23 YEARS IN THE SERVICE OF ROMANIAN HERITAGE AND COMMUNITIES
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During the five days of the Heritage Caravan workshops at the Enescu House in Mihăileni together with the team of children involved we researched the subject “How do we discover and creatively tell stories about the place we live in?” We had very intense work days, but with much satisfaction at the end for both the children and the inhabitants of Mihăileni.
The first day was dedicated to establishing the clues for Mihăileni. Each of the 22 participating children from the village earned one of the Mihăileni clues, “fought” as a warm-up for the history fragments by participating in fun and sporty team games. The elements of the village were then redrawn by the children in the context of history and the future they themselves imagine.
All these elements were then put together in a DIY frame book by the children, through which they learned an ancient Japanese bookbinding technique. The creations and other complementary textiles were finally personalised with linocut stamps.
Outdoor games and board games rounded off the autumn-tempered afternoon at the Enescu house.
The second day of workshops followed the theme and resource already developed last year in the Enescu Workbook – available in the Foundation’s free resource library. The previously created “on foot” route round Mihăileni was brought to life this year with a dynamic circuit with marker posts and interactive panels at the most interesting points of the village.
The children have worked hard to create four complex panels dedicated to the past, present and future of the Enescu House, the Zahacinski Museum, the former Town Hall and the Ceramics Factory.
The other destinations of Mihăileni were thus enriched with small wooden signposts to be mounted on the site.
On the third day we received new friends. Actress Irina Artenii defied the tiring Bucharest-Mihăileni distance and came for a short but intense workshop. The children got behind the curtains and played in like young actors. The end of the games gathered all the energies in a series of mini skits with secrets they couldn’t seem to get enough of.
The shadow theatre in the second part of the workshops was not only a new and novel experience for everyone but also an opportunity to create our models for the following day’s filming.
There was much laughter and applause at the end of the four teams’ scenes.
Getting ready, editing and filming!
The most excitement was probably reserved for this day, the fourth of the educational workshops in Mihăileni. With minimal training by our friend Alin Iacob and some home-made exercises, the four team coordinators became for one day directors and responsible for editing four short films with the enthusiastic teams of child actors, already prepared the day before for the audience and the camera.
Each of the four chosen locations — the George Enescu House, the Former Town Hall, the Zahacinski Museum and the Ceramics Factory — were creatively, playfully and amusingly told from the perspective of the past, the present and the future imagined by the children themselves.
Costumes were assembled, metaphors were written, recordings of voices, music and old objects collected by the children, all to tell the story of a series of places we all want to continue living for the benefit of the community.
All the videos can be accessed online on the Pro Patrimonio Foundation’s You Tube channel as well as next to each storyboard created by the children, via an attached QR code.
MUZEUL ZAHACINSKI din Mihăileni
FABRICA DE CERMAICĂ din Mihăileni
The last and probably the most loved day of the Heritage Caravan was the day dedicated to sports and culinary competitions, exhibition of works and film evenings.
We made the tour of the 20 landmarks on the Mihăileni Map – also available online https://me-qr.com/4037478 – with the whole group of children, mounting the signposts they themselves had made.
The award ceremony was attended by parents. They too came prepared for the cooking competition. Tensions were high, as they are every year, when the votes were counted.
The film evening started with the 4 creations of the children and trainers and continued, in the spirit of the caravan, with a screening of the animated film accompanied by pizza and lots of good cheer.
The feedback notes collected urgently send us back to the community to continue our work in the future, with the children unanimously confirming that they love the proposed activities and want more. And having said that, all the fatigue gathered in preparing and organizing the camp pales when compared to the joy and fulfilment of doing things of real use to the community, in the spirit of discovery and creative transformation of tangible and intangible heritage.
None of this could have been done without the phenomenal help of the trainers and volunteers involved on time and throughout all of this year’s truly demanding activities. So special thanks:
– Ana Maria Apostoiu – for her dedication, for being with us for years and for being the fastest trainer-raiser we know
– Răzvan Bogză – for his creativity, inventiveness and integration into the team as if we had known each other all our lives
– Ruben Mardaru – for his openness, competitive spirit in all activities, hard work to make things go according to plan and continuous involvement in the management of the Enescu House
– Cosmina Manolache – for her perfect integration in the team and in the spirit of Pro Patrimonio activities, professionalism and open-mindedness
– Delia, Teona and Carmen for their punctual involvement
In order to signpost the route for discovering the town of Mihăileni, we had the agreement of the Municipality of Mihăileni. This route has been mapped and narrated since last year in the George Enescu House Notebook, available online bit.ly/3PIAoW5 and bit.ly/31OQSYA
We thank UiPath Foundation for the partnership and trust it has shown for three years in supporting educational programs and caring for the heritage object, the George Enescu House in Mihăileni.
Read also:
Worksite diary – Landscape and Art Workshop
Landscape and Sound Workshop Log
From 2 to 6 August 2022, the George Enescu House in Mihăileni, Botoșani County, will host for the third consecutive year the Heritage Caravan of the Pro Patrimonio Foundation. The theme for the five days of educational workshops is “The story of my city”.
Around 20 children from the community benefit from an intensive series of practical and creative workshops. These will be coordinated around the theme of discovering their own town and its rich cultural and natural context. The town of Mihăileni, an old border town on the Siret, will be narrated to the children through games and clues, bookbinding, linocuts, interactive panels and on-site signage, theatre workshop, shadow theatre, sketches and video montage. Learning through play is complemented, as tradition has it, by sports and cooking competitions with prizes, an exhibition and film evening that are open, limited places available, to anyone who is curious.
