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"Bucharest: the City of Tomorrow" at ARCUB

26 September 2021

In the context of the anniversary of the Bucharest Days, ARCUB launches on Sunday, September 26th, 2021, the series of offline and online projects "Bucharest: The City of Tomorrow", which includes cultural encounters with artists and professionals, a lecture-show, but also a series of participatory installations.

The event also marks the 25th anniversary of the founding of ARCUB and aims to present a perspective on a potential Bucharest, the city of tomorrow, a greener city, more friendly to its inhabitants, a city where culture can transform places and people.

In this context, ARCUB launches the series of cultural dialogues "Bucharest RE: Imagined" - a series of 10 meetings inspired by major strategic themes of the city (heritage, green spaces, lack of cultural consumption, center-periphery relationship, etc.) aiming to reconnect and bring together experts from different cultural areas and public administration to identify solutions and projects to address these issues.

The first episode addresses the topic of "Green Cultural Spaces" and has as guests architects, urban planners, cultural entrepreneurs, managers of public institutions and public administration representatives who will discuss how these areas should be interconnected to better meet the specific needs of the inhabitants of the city. The event will be broadcast live, starting with 5.00 p.m., on the ARCUB Facebook page.

The event continues with a special performance of outdoor lecture-show, "Participatory Epic Bucharest '21", which can be watched live on ARCUB's social media channels, on Sunday, September 26th, from 7.00 p.m. The day ends with a vinyl music session brought to ARCUB by Vinyl, Rum, Tapas & Wine (VRTW).

The setting of events at ARCUB is given by the installation "Green Bucharest" designed by French landscape architect Nicolas Triboi and the sound installation with the sounds of the city signed by artist Maria Balabaş, two projects that present, in preview, the sample of a future city reconnected to its inhabitants through culture and which can be visited at ARCUB - Gabroveni Inn between September 27th and October 3rd, 2021. At the exhibition, visitors are invited to contribute their own photo memories about the city on the participatory system "Emotional Bucharest".

The events at ARCUB - Gabroveni Inn are completed by the launch of a new online project, the series of discussions "People who Open the City" on the website of the ARCUB cultural centre. During the interviews, professionals who have innovated through culture the destiny of the Capital talk to Mihaela Păun, the director of ARCUB, about ways to open the city through art, urbanism and creative industries.

Schedule of “Bucharest: the City of Tomorrow”:

Sunday, September 26th, 2021

17.00 - 18.30 | Bucharest RE: Imagined - Green cultural spaces, moderated by Svetlana Cârstean | online broadcast event

The debate on Sunday, September 26th is a pilot meeting of a series of ten such meetings and aims to bring together the opinions and expertise of specialists from various cultural areas and public administration professionals. The guests of the first meeting are architects, urban planners, cultural entrepreneurs, managers of public institutions and representatives of public administration who will discuss models for the reconversion of urban spaces into cultural centres open to the community. The cultural debates are moderated by the poet Svetlana Cârstean.

19:00 - 20:30 | Poetic performance "Participatory Epic Bucharest '21" | online broadcast event

One of the most unique projects of contemporary literature, "Participatory Epic Bucharest '21" gathered, in 2015, 40 poets who wrote the only collective poem about Bucharest. Within the project “Bucharest: The City of Tomorrow”, the poets who participated in this creative experiment meet, six years later, at ARCUB for a lecture show with the initiator of the project, Svetlana Cârstean.

20:30 - 21:00 | DJ set with vinyls - VRTW of Vinyl, Rum, Tapas & amp; Wine VRTW is a vinyl DJ set, brought to ARCUB by Vinyl, Rum, Tapas & amp; Wine, in which the music is played entirely by analog recordings. At the end of the events of September 26th, Vinyl, Rum, Tapas & amp; Wine presents a selection of jazz and world music records from their personal collection.

September 27th - October 3rd

"Green Bucharest" - organic installation by Nicolas Triboi | ARCUB - Arch HallAn example of an urban garden that can otherwise reconnect the city's inhabitants to spacepublicly, the installation conceived by the landscape artist Nicolas Triboi proposes a return to nature throughredevelopment of the Gabroveni passage and the Arch Hall from ARCUB in a green place thatoffers passers-by an opportunity to relax and browse through the history of the city. The naturein the city has become vital, and Bucharest is metamorphosing day by day through new transformations.

We wish a wilder nature, not one made of pansies and rolls of turf, we want a lasting nature. Bucharest today is a dynamic city, dynamic, but a city where buildings and people's behaviour are often characterized by wilderness.

We must channel this energy and turn them into positive, green energy for a more "cultural" nature - Nicolas Triboi, landscape artist.

Sound installation about Bucharest by Maria Balabaş ARCUB - Arch Hall

Maria Balabaș is the creator of the show Morning crossover from Radio Romania Cultural and has generated, over time, various projects dedicated to new forms of radio creation (Sound Generation, This is not art, etc.). She was nominated for a Prix Europe and Prix Italia for radio documentation, selected for the Grand Prix Nova for a soundtrack and received the Semi Silent Award for sound innovation. She launched the bands Avant'n'Gard and Soare Staniol, which are inspired by improvisation techniques, electronic music and unconventional sound sources. As a solo artist, she creates installations and narrative pieces based on field recordings, archive recordings or other forms of auditory memory.

