A Mapping of the cultural and creative offer in Iasi

A Mapping of the cultural and creative offer in Iasi
September 2014
FINAL
1
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. INTRODUCTION .............................................................................................................2
1.1 Setting the scene .......................................................................................................................................................... 2
1.2 Scope and methodology .............................................................................................................................................. 2
2. MAPPING ........................................................................................................................4
2.1 Introduction ................................................................................................................................................................ 4
2.2 Socioeconomic context ................................................................................................................................................ 4
2.3 Culture and Creative Industries’ profile .................................................................................................................. 6
2.3.1 The Core Arts ........................................................................................................................................................ 6
2.3.2 The Cultural Sectors............................................................................................................................................ 10
2.3.3 The Creative Sectors ........................................................................................................................................... 12
2.4 Policy framework to support CCIs ......................................................................................................................... 13
2.5 Strengths and needs .................................................................................................................................................. 14
3. EUROPEAN CAPITAL OF CULTURE – TOWARDS IAȘI 2021 ...................................17
3.1 The ECoC project and Iași 2021.............................................................................................................................. 17
3.2 Expectations .............................................................................................................................................................. 17
3.3 Strengths and challenges to build a successful bid ................................................................................................. 18
4. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS .............................................................20
4.1 Conclusions............................................................................................................................................................... 20
4.2 Recommandations..................................................................................................................................................... 23
4.3. Next steps .................................................................................................................................................................. 25
ANNEX 1 - CONSULTED STAKEHOLDERS ...................................................................26
ANNEX 2 – IAŞI’S CCIs - COMPANIES ...........................................................................28
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1. INTRODUCTION
1.1 Setting the scene
The city of Iași is competing to become European Capital of Culture (ECoC) 2021. The recently set up
Foundation “Iași – European Capital of Culture 2021” selected KEA – European Affairs to map the creative and
cultural offer of Iași as a basis to build the future cultural strategy as well as a successful ECoC bid.
The mapping has been devised as a tool providing the city with evidence of existing resources and needs,
enabling policy makers and local stakeholders to better move into the planning and implementation phase of the
cultural strategy and ECoC application.
In particular, the mapping aims at:
-
Identifying the local cultural and creative entities, including some “local champions”, contributing to Iași’s
cultural and creative offer;
Understanding needs, expectations and vision of local stakeholders and key players in relation to the
ECoC event, with a view to mobilise and involve them to build the best proposal.
Contributing to monitor and assess the impact of the ECoC title on the city’s cultural and creative offer,
during and after the event, starting from this first “snapshot” of the sector against which future
evaluations could be compared;
This report is divided into three main chapters:
-
A qualitative analysis of the cultural and creative offer of the city, including an overview of the socioeconomic context as well as of policies and initiatives that have been taken at the city level to support
the cultural and creative sectors;
A presentation of the ECoC project at this stage, expectations from cultural and creative players and
needs to be addressed to build a successful bid;
A synthesis bringing together issues arising from the previous analysis and providing recommendations
to improve data on CCIs and help the city assess Iași 2021’s overall impacts.
1.2 Scope and methodology
The mapping builds on both quantitative and (mainly) qualitative data which were collected by means of desk
research, semi-structured interviews and a focus group with a number of selected organisations from the local
Cultural and Creative Industries (CCIs), here defined according to the definition provided by the report “The
Economy of Culture in Europe” prepared by KEA in 2006 for the European Commission. CCIs thus include the
following sub-sectors: the core arts (performing arts, visual arts, cultural and architectural heritage, and literature);
the cultural sectors (film, DVD and video, television and radio, video games, new media, music, books and press);
and the creative sectors (architecture, advertising, design and fashion).
RELATED SECTORS
CREATIVE SECTORS
Consumer
Electronics
Education
Crafts
CULTURAL SECTORS
Film and
Video
Books and
Press
User Generated
Content
Tourism
THE ARTS
Advertising
Visual Arts
Fashion
Design
Heritage
Video
Games
Telecommunications
Luxury
brands
Performing Arts
Music
Television
and Radio
Design
Software
Architecture
Industrial Design
2
The relevant NACE codes corresponding to the proposed sub-sectors were defined and an inventory of CCIs in
Iași was completed (see Annex 2). In order to obtain a good level of detail but also allow comparisons with other
cities, we used four-digit NACE codes1. The NACE codes were identified on the basis of the ones used in “The
Economy of Culture” study (KEA 2006), which were adapted to the NACE rev.2 classification.