In order to signpost the discovery route of Mihaileni, we appreciate the agreement of Mihaileni Town Hall. This route has been mapped and described since last year in the George Enescu House Notebook, available online https://www.propatrimonio.org/caietul-casei-enescu-ghid-interactiv-de-explorare/
We thank UiPath Foundation for the partnership and trust it has shown for the last three years in supporting educational projects and the care for the heritage building, the George Enescu House in Mihăileni.
Read also:
Worksite diary – Landscape and Art Workshop
Landscape and Sound Workshop Log
April 2022
50 children from five communities surrounding the historical monuments George Enescu House in Mihăileni, Botoșani county and Neamțu Manor in Olari, Olt county, will receive “Heritage in a Package. The Art Nouveau Style” work kits before the Easter holidays.
Pro Patrimonio’s Heritage Education Programme is a continuous, trans-annual and interdisciplinary programme through which the Foundation has been carrying out a steady activity for over seven years, constantly diversified. The majority of the workshops undertaken are aimed specifically at children and young people from areas -sometimes poor and unstructured- where projects are being carried out to save, preserve and rehabilitate the architectural heritage (The Golescu Villa in Câmpulung, the Neamțu Manor in Olari, the Perticari-Davila Manor in Argeș, the George Enescu House in Mihăileni, etc.).
The 50 beneficiaries of the “Heritage in a Package.The Art Nouveau Style” work kits are children from the Future Acceleration Program run by UiPath Foundation in collaboration with Pro Patrimonio Foundation in both Botoșani and Olt. For three years Pro Patrimonio Foundation and UiPath Foundation have joined forces to help the local children’s communities.
The Easter kits encourage the discovery of the Art Nouveau style in Europe through exercises and practical tests, including examples from Romania. Springtime with its explosion of plants and flowers will be tuned in with this journey through the story of one of the most spectacular styles in architecture. Individual activities will engage the graphic and creative skills of the young beneficiaries in a personalised workbook and help the children to design a decorative object for the Easter table complemented by tasty surprises. The subsequent group activity will bring the children together in a joint workshop.
These DYI kits will be sent to children who will work on them independently according to precise instructions and at the same time having various free options plus an online meeting for further guidance and comparison of results. The group challenge encourages teamwork and the necessary human interaction and will be carried out under the guidance of a teacher or adult coordinator.
The kits encourage the exploration of Art Nouveau through practical exercises and games that stimulate curiosity, craftsmanship, creativity and logical thinking. The chosen field engages the dialogue between past, present and future, blends elements of past heritage with elements of contemporary technology and encourages the discovery and improvement of the inhabited, aesthetic and relational-human universe near by.
In the run-up to Christmas the children will receive a new set of kits with a different theme.
Audio details in the Radio Romania International interview, Pauza Mare show, minute 45 https://bit.ly/3NOBQpi.
In the run-up to Christmas the children will receive a new set of kits with a different theme.
Context
The George Enescu House in Mihăileni, Botoșani county and the Neamțu Manor in Olari, Olt county are two historical monuments owned by Pro Patrimonio Foundation. Over the years numerous individuals, private institutions and companies have donated time, money and materials to save them.
The George Enescu House din Mihăileni was saved from collapse and underwent a 7-year restoration process. It is now returned to the local community as a cultural and educational centre. The “Academy of Music, Education and Sound Studies” has been running here for three years.
The Neamţu Manor in Olari is in the early stages of restoration. Since 2018 the steady, step-by-step restoration has been underway. Even during the ongoing construction, the manor is an important landmark for the local community, since 2021 the “Experimental Centre for Studies and Education at the Neamțu Manor in Olari” has been created and is dedicated to this place.
Read also: Heritage Education
Landscape and Sound Workshop Log
“Workshop 5: Community Festivities”, July 16-21, 2019
On the 4th of March, we launched a music manual — ‘’ Introduction to the ABCs of Music. Guide for teachers and parents’’, written by Diana Bratan, during an online webinar. It was inspired by the atmosphere, projects and needs of the children from communities around the George Enescu mansion in Mihaileni.
The public for the presentation consisted of music teachers and parents, and next to the author, Diana Bratan — who is a music and piano teacher herself, Paula Gavriluta — music teacher for the Music Academy in Mihaileni; Greta Gasser — piano teacher at Gasser Music Studio Yorkshire Young Musicians and Manchester High School for Girls; Raluca Munteanu — programme director at Pro Patrimonio.
The manual can be downloaded as a pdf from Pro Patrimonio’ free resources library: https://bit.ly/ABCmuzical.
Also, there is already a number of printed copies which can be ordered at the following address propatrimonio.romania@gmail.com. The manuals are free of charge, buyers have to cover just courier fees. The copies will be sent out in a ‚first come, first served’ manner, within the available numbers.
The publication is part of a larger framework developed by the “Academy of Music and Education for Children”, a music education program run by the Pro Patrimono Foundation in partnership with the UiPath Foundation.
Read more: “Introduction to the ABCs of Music. A guide for teachers and parents”
Fundaţia Pro Patrimonio se alătură iniţiativelor de sprijin şi solidaritate cu artiştii din Ucraina şi oferă posibilitatea de cazare şi creaţie în casele pe care le deţine. Astfel aceştia îşi pot continua profesia sau pot beneficia de un interval liniştit în care să îşi organizeze viaţa.