Participatory photo installation "EmotionalBucharest" ARCUB - Sala Arcelor

„Emotional Bucharest” is a photographic experiment that aims at the emotional exploration of the city of Bucharest by probing the intimate connection that the inhabitants of the city have with it.

Bucharest residents are invited to participate with photos from their personal archives to recreate, through a visual exercise, the emotions experienced in connection with the city.

The series of discussions about the Capital - "People who Open the City" online arcub.ro and on the Youtube page ARCUB

The programme designed on the occasion of the Bucharest Days and in the context of the 25th anniversary of ARCUB is completed by the series of interviews "People who Open the City" - Mihaela Păun in dialogue with professionals who have innovated through culture the destiny of the Capital about ways to open the city through art, urbanism and creative industries. The dialogues debate topics such as the role of cultural institutes in the local cultural ecosystem, the issue of cultural consumption spaces and present details behind successful cultural entrepreneurship projects, projects that have changed the face of the city. Among the guests of the discussions are personalities who pioneered the local creative scene, professionals who built defining projects for today's culture of the city, but also cultural operators who built bridges of collaboration with other countries.

Details on www.arcub.ro

ARCUB - The Cultural Centre of Bucharest has been cultivating the cultural identity of the Capital since 1996.

The projects initiated and carried out by ARCUB throughout the years of activity have contributed to the diversification of the city's cultural life, as well as its inclusion among the major capitals of the world.

ARCUB is the organizer of the International Festival of Light - Spotlight, the International Street Theatre Festival - B-FIT in the Street!, the only international jazz festival in the Capital, Bucharest Jazz Festival and the Bucharest Days.

Translated by Simona Nichiteanu

YEN by Anna Jordan, 9G premiere at NTB 19 April 2026

The “I.L. Caragiale” National Theater in Bucharest announces a new premiere as part of the 9G Program at NTB, dedicated to young independent artists: “Yen” by Anna Jordan, directed by Ciprian Chiricheș, with set design by Maria Constantin, and starring Teodora Antal, Diana Pomparău, Sevi Stan, and Mario Monțescu. The premiere will take place on Sunday, April 19, 2026, at 7:00 p.m., in the Sala Mică Hall The play Yen tells the story—at times brutal, at times deeply tender—of two brothers surviving almost entirely on their own in a suburb, with a mother unable to provide them with the care a child needs. Together, amid arguments and violence, the two teenagers try to discover what affection—and first love—feels like and how to express it, in the absence of a parental role model. Thus, first love becomes a tough test, full of innocence and missteps. How much of our social skills are innate, and how much are acquired through our environment and the education we receive? It is a long-debated dilemma that remains relevant today, which author Anna Jordan explores with harshness and directness, yet with care and sensitivity toward her characters. Yen is about growing up, about family, and, above all, about the fundamental human need to love and be loved. „What won me over from the very first reading was the sincerity with which life—and, in particular, hope—is portrayed. In real life, things aren’t like in fairy tales, where Prince Charming appears out of nowhere and sets everything right. In reality, we often long for something we cannot have, and then that feeling becomes even stronger; this sentiment is very well conveyed by the author. The production that we put together with the team is based on desire and hope. I hope it’s contagious and that the audience leaves, just as I like to leave the theater—changed, pensive, with my thoughts on my loved ones.” Ciprian Chiricheș, the director of the production Anna Jordan is a renowned British playwright, director, and screenwriter. She graduated from the London Academy of Music & Dramatic Arts (LAMDA) with a degree in acting and is a professor of acting. For her play “Yen,” she won the prestigious Bruntwood Prize for Playwriting (2013) Cast: Sevastian Stan, Mario Monțescu, Teodora Antal, Diana Pomparău. Regie Ciprian Chiricheș, set design Maria Constantin, sound design Teodor Zamfir and llighting design Cristian Ciopată. This performance is not recommended for children under 14. Translated by Andreea Codrea-Boeriu

Magda Catone is the Mother-in-law in Little Hell 04 April 2026

Starting on April 4, 2026, renowned National Theater actress Magda Catone will play the role of the Mother-in-Law in Mircea Stefanescu's comedy Little Hell, taking over from Rodica Popescu-Bitanescu, the actress who has brought this delightful role in Romanian drama to life in recent seasons, continuing the series of anthological performances, from Natasa Alexandra, Silvia Dumitrescu-Timica to Ileana Stana Ionescu. At the "I.L. Caragiale" National Theater, the play Little Hell has had over 300 performances since its premiere in 2013! The next performances will take place on April 4, 8, and May 2, 2026! Translated by Andreea Codrea-Boeriu