The semi-structured interviews and the focus group were carried out locally during a site visit (11-15 March) with
two different types of stakeholders: five “context” stakeholders (Foundation Iași 2021, the city, universities, etc.)
and a sample of twenty CCIs covering the different subsectors. Qualitative information on the city’s
socioeconomic context, the CCIs’ potential and expectations and needs in relation to ECoC were gathered. More
precisely, on the twenty cultural and creative organisations, we’ve collected the following information: mission
and main activities, juridical form, annual turnover, number of employees, source of public funding (if any),
number and typology of visitors/audience/clients (geographical provenance, age, sex, education level..), number
and typology of (international) projects and most successful projects/activities/performances/events. About
half of the selected entities took part to this exercise. The completed sheets are available upon request.
The consulted stakeholders were selected with the help of the Foundation Iași 2021 and the local partner
associated with this assignment: the University Alexandru Ioan Cuza of Iași. The list of the people consulted is
available in Annex.
1
NACE is a European industry standard classification system consisting of 6 digit code. The first four digits of the code, which
correspond to the first four levels of the classification system, are the same in all European countries. The fifth digit might vary from
country to country and further digits are sometimes placed by suppliers of databases. Thus, it is evident that using four-digit codes
allows comparisons with other studies covering different countries.
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2. MAPPING
2.1 Introduction
This section aims at providing an overview of Culture and Creative Industries (CCIs) in Iași, with focus on the core
arts, the cultural sectors and the creative sectors. Previous studies have dealt with CCIs in Iași. The first of this
kind is a collection of success stories of cultural and creative companies and NGOs in the city (British Council
2006). The second one is an economic mapping of CCIs in Romania, with disaggregated data at the county level
(GEA Consulting 2011). According to the latter, Iaşi County ranks 5th at national level, with 1093 SMEs working in
the CCIs and 4489 creative jobs. CCIs’ contribution to the local economy in Iaşi is comparable with most
developed European regions: the sector represents 7% of local firms, 4.13% of jobs and 3.33% of the local
turnover.
Data analysis by GEA Consulting also shows a high rate of specialisation in the different Romanian counties:
Bucharest is the "Capital Radio", Cluj the "County show" and Iași the "creative web" County. Iași is indeed
particularly strong in computer programming activities (NACE code: 6201): it occupies the 5th position in the
country with 171 firms, 939 employees and a turnover of € 18,460,283.602. Television programming and
broadcasting activities (6020), advertising (7311) and media representation (7312) see Iași occupying the 8th
position with 6 firms, 61 employees and a turnover of € 62,881.973; 165 firms, 324 employees and a turnover of
23,365,205 and 25 firms, 35 employees and a turnover of 3,341,663, respectively. As for Motion picture, video
and television programme production activities (5911), Iași ranks 10th at national level with 10 firms and 29
employees and a € 207,667.834 turnover.
However, while this report covers the city of Iași, the above mentioned data refer to the Iași County. So, these
do not necessarily reflect the situation in the city. In addition, GEA Consulting mapping also includes “computer
programming” in the CCIs definition, while in this report we only include “video games” and exclude broader
computer programming activities.
Beyond the numbers, our objective here is to understand the potential lying in the different cultural and creative
sub-sectors mainly based on a qualitative analysis. To this aim, it is also necessary to understand the local
specifics and the way local authorities have been approaching CCIs over these last few years. In the following
pages, we will thus shortly present the city’s socioeconomic profile and then carry out a more in depth analysis
of the cultural and creative sector, including of the measures in place to support its development.
2.2 Socioeconomic context
Situated in the North-East region of Romania, at a few kilometres away from the Moldavian and Ukrainian borders,
Iași was the ancient capital of Moldavia and an important crossing point for trade between Poland, Hungary, Russia
and Constantinople, linking the East and the West. Today, it is one of second largest cities of the county,
counting 290,000 inhabitants5 (with a large majority of Romanians6 and large migration rates7), a large student
community (more than 40,0008) and a Roma community living at the borders of the city. Crossed by the Balhui
river, the city is surrounded by the seven hills and presents large green areas (Copou Park, the Botanical Garden,
the Exhibition park and the Cirik park) providing a pleasant environment for living.
2
= RON 81,971,833. Conversion rate on 05.05.2014: 1 RON = 0.225203 EUR
= RON 1,167,411. Conversion rate on 05.05.2014: 1 RON = 0.225203 EUR
= RON 922,193. Conversion rate on 05.05.2014: 1 RON = 0.225203 EUR
5
Source: Population and Housing Census 2011 http://www.iasi.insse.ro/main.php.