Cel mai apropiat spaţiu de Vama Siret este Casa George Enescu din Mihăileni, judeţul Botoşani. Aici putem acomoda un artist şi familia sa adică maxim patru persoane. Proaspăt restaurată, dar nelocuită, în casă există două paturi, baie, bucătărie şi un pian Bösendorfer. Vom face tot posibilul ca prin apeluri de strângere de fonduri şi colaborări extinse să acoperim cheltuielile de întreţinere şi încălzire.
Iniţiativa de salvare a Casei George Enescu din Mihăileni a presupus şi dezvoltarea unui program de educație muzicală — „Academia de Muzică şi Educaţie pentru Copii” — cu rol de activarea culturală a casei lui George Enescu şi transformarea ei într-un pol cultural şi educaţional comunitar.
Suplimentar, în centrul ţării, la Vila Golescu din Câmpulung Muscel, judeţul Argeş, putem oferi spaţiu de cazare şi creaţie pentru doi artişti cu familiile lor sau patru artişti singuri. În acest moment aici sunt găzduite Bursele de Creaţie Cărtureşti dar spaţiul este ofertant şi putem acomoda mai multe persoane.
Ca atare,
Invităm artişti din domeniul muzical şi literar precum şi profesori de muzică din Ucraina care au nevoie de spaţiu de odihnă, creaţie sau protecţie să intre în program de sprijin oferit de Fundaţia Pro Patrimonio. Casele puse la dispozitie sunt monumente istorice: Casa George Enescu din Mihăileni – judeţul Botoşani (20 km de Vama Siret) şi Vila Golescu din Câmpulung Muscel – judeţul Argeş. În afară de cazare vom asigura masă şi sprijin în funcție de necesar. Cererile le vom analiza şi onora în ordinea primirii lor.
Adresă de contact propatrimonio.romania@gmail.com, detalii www.propatrimonio.org
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EN
Pro Patrimonio Foundation joins the support and solidarity inititives with artists in Ukraine and offers the possibility of accommodation and creation in the houses it owns. In this way they can continue their profession or benefit from a quiet interval in which to organize their lives.
The closest place to Siret Customs is the George Enescu House in Mihăileni, Botoșani county. Here we can accommodate an artist and his family, a maximum of four people. Freshly restored but uninhabited, the house has two beds, a bathroom, a kitchen and a Bösendorfer piano. We will do our best through fundraising appeals and extended collaborations to cover maintenance and heating costs.
The initiative to save the George Enescu House in Mihăileni also involved the development of a music education program — “Academy of Music and Education for Children” — with the role of cultural activation of George Enescu’s house and its transformation into a community cultural and educational pole.
Additionally, at the Golescu Villa in Câmpulung Muscel, Argeș county, the heart of our country, we can offer accommodation and creative space for two artists with their families or four single artists. At the moment the Cărturești Creative Fellowships are hosted here but the space is very generous and we can accommodate more people.
As such,
We invite musical and literary artists as well as music teachers from Ukraine who need space for rest, creation or protection to join the support program offered by Pro Patrimonio Foundation. The houses made available are historical monuments: George Enescu House in Mihăileni – Botoșani county (20 km from Vama Siret) and Golescu Villa in Câmpulung Muscel – Argeș county. In addition to accommodation we will provide meals and support as needed. Requests will be considered and honoured in the order in which they are received.
Contact propatrimonio.romania@gmail.com, details www.propatrimonio.org
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UA
Фонд Pro Patrimonio приєднується до ініціатив підтримки та солідарності з митцями в Україні та пропонує можливість проживання та творчості у своїх будинках. Таким чином вони можуть продовжити свою професію або скористатися спокійним інтервалом для організації свого життя.
Найближчим місцем до митниці Сірет є будинок Джорджа Енеску в Міхайлені, повіт Ботошань. Тут ми можемо розмістити художника та його родину, максимум чотири людини. Щойно відреставрований, але безлюдний будинок має два ліжка, ванну кімнату, кухню та піаніно Bösendorfer. Ми зробимо все можливе через заклики до збору коштів та розширену співпрацю для покриття витрат на технічне обслуговування та опалення.
Ініціатива порятунку будинку Георгія Енеску в Міхайлені також передбачала розробку музичної освітньої програми – «Академія музики та освіти для дітей» – з роллю культурної активізації будинку Джорджа Енеску та його перетворення на культурну та культурну громаду. освітній полюс.
Крім того, на віллі Golescu в Кампулунг Мушель, округ Арджеш, у серці нашої країни, ми можемо запропонувати проживання та творчий простір для двох художників із їхніми сім’ями або чотирьох самотніх художників. Наразі тут проводяться Творчі стипендії Cărturești, але простір дуже щедрий, і ми можемо вмістити більше людей.
Як такий,
Запрошуємо музичних і літературних митців, а також вчителів музики з України, яким необхідний простір для відпочинку, творчості чи захисту, приєднатися до програми підтримки, яку пропонує Фонд Pro Patrimonio. Надані будинки є історичними пам’ятками: будинок Георгія Енеску в повіті Міхайлені – Ботошані (20 км від Вама Сірет) і вілла Голеску в Кампулунг Мушель – повіт Арджеш. Окрім проживання, ми забезпечимо харчування та підтримку за потреби. Запити будуть розглянуті та задоволені в порядку їх надходження.
Звертайтеся до propatrimonio.romania@gmail.com, деталі www.propatrimonio.org
“Introduction to the ABCs of Music. A guide for teachers and parents”, edited and published by Pro Patrimonio Foundation in partnership with UiPath Foundation, aims to provide a minimum musical basis that a music or instrument teacher would do well to follow.
