Project Q&A with ASTRA Museum
The open air collection of the ASTRA Museum comprises buildings and objects that are characteristic to the cultural heritage of various rural communities from Romania. It is currently implementing 18 programs for audiences and communities, and more than 870 activities each year. Hundreds of craftsmen, dancers, singers, and cookers from all over the country are being an active part of the museum. The specialists are involved in field research campaigns on a regular basis, not only with the aim of documenting the tangible and intangible heritage of each community, but also in order to make people aware of the value of the heritage and involve them in the museum’s activities. We have asked ASTRA four question about their experience with the project so far.
What are your institution's goals for this project and how do you plan to achieve them?
Our institution’s goals are to promote traditional dance that are not formalized, the analysis of the social and cultural context which dance takes place, identifying the typology of the traditional costume, an essential element in transmitting and preserving traditional dance. This project represents a great opportunity for our institution to co-create and to partner with dance and music specialists to develop future projects and partnerships. In our country dances are associated only with performance, less with participatory activities, due to the Communist era which alienated human beings form traditions. We want to transform the museum exhibition in a dance arena. We want to identify the best ways to develop cyclical active programmes – participatory and interactive of communicating and facilitating dance to the wide public.
In order to achieve our goals we want to research what the community wants to present. We are dependent on the willingness of the communities to participate in our activities, to present their customs and traditions. For this we will use field research in a specific community, namely Rucăr, Brașov County.
What are your thoughts on the project per now?
For our institution this project represents a different approach and presentation/ communication of ICH. It offers the opportunity to new projects and partnerships.
Have you learned something new?
Yes, we did. It offers new means to promote and communicate ICH, namely dance transmission in Romania, sustainable models of dances playing an active role in developing communities and cultural tourism.
What is your institution's contribution to this project and it's consortium?
ASTRA Museum will contribute to the shared exhibition and ensure the proper conditions for its display in the museum. We will be responsible for production/design of the common digital content for the exhibition installations.