A new premiere at the National Theater of Bucharest: “The Bride's Time and Her Gown” – a continuation of the world of Oltenia created by Gavril Pătru 02 April 2026

The “I.L. Caragiale” National Theater in Bucharest will present, starting April 3, 2026, the premiere of “The Bride's Time and Her Gown″ (The Wedding) by Gavril Pătru, a new chapter in the theatrical universeinaugurated by the success of “Ghosts and Dandelions.” The second part of the upcoming “Oltenia trilogy,” the play continues the story of the characters from a contemporary Oltenian village, in a recognizable blend of humor, drama, and authenticity. Created by Gavril Pătru—who serves as writer, director, and actor—the new play offers a glimpse into a world where tradition and inner conflict coexist, and laughter and tension intertwine naturally. This time, the action revolves around a wedding—a seemingly festive setting that becomes the backdrop for an avalanche of tragicomic events. Amidst the musicians, stuffed cabbage rolls, and zaibăr, uncomfortable truths surface, appearances crumble, and hidden dramas are revealed. Nothing is what it seems, and the masks fall one by one, in a universe where even those who do not speak end up saying it all. Dynamic “like the rush of a sârba” and, at the same time, profound “like a doina,” the new play by Gavril Pătru offers an intense theatrical experience, where laughter and emotion converge in a story about family, identity, and truth. “The Bride’s Watch and Shirt” preserves the distinctive language and atmosphere of the Oltenia region that established Gavril Pătru’s reputation, shaping a vivid world, full of color and expressive power. The play can be viewed independently, yet it stands in direct dialogue with “Ghosts and Dandelions” developing the same destinies and delving deeper into the themes already explored. The cast features actors from the National Theater of Bucharest, in a lineup that supports the show’s brisk pace and energy: Costina Cheyrouze, Raluca Petra, Ileana Olteanu, Petre Ancuța / Ciprian Nicula, Gavril Pătru, Alexandra Sălceanu / Teodora Calagiu, Maia Morgenstern / Victoria Dicu, Silviu Biriș. On April 2 and 3, 2026, at 8:30 p.m., in the lobby of the Pictura Hall, immediately following the preview performances of the play, there will be a book launch for “Ceasu’ și cămașa miresii” (The Bride's Time and Her Gown) by Gavril Pătru, a special event that complements the theatrical universe of the play of the same name. The book brings to life the same recognizable world created by Gavril Pătru: a vibrant Oltenian village, full of humor, tension, and poetry, where the characters’ destinies intertwine between tradition and contemporary reality. The audience will have the opportunity to meet the author, discover the behind-the-scenes of the creative process, and get autographs. The official premiere of the production will take place on April 18 and 19, 2026, at the Pictura Hall; the production is already scheduled in the NTB’s current repertoire for April 8 and 9 and May 9, 2026. Translated by Andreea Codrea-Boeriu

Premiere at NTB: A play about the hypocrisy of today's world 13 March 2026

Starting March 13, 2026, you are invited to a new production, Of People, Doctors, and Rhinoceroses by Claudiu Goga after Arthur Schnitzler, at the Studio Hall of the I.L. Caragiale National Theater in Bucharest. A hot topic, even though the author, considered one of the most important representatives of Austrian modernism, imagined it in 1912, a time when many of the issues addressed in the play were more than sensitive, if not taboo. At Dr. Bernhardi's clinic, a teenager is fighting sepsis following a botched abortion. The priest is denied access to the dying girl's room for her last rites. The inevitable death occurs. The incident quickly becomes a topic of national debate: can a Jewish doctor forbid a Catholic priest from comforting a Christian on her deathbed? Based on Arthur Schnitzler's idea, director Claudiu Goga invites you to discover the astonishing story in which Dr. Bernhardi is drawn. A roller coaster of absurd situations, tensions, and contradictions in a world of political intrigue and careerism, where truth becomes a derisory fact amid obscure games of power and personal interests. Both a political play and a love story, written in the style of a detective novel, "Of People, Doctors, and Rhinoceroses" speaks with lucidity and humor about the hypocrisy of today's world. A world in which people claim to fight in the name of principles and values, in the name of political ideologies and religious beliefs, in the name of truth and in the name of humanity. In reality, these are all pretexts. People fight only for their personal interests. Why? The answer is simple: people are people. In the role of Dr. Elias Bernhardi: Mihai Calin, joined by actors George Ivascu, Mirela Oprisor, Medeea Marinescu, Ofelia Popii, Alexandru Potocean, Ioan Andrei Ionescu, Richard Bovnoczki, Dana Dogaru, Ada Gales, Ionut Toader, and Tomi Cristin. Director Claudiu Goga had allies in bringing his vision to life: Corina Gramosteanu for set design and Nina Brumuasila for costumes. Video design was by Andrei Cozlac and Silviu Apostol. Music and stage movement were by Florin Fieroiu. The following performances will take place on: March 14, March 15, March 18, March 19 (official premiere), April 1, at 7 p.m. Translated by Andreea Codrea-Boeriu

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