The publication starts from the basics and gradually provides insights into more difficult concepts. It is addressed to both beginners (students, parents) and experienced or inexperienced teachers. With the help of clear and concise illustrations teachers are guided towards introducing musical concepts and laying the foundations for a strong music education of their pupils.
“Often, in the job interviews I have had with potential collaborators, I have noticed the lack of a pedagogical perspective. Questions like: “what” I want my student to learn, “what” are the indispensable lessons for a solid musical foundation, but especially “how” I present them to him/her, have been an important part of my concerns throughout my pedagogical experience. I hope that I have succeeded in providing clear and useful direction to my colleagues, adult students, but also to parents who need extra support for their children.” — Diana Brătan
“Introduction to the ABCs of Music. A guide for teachers and parents” is available in online format in Pro Patrimonio Foundation’s library of free materials or it can be ordered by courier with the payment of the courier fee only (*)
For a better use and understanding of this manual we have prepared a webinar dedicated mainly to music teachers in which we want to present its specific functions in detail and how we have come to create it
Webinar roll-up
The publication is part of a larger framework developed by the “Academy of Music and Education for Children”, a music education program run by the Pro Patrimono Foundation in partnership with the UiPath Foundation. Starting in 2020 a group of 24 children participate in weekly online/physical lessons. The music teacher gradually cultivates their creativity and artistic sensibility and helps them develop their skills in using musical instruments. This project is part of the cultural activation of George Enescu’s house in the village of Mihăileni, Botoșani county after its rescue and restoration over seven years ago.
The webinar will be organised online, Friday, 4 March, 2022, 16:00. Attendance is free of charge, via Zoom, upon registration on this form https://bit.ly/3BhRpAd
The link will be sent a few days in advance.
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Diana Brătan was born in Brașov and attended the Music High School in Brașov, during which time she gave piano recitals, concerts with the orchestra and participated in national and international competitions. She graduated from the National University of Music in Bucharest, in the Faculty of Music Performance, Piano section. She attended the Master’s courses at this institution, specializing in Chamber Music. At the same time, she attended the courses of the Master in Music Therapy at the Faculty of Music, Transilvania University, Brasov.
She was part of the jury for the selection for the Young Talents program, promoted by the Royal Margaret of Romania Foundation and was invited as a Mentor for the scholarship holders within the program, in order to prepare them for the Young Talents events.
Diana Brătan is a piano teacher by vocation, loves music and works with passion with both amateur students and budding professionals. She believes that a teacher’s duty, both to himself and to his students, is to continuously educate himself personally and professionally. In teaching, it is essential not only the “what” but especially the “how”, and that the “how” is adapted to each individual student.
Educatie muzicala cu Diana Bratan – Pentru cei pasionati
Founded in 2000, Pro Patrimonio Foundation has been active for more than 20 years in almost all regions of Romania to revitalize and strengthen disadvantaged communities located far from the areas of progress. The aim is to reintroduce into the cultural and economic circuit a built heritage, currently abandoned and degraded, and to restore its identity links primarily with the community.
Pro Patrimonio Foundation supports the idea that each citizen is responsible for heritage. Thus, initiatives focus on practical education projects, aimed at rehabilitating and refunctionalising the historical heritage, as well as on the involvement and raising the awareness of communities of their own identity.
The “Academy of Music and Education for Children” is a music education program run by Pro Patrimono Foundation in partnership with UiPath Foundation, which is part of the cultural activation of George Enescu’s house in Mihăileni village, Botoșani county. The academy develops educational programs for children and young people, offering the chance to quality non-formal education and the discovery of an appropriate cultural environment.
UiPath Foundation is a non-governmental organisation that runs programmes to support children from vulnerable backgrounds to reach their potential and thrive alongside their communities through equal access to education and development of 21st century skills. UiPath Foundation was founded by UiPath in January 2019 and acts as an independent organisation. UiPath Foundation partners with local, regional and national impact nonprofits to deliver educational programs that address the multiple needs of children facing poverty.
UiPath Foundation is partnering with Pro Patrimonio Foundation in the “Academy of Music and Education for Children” program that has been running since early 2020 at the George Enescu House in Mihăileni.
(*) Orders can be placed at propatrimonio.romania@gmail.com, textbooks are free of charge, the recipient pays the courier fee.
Read more: We launched the music manual “Introduction to the ABCs of Music. A guide for teachers and parents”
The first edition of the project “Concerts on the Siret River”, initiated by Pro Patrimonio Foundation, took place between 18-21 August 2021 in three localities on the left bank of the Siret river: Mihăileni, Vârfu Câmpului and Călinești.
To mark 140 years since the composer’s birth, four concerts took place in the George Enescu House in Mihăileni – the starting point of this initiative.
On 18 August, the first concert of the series was performed by the Outis String Quartet. The four young musicians performed an original programme comsisting of compositions by George Enescu and by the quartet members.
August 19 was celebrated with chamber music concerts by pianist Raluca Știrbăț, soprano Simina Ivan and cellist Rudolf Leopold (Austria), as well as a concert by young soloists, students of the National Art Colleges “Octav Băncilă” in Iasi and “George Enescu” in Bucharest, students of the University of Arts “George Enescu” in Iasi and the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki.
Also on August 19, the album “The complete Enescu musical works for cello and piano” with Rudolf Leopold and Raluca Știrbăț, released by Paladino music in Vienna in August 2021 and recorded in the showroom of the famous Austrian piano factory Bösendorfer, was released.
