Making culture and performing arts accessible to as many Bucharest residents as possible!
One of the oldest cultural centres in Bucharest, ARCUB is involved in the organisation of more than 200 cultural events that gather over 500,000 participants every year. ARCUB – The Cultural Centre of Bucharest sustains and promotes the city’s cultural identity in all its forms of artistic expression. ARCUB is the co-organizer of some of the most important national and international festivals that take place in Bucharest. ARCUB is also the founder of a series of large scale open air events such as Spotlight –The International Light Festival, Bucharest International Street Theatre B-FIT in the Street! and Bucharest Jazz Festival. Other ARCUB major projects are the coordination of Bucharest candidacy for the 2021 European Capital of Culture title, as well as the initiation of Bucharest first cultural strategy. As a promoter of both tradition and innovation, ARCUB has established its headquarters in a historical building, a renovated 19th century inn situated in the Old City Centre. A mixture between the old and the new, the 1,431 square meters premises provides an alternative to mainstream exhibition spaces, performance halls and workshop venues. For more than 20 years, ARCUB creates a bridge connecting the community to different forms of artistic expression, and enables access to culture for a wide range of public.
Since: 1996
Staff members: 40-50
Expertise: Making performing arts accessible to different types of public on a local level
Target groups: They reach the community in its diversity.
Areas of work: Sociocultural activities & cultural mediation — Artistic activities — Community & civic activities — Art education & other educational activities — Local / regional / national projects — International projects (EU and beyond) / managing EU funds — Event management — Artistic creation / production — Research and publications — Cultural distribution and promotion
Fields of work: Theatre — Music — Circus art / Clowning — Dance — Street art — Development of alternative / non-conventional / innovative art practices — Museums (tangible culture heritage) — Digital arts — Film, video
Topics of work: Children (0-12 years old) — Young people (13-30 years old) — Participation / audience engagement — Impact of cultural activities — Good governance — Creative & cultural industries — Cultural management & methods — Territorial development on local level — Revitalisation / activation of public space — European capitals of culture — Digitalisation
EU/International cooperation: Restoration of Gabroveni Inn (ARCUB headquarters) and creation of a Cultural Centre within the restored objective (2009-2012, SEE Grants, 2 partners) — Culture through music (2015-2016, SEE Grants, 4 partners, topic: musical education, musical pedagogy) — Bucharest, a digital journey (2020, SEE Grants, 4 partners, topic: multimedia exhibition on the cultural life in Bucharest, from past to present and public development program)
Priorities for the network: Networking with similar cultural centres across Europe — Training and professional exchange for the ARCUB staff in different departments — International cooperation for cultural projects