6
In 2006 there were 2932 foreign citizens, of which 1837 from the Republic of Moldova, 265 Israei, 65 Italians, 65 Jordanians, 54
Albanians and 54 Americans and some other smaller communities. Source: Dimitriu, R. (2010). Go west. The migration of the
population from Iasi (Romania). In Iorio, M. and Sistu, G. (2010). Dove finisce il mare. Geografie. Scritti per Maria Luisa Gentileschi,
Sandhi Editore, Cagliari, pp. 163-180.
7
The 2011 census shows a significant drop in population (around 31,000) in comparison with the previous 2002 census.
8
According to National Institute of Statistics, in 2012 Iasi hosted 42,533 students in higher education institutions and 2245 PhD students
in 2014 (source: www.doctoranzi-romania.ro).
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4
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The place evokes Europe’s past in its glorious and tragic dimensions of the 20 th century. The city suffered
considerably during the World War II, as it became the centre of the German-Russian confrontations during which
it was partially destroyed. As a consequence of World War II9, the Sephari Jewish community that lived in the
city since the late 16th century - playing a significant role in the city’s cultural life (the first Jewish theatre in
Romania was opened in Iași) – also drastically dropped. Today, the city appears as a concentrate of European
ideas and values which experience friendly confrontation with neighboring cultures (Russian, Ottomans). Iași is
geographically situated at the outskirts of Europe but it is truly the expression of its heart.
The educational offer is certainly a distinctive asset of the city which contributes to keep the population on
average young10 and well educated11. Iași is the seat of the first Romanian university (the "Alexandru Ioan Cuza"
University (UAIC) founded in 1860) and the second university centre of Romania and the first of Eastern Romania,
hosting five public and seven private universities. The University of Medicine and Pharmacy Gr. T. Popa is well
renowned for offering good educational programmes which attract foreign students, especially French speaking
ones. With reference to education in the field of culture and creativity, Iași is particularly well positioned in the
fields of ICT and textiles (at the Gheorghe Asachi Technical University of Iași it is possible to study ICT,
textile/fashion design and management) as well as fine arts and performing arts (thanks to the University of Fine
Arts, the only higher education institute in the country offering education in fine arts, music and theatre and
pursuing a multidisciplinary approach. The Bancila College also offers particularly good quality education in
performing arts.
Still, the city is facing an important brain drain: since 2007, the total number of students has been decreasing by
22%12. Many leave after their studies either abroad or to other competitor cities in the country, mainly Bucharest,
Cluj Napoca and Timisoara.
During the Communist regime of Nicolae Ceaușescu, the city saw an impressive growth of the population
(+235%). By 1989, Iași became highly industrialised, with chemical, pharmaceutical, metallurgical, heavy equipment,
textile, food, energy, and furniture industries. Today, several communist blocks and industrial areas are no longer
in use.
Although the city suffers from poor transport connections (either by roads, rail or plane), Iași has been able to
reinvent itself to face the challenge of deindustrialisation taking advantage of its site-specific resources, among
which the low cost of life and the availability of a well-educated workforce. The quality of life has improved in
the last few years, as shown by the increase of the average age of mothers (which indicates that the region is
moving towards a more developed economy) and of the average life expectancy, moving from 70 years to
more than 73 years old13.
Nowadays Iași remains the biggest urban centre of the North-East Region, and the economic and cultural capital
of the County of Iași and the surrounding region. It relies on an economy that is more diversified than the rest of
the region, based on the development of the tertiary sector (mainly education, health care, research and banking)
and specialised industry, namely food, medicine and ICT industries. The latter became one of the main providers
of jobs in the last decade, relying on the strong presence of big multinational companies (i.e. Amazon, Continental
VDO, Embarcadero Technologies, Ness Technologies, Comodo Group, Bentley Systems, etc.) but also on a
growing number of small and medium-sized local players (especially active in web design), good educational
offer in the ICT field and the technological and scientific park Tehnopolis, providing companies in the ICT and
audiovisual sectors with strategic advice, consulting and mentoring services.
CCIs are becoming increasingly important, with textile (traditionally strong, nowadays backed by creative design)
and communication design presenting a major development potential, as further explained in the following
sections.
