alongside the State Chancellery, governmental and non-governmental organizations, as well as private companies, being present. UVT participated in the organization of a stand for the presentation of the data characteristic of the cultural program held in 2023 in Timișoara and internationally, benefiting from the support provided by the acting consul manager Janette-Constanța Carăbașu and the consul Cristinel Petrescu and the team from the Consulate General of Romania in Munich. Public participation was significant, with over three thousand visitors estimated.
UVT rector, Marilen Gabriel Pirtea: "The presence of the European public in Timișoara, in 2023, when the strategic program of the European Capital of Culture takes place, is a substantial benefit in terms of culture and tourism for the most important university center of western Romania. To the same extent, the European public connected to the cultural values and programs of the Timișoara 2023 calendar and by participating in the series of promotional actions carried out by the Romanian diplomatic representatives and those of the Romanian Cultural Institute, alongside UVT, in several European cities, Madrid, Krakow and Munich, a good meeting opportunity for Romanians from communities abroad, those who appreciate art and contemporary Romanian cultural values."