The surprise element of this series of cultural events was the presence of the Shukar Band (from the village of 10 Prăjini) on the evening of August 20, in Enescu’s courtyard in Mihăileni.
On the same evening of August 20, the Moruzi Mansion in Vârfu Câmpului hosted a concert with a very special repertoire, extended like a musical arc over time from Bach to 20th century atonal music. The programme opened with J.S. Bach’s Solo Cello Suite No. 3 in C major, performed by the young cellist Smaranda Iftime (2nd year student at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki) and continued with works by Paul Hindemith, Luciano Berio, Giulio Viozzi performed by the violin duo Les Violons d’Ingres from Italy – Claudia Cancellotti and Erica Scherl.
The closing evening for the “Concerts on the Siret River” took place on August 21 at the Miclescu Mansion in Călinești with a program of lieder and arias performed by soprano Simina Ivan, pianist Raluca Știrbăț and cellist Rudolf Leopold.
“We asked ourselves: why do these neoclassical manors exist along the Siret river? Probably because the owners were refined people and who could afford to do very interesting things here. With this project, the Pro Patrimonio Foundation has initiated a novel way of rediscovering the Siret river and to bring together geography and culture in a new concept that is internationally accepted, namely the cultural landscape. What does cultural landscape mean? It means at the same time community, therefore us, culture, natural landscape and heritage” said Șerban Sturdza, President of Pro Patrimonio Foundation.
During the event there was a premiere screening of the documentary film “The Rebirth of the Enescu House in Mihăileni”, directed by Francisc Mraz, which presents the stages of the restoration process initiated by Pro Patrimonio Foundation and its introduction into the cultural and educational circuit with the help of local communities.
During the four days of events, 30 musicians performed in front of an audience of over three hundred people.
During the same period, landscape architect Nicolas Triboi carried out an anthropological and landscape expedition on the Siret River, aiming to use drawings, sound captures and dialogues with local people to create a modern x-ray of the river’s condition.
“Along the way I’ve been amazed. I discovered a living river, free of petty waste, clean, worth rediscovering and protecting, with odourless water and therefore without sources of pollution and with extraordinary river dynamics. This river is alive.” said Nicolas Triboi at the end of the field experience.
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“Concerts on the Siret” is a project initiated and designed by Pro Patrimonio Foundation.
Sponsors: Țuca Zbârcea & Asociații, Fundația eMAG, Elsaco, Vestra Industry, Formens, Electroalfa, Hidroplasto, Five Continents Group Botoșani, Lacto Solomonescu. Media partners: Jurnal FM
Project organized with the support of the “George Enescu” National University of Arts in Iasi, the “George Enescu” International Society in Vienna, Cărturești, the I-portunus program and Mihăileni Town Hall.
Photos Ionut Iosub
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Jurnal Fm, Concerte pe Siret 18 august 2021 – Şerban Sturdza interview
TVR Iasi, emisiunea “Vară pentru voi”, 9 august 2021, editor Anca Medeleanu – Şerban Sturdza and Raluca Ştirbăţ interview
TVR Iaşi, emisiunea “Vară pentru voi”, 19 august 2021, editor Andreea Ştiliuc – Raluca Ştirbăţ interview
Botoșani Exclusiv TV, reportaj Concerte pe Siret, 18 august 2021
Adevarul, Concerte pe Siret şi muzica lui Enescu, în conace din Botoşani
Botoşăneanul, ”Concerte pe Siret” – 140 de ani de la nașterea lui George Enescu
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Read also
“Concerts on the Siret River”. Celebrating 140 years since the birth of George Enescu
Let the sound out, we have DIY instruments!
For the next 2 days, Andreea and Sorin are the musical hosts for sound explorations at Mihăileni. Today’s workshops interrogated the origins of sound, the path of instruments and the relationships between both sound and corporeality and between humans.
12 different types of instruments were drawn and built, using mostly wood as building material.
The orchestra of voices and instruments was thus tuned for the joint Sunday group meeting.
We thank the Mihăileni autumn for its understanding and postponing the rains until after the creative and play programs were completed.
The morning wakes us with a coldness reminiscent of early winter rather than late summer, and the rains insist. Yet no one skipped the landscape workshops.
Children participate practically and creatively in making herb pots, and the botanical prints far exceed the trainees’ expectations.
The weather allows us a portion of play in the glade and practice for Sunday championships.
We change the series to give as many children as possible the opportunity to take part in our workshops. We resume the activities of the first two days with 20 more children.
Even though autumn seems to have settled in full swing in Mihăileni, with cold temperatures and rain, the workshops go on outdoors in the tent, with more protective clothing and hot tea on the go.
Playtime after craft classes is the most successful warm-up remedy, and the glade across the road the best host for such activities. We eluded the rain during today’s workshops as well.
Pots, prints and a storm
On this day we set out to go home with a part of the Enescu House garden and some of its colours.
The children built their own wooden pots, equipped with waterproof foil, sand-pearl soil and 4 baby plants: rosemary, lavender, mint and sage. They each made a painted face dedicated to their drawing experiments, the figure of George Enescu as a friend of plants.
They imprinted big and small bags with local petals and leaves, using boiling and hammering techniques. They then experimented with some more exotic flavours such as turmeric and coffee and pigmented another series of bags.
However, the sport and play practice was interrupted by a fairytale thunderstorm which reminded us that autumn in Mihăileni comes much sooner than in Bucharest.
After all the activities related to preparing the courtyard and then hosting the concerts, it was the children’s turn to have a week dedicated to them. Yesterday five trainers worked with a team of 23 children from the local community.
In the first workshop they prepared a plant press construction. The press involved the actual wooden construction, the preparation of cardboard and paper inner modules for the positioning of the plants and a creativity competition in decorating the wooden covers of the press with pyrography and glued plants.
In the second workshop, the children learnt how to make an herbarium notebook by going through all its stages
After lunch the opposite glade hosted them for sports training in bedminton, volleyball and archery as well as a well-deserved rest in the shade.
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“The School of Landscape, Art and Sound” is a Pro Patrimonio Foundation cultural project co-financed by AFCN. The project does not necessarily represent the position of the National Cultural Fund Administration. AFCN is not responsible for the content of the project or how the results of the project may be used. These are entirely the responsibility of the grantee.
UiPath Foundation is a Pro patrimonio Foundation paartner in the program “Academy of Music and Education for Children” which has been running from the beginning of 2020 at the George Enescu House in Mihăileni.
Project Partners: Botoşăneanul, Radio România Muzical, Revista Zeppelin, National Geographic, AsoP, Filiala Teritoriala Vest, Societatea Internaţională George Enescu din Viena, Fundația Remember Enescu.
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Also read:
The School of Landscape, Art and Sound at the George Enescu House in Mihăileni
Worksite diary – Landscape and Art Workshop
From the 18th to 21st August, 2021, Pro Patrimonio Foundation launches the first edition of the event “Concerts on the Siret River” which will take place in area north of the Siret River, Botoșani County. This year the concerts will take place at the George Enescu House in Mihăileni, the Miclescu Mansion in Călinești and the Moruzi Mansion in Vârfu Câmpului. “Concerts on the Siret River” wishes to become an annual project, increasingly broad in terms of cultural offer, venues, notoriety, types of events and aims to attract a regional, national and foreign audience for a sustainable development, based on the local values and tangible and intangible heritage. The beauty of nature, the diversity of the architectural heritage, and the traditions of the region can support the development of rural areas and place them on the tourist, economic and cultural map of Romania.
The concerts will be performed by pianist Raluca Știrbăț, president of the International Society “George Enescu” in Vienna, initiator and supporter of the project to save George Enescu’s house in Mihăileni, cellist Rudolf Leopold (Austria), soprano Simina Ivan (Austria, Romania), the OUTIS Quartet, the violin duo Les Violons d´Ingres (Italy), Smaranda Iftime (cello) and the Shukar Fanfare (Romania). A special concert will be performed by young soloists, students of music colleges and universities in Iași, Timișoara, Bucharest and Helsinki. The project will include a screening of the documentary film “The Rebirth of the Enescu House in Mihăileni”, directed by Francisc Mraz.
The concerts aim to integrate the Enescu House in Mihăileni into the local and national cultural and educational circuit. During the chamber music concert on 19 August at the Enescu House, the album George Enescu – Complete works for cello and piano will be launched, which has just been released by the Viennese label Paladino music, featuring Rudolf Leopold and Raluca Știrbăț.
“To the north of the Siret River lies collection of elements that do not realize their own value. After doing a study on the development of tourism in Moldova, we found that the values of these places are more diverse and complex and that an overview could strengthen the cultural fabric of the area. This gave rise to the idea that music together with the cultural landscape could be coagulating elements, an important concept that Romania is trying to develop in all heritage policies. Music, architecture and cultural landscape are beginning to link a territory in which communities and people become effective actors. This led to the solution that Pro Patrimonio, who owns the Enescu House and has restored it, should create together with the people of the community, the town halls and local personalities a meeting point which the pandemic has complicated. What we initially thought of as a punctual and broad event had to be divided and transformed it into a triple event under the title “Concerts on the Siret River” over four days, fifty kilometres, from Mihăileni to Vârfu Câmpului and Călinești” said Șerban Sturdza, President of Pro Patrimonio Foundation.
“A chic little town and cosmopolitan border point of the Austrian Empire, Enescu’s Mihăileni preserves memories and moments more than precious, even decisive for the composer’s destiny. Built in the mid-19th century by his maternal ancestors – the distinguished Cosmovici family of priests and intellectuals, men with remarkable musical interests – the house once belonged to an economic and cultural area of great effervescence which is hard to imagine from our present perspective. The Pro Patrimonio’s “Concerts on the Siret River” project aims – by combining heritage and cultural-educational actions, where music plays a central role – to revitalize this region by attracting and involving local communities and start acting by raising awareness in the extremely complex and diverse potential of this region. We look forward to a large and enthusiastic audience, as well as supporters and donors who we are convinced will understand the value of a space with unique values in the Romanian landscape and beyond” said pianist Raluca Știrbăț, President of the International George Enescu Society Vienna.
Enescu House, Mihăileni
17.00
Project “Concerts on the Siret River” and the George Enescu House in Mihăileni presentation for the press
19.00
Chamber concert by the OUTIS Quartet. David Ursei (violin), Francisco Ramonda (violin), Mihai Todoran (viol) and Victor Sandu (cello).
20.30
Premiere screening of the documentary film “Renaissance of the Enescu House in Mihăileni”, directed by Francisc Mraz.
Free admission.
Enescu House, Mihăileni.
Concerts organized to celebrate the 140th anniversary of George Enescu’s birth.
18.00
Concert of young pianists, students of the “Octav Băncilă” and “George Enescu” National Art Colleges in Iași and Bucharest, students of the “George Enescu” University of Arts in Iasi and the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki: Tudor Jora, Irina Petrescu, Matei Dumitrescu, Mateea Bâzgă, Ana-Karina Voion, Mario Lucaci, Viviana Țaga, Carmina Vidrașcu, Beatrice Popliuc, Cosmin Gavrilă, Smaranda Iftime (cello). Extremely promising musical talents who have already proved their abilities in numerous national and international competitions, they will perform works of great difficulty from the Romantic and Romanian repertoire.
Ora 20.00
Chamber concert. Guests: Raluca Știrbăț (piano), Simina Ivan (soprano) and Rudolf Leopold (cello, Austria).
Launch of the album: George Enescu – The complete works for cello and piano
The programme of the two concerts will include works by George Enescu, Béla Bartók, Franz Liszt, Serghei Rahmaninov, Claude Debussy.
Free admission.
George Enescu’s house in Mihăileni, Botoșani county, a historical monument owned by Pro Patrimonio Foundation, was saved from collapse and underwent a seven-year restoration process. This is where the composer spent his childhood and adulthood, completing many of his masterpieces. It was the last place he visited before leaving the country for good in September 1946. The house belonged to George Enescu’s mother, Maria Cosmovici, and was built by her parents most likely in the mid-19th century. Today, the house is given back to the local community as a cultural and educational centre. In 2020 the restoration works were completed, a moment marked also by the inauguration of one of Pro Patrimonio Foundation’s most ambitious projects, the “Academy for the Study of Music and Sound”.
Moruzi Manor, Vârfu Câmpului
18.00
Chamber concert. Guests: Les Violons d´Ingres (violin duo, Italy) and Smaranda Iftime (cello)
Access by invitation only.
The duo “Les violons d´Ingres” was born in 1997 from the meeting of violinists Claudia Cancellotti and Erica Scherl, both students of maestro Enzo Porta. Since then, the duo has performed in various Italian and foreign cities such as Bologna, Florence, Perugia, Windhoek, Jerusalem, Ramallah and others. The participation of the two musicians is due to the support received from the European I-portunus programme.
The Moruzi Mansion in Vârfu Câmpului is close to the Siret River and is set in a park-like courtyard made up of a natural reserve of ancient oak trees. The beauty of the place is quite special and can create a unique setting for cultural events: concerts, workshops, conferences.
Enescu House, Mihăileni
19.00
Shukar Band Concert.
Free admission.
The Shukar Fanfare from the village of Zece Prăjini, Iași, has distinguished itself by its specifically Balkan tones, the musical style being associated with that of Goran Bregovic. In 1993, the band’s music was launched abroad by the former sovereign of Romania, Michael I, visit to Montreux. With over 25 years of activity, under the guidance of the leader Costică Panțîru, the band members have travelled all the continents, giving concerts in Europe, Asia, America, and even being for a period (2006 – 2009) employees of the Zingaro Theatre in Paris. They can boast of tours in Hong Kong, Tokyo and Brussels.
Miclescu Manor, Călinești
19.00
Recital of lieder and arias. Guests: Simina Ivan (soprano) and Raluca Știrbăț (piano)
Access by invitation only.
The Miclescu Ensemble from Călinești is, at this moment, probably the most authentic restored manor house in Romania, a model of relationship with the local community. The manor was a model of a modern agricultural farm and one of the oldest and most beautiful manor houses in Romania during the interwar period. Nationalised and destroyed after the advent of communism, the manor was recovered by its direct descendant, Mr. Radu Miclescu, and restored with care and dedication. For 15 years, the Miclescu Manor has become a unique artistic space, a successful agricultural farm, an educational restoration site, a welcoming place after its inauguration for intellectuals, artists, journalists and politicians. The social and philanthropic imprint of the Miclescu family also extended to the church at Cervicești and, in general, to the local community, for which it created jobs and provided aid in various forms.
All activities take place outdoors.
On August 18, 19 and 20, from 18.00 and until the end of the events of each evening in the garden of Enescu House in Mihăileni, Cărturești Bookstore will organize a book stand from which books of literature, architecture, music, art and children’s literature can be purchased.
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Concerts on the Siret is a project initiated and designed by Pro Patrimonio Foundation.
Sponsors: Țuca Zbârcea & Asociații, eMAG Foundation, Elsaco, Vestra Industry, Formens, Electroalfa, Hidroplasto, Five Continents Group Botoșani, Lacto Solomonescu.
Media partner: Jurnal FM
Project organized with the support of the “George Enescu” National University of Arts in Iasi, the “George Enescu” International Society in Vienna, Carturesti, the I-portunus programme and the Mihăileni Municipality.
Pro Patrimonio Foundation has been intervening for over 20 years in almost all regions of Romania to revitalise and strengthen disadvantaged communities remote from areas of progress. The aim is to re-establish community identity links for a built heritage that is currently abandoned, has lost its role, and, as far as possible, to reintroduce it into the economic and cultural circuit. Actions focus on practical education projects, aimed at rehabilitating and re-functionalising the historic heritage, as well as community involvement and awareness of their own identity. As a non-profit non-governmental organisation with branches in Romania, UK and France, the Foundation runs projects designed to save heritage, educate and raise awareness regarding the importance of cultural heritage.
Read also How our “Concerts on the Siret River” were
Epilogue.
Even if Tuesday and Wednesday were the days of travel for volunteers and the Pro Patrimonio team on both days we worked hard to clean the place and complete the main path. We relied exclusively on the help of older children from Mihăileni, whom we thank, once again, for an exemplary involvement.
The last touches of this year’s garden arrangement will be made during the week of the landscape and sound workshops, August 23 – 29, together with our 100% reliable team from Mihăileni: the children’s community.
We leave free the place for Concerts on Siret, a new project conceived and initiated by Pro Patrimonio.
We saved the last day of summer school for planting on the side of the house and cleaning the back bank.
Once they know us in the community, the children of Mihăileni cannot imagine not helping us. So we have been working with some of them today.
We ended the entire program with a surprising and comprehensive four-hour tour of Mihăileni with the local history teacher.
We are glad to have been able to leave behind a brighter face of the garden and a better context for future cultural events.
Sunday – day for rest
After a week full of adventures, almost daily rain, searching, hiking and hard work, we chose a Sunday with somewhat more relaxing activities.
In the morning we went to see the pulse of the Mihăileni market.
Until noon we gave free control over botanical print experiments personalising the site shirts with leaves and flowers.
In the afternoon we were welcomed for a special visit to the Miclescu Manor at Călinești where we were loaded with stories of the place and photos of the garden and the house.
We collected sights from our trips, vegetables from the greenhouses in Mihăileni and ended the day with an overnight visit to a village wedding.
Communitary Saturday – call to “clacă” (work gathering).
The yard was cleaned, decorated and prepared all morning to receive the visit of the Mihăileni villagers coming to attend the work gathering. Together with the village boy-helpers we “sprinkled” the planting beds with pine wood chips, put all the plant pots in place, edged the current “pool” and the future main walkway with Corten sheeting and prepared the botanical print workshop.
Around 25 children and a few adults joined the afternoon planting event. With many of the children we had the joy of seeing each other again after last year’s workshops. We were pleasantly surprised to see the children as enthusiastic and full of life as they were in 2020. The race of “who planted the most plants” was hard to contain. Good thing the team kept up with the kids’ fast pace. You could see the results of the two-hour teamwork in front of the house in ornamental plants and shrubs along the fence.
The reward for the labours of the land came in the form of pies, doughnuts and a musical recital by a nearby children’s group.
We squeezed the last of the children’s strength in a hammer concert to print their souvenir bags.
End of the day with a round of tag in the garden, watering plants and stories on the porch. That’s enough for today. We look forward to a Sunday of relaxation and artistic experimentation.
A day as intense as can be in Mihăileni!
We depend on mechanised machinery to make our garden work more efficient and to fit into a particularly tight timeframe. Yesterday’s storm blocked machine access to the garden in the morning and even by midday we were anxious whether the excavator tracks would be able to scrape through the muddy site.
Luck and the machine users’ goodwill were on our side and we managed to fill the drainage ditch today.
Along with this big bump, we prepared the ground for Saturday’s upcoming plantings and welcomed the new family of decorative and climbing plants as well as the bags of mulch to our yard.
The future gravel driveway has now become a geotextile “pool” and is temporarily set up as an amphitheatre space for the “clacă” concert.
The evening of this full day also sees the “christening” of the new drainage system with a heavy rain, in the spirit of what we are already used to these days.
Ground mounts decrease in some parts but increase in other areas of the garden.
Storm code, mud pools and geotextile paths through the house and garden.
This day was not without adventures for the Enescu House team either. The work was largely split between those levelling the kerbs of the new gravel driveway and starting to dig the soil for the future decorative areas in front of the house, and those working ‘in the trenches’ on the house drainage ditch.
Along with manual work with shovel, spade, sledgehammer and foil preparation the excavator completed and helped us for a good part of the tasks.
Unforeseen events are always present, but accompanied by good humour, good food from Siret and help from neighbours.
The landscaping site has started!
Even though the full team was to meet up only in the afternoon, the work started in earnest.
One of the major works planned for this week is the resurfacing of the main driveway. We want a generous gravelled area in front of the house to better showcase it and more appropriately host local educational and cultural events.
So we cleared the old stone kerb path and the landscape volunteers from Cluj laid out the new path.
Although we were to receive the mechanical help of the excavator only tomorrow, the local crew surprised us with time to spare for the work and we started digging for both the new driveway and the new drainage ditch for the house in first day. The site “got ennobled” along the way with mounds of dug dirt and deep mud left from the rain. The team hangs on tight!
The three volunteers arrive from Bucharest during the day so the next day we will be more prepared to fight for the new Enescu House garden.
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The diary documentation through texts and photos was done by Andreea Machidon, coordinator of the Heritage Education program for Pro Patrimonio Foundation.
Work team: Andreea Machidon, Mihai Puica, Diana Teodora Vacaru, Adina Ispas, Mihaela Lungu, Adina Rachita, Ana Maria Pravicencu, Ruben Mardaru şi Marcu (+2y).
Details about the School of Landscape, Art and Sound at the George Enescu House in Mihăileni
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“School of Landscape, Art and Sound” is a Pro Patrimonio Foundation cultural project, co-financed by AFCN. The project does not necessarily represent the position of the Administration of the National Cultural Fund. AFCN is not responsible for the content of the project or the way its results may be used. These are entirely the responsibility of the grantee.
UiPath Foundation is a Pro patrimonio Foundation partner in the program “The Children’s Academy of Music and Education” which has been running from the beginning of 2020 at the George Enescu House in Mihăileni.
Project parteners: Botosaneanul, Radio România Muzical, Revista Zeppelin, National Geographic, AsoP, Filiala Teritoriala Vest, Societatea Internaţională George Enescu din Viena, Fundația Remember Enescu.