9
As a sad example, the Iași pogrom was one of the most violent in the Jewish history. After the war, emigration to Israel brought down
the Jewish community to less than 3,000 people in 1975.
10
In 2011 the population between 15 and 34 years old accounted for around 35% out of the total (Source: Population and Housing
Census 2011 http://www.iasi.insse.ro/main.php).
11
The Iasi County features a significant proportion (14.85%) of population with higher education in 2011. Source: Population and
Housing Census 2011.
12
In 2012 city of Iasi registered 42,533 students in higher education which represents a decreased by 22% from 2007 [Source:
www.ins.ro]
13
Source: Orizont 2020 Strategy.
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The city is currently undergoing major infrastructural works to further develop the airport (that already offers
several connections to international destinations) as well as the city image and quality of life (through renovation
works on the pavements and heritage buildings, including museums and churches, expected to be finalised well
before 2021). The city has recently opened a new big commercial shopping centre also hosting cultural events
for the wider public (Palas). This has attracted new private investments to the city.
Such improvements will contribute to increase the city’s important tourism potential primarily embedded in its
rich cultural heritage (see next sections), natural landscapes, a good accommodation capacity and programme of
large events. Apart from traditional events, such as the Day of Iași” festival, held in October, the Parade of the
Period Costumes, the Wine Fair event and the “Cucuteni14 5000” Traditional Ceramics Fair, connected to the
city’s long lasting crafts history and traditions (wood, pottery), new initiatives have flourished in Iaşi lately.
Among the latter, Periferic15, the Romanian Biennial of Contemporary Art that ran from 2001 until 2008, the
International Festival of Education (FIE)16 inaugurated in 2013 and the International Festival of Literature and
Translation (FILIT)17 , also kicked-off last year under the initiative of Dan Lungu, one of the most translated
Romanian writers.
2.3 Culture and Creative Industries’ profile
While the composite rich heritage is witness to Iași’s 600 hundred years of cultural history, the implantation of
cultural and creative industries (from audiovisual to fashion) in the city has a quite recent history. Most companies
were born only twenty years ago, after the end of the Communist regime.
Despite CCIs’ recent history, there are good development perspectives for the cultural and creative sectors: the
city can first and foremost count on a very qualified workforce (especially in IT, arts, theatre and fashion/textile).
There is also an important understanding of the inputs that culture can give to tourism development as well as to
creativity and innovation: designers/creative professionals are considered a resource to revitalise the textile
sector that was a real strength during the Communist regime but that has suffered (as in many other countries in
Europe) due to the crisis of the traditional industrial system, globalisation and increased competition.
Developing a cultural and creative economy however means creating the right ecosystem to retain talented
professionals and businesses and support their growth.
In the following pages, we are going to present the CCIs in Iași with focus on their strengths and room for
improvement. The objective is to help local authorities identify needs to be addressed to allow the creative
economy to fully develop with a view to retain and attract talents and competitive businesses to the city.
2.3.1 The Core Arts
A rich historical, cultural and religious heritage
As the cultural capital of Romania, Iași hosts a rich museum heritage. With its four museums18, the Moldova
National Museum Complex is the most well-known museum in the city, attracting an average of 75,415 visitors
per year, especially adults (65% of visitors are between 22-40 years old19). It is located at the historical Palace of
Culture, recognised as the main cultural icon in the city. The National Opera, the National Theatre and Iași
"Moldova" Philharmonic Orchestra (the major one of this kind in the country), founded by the Romanian composer
George Enescu, are also hosted in beautiful historical buildings, all owned by the Ministry of Culture.
The Museum of Literature (that includes 12 memorial houses), the Union Museum (on the history of the Union of
the Romanian Principalities, also located at the Palace of Culture), the Mihail Kogălniceanu Museum (dedicated to
the Prime Minister and founder of the first University of the country Alexandre Ioan Cuza), the Alexandru Ioan
14
Cucuteni is an ancient civilisation living in the Moldavian region from 5000 to 3500 BC.
http://www.periferic.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=63&Itemid=156&lang=en
16
http://www.fieiasi.ro/en/despre-fie/
17
http://en.filit-iasi.ro/festival/
18
The Moldavian History Museum, the Museum of Fine Arts, the Science and Technology Museum and the Ethnographic Museum
19
Source: all data on visitors have been provided by the museums.
15
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Cuza Palace from Ruginoasa and the Museum of wine from Hârlăuare are other examples of major museums
contributing to preserve and promote the cultural, social and political history of the city. The Museum of
Literature receives about 70,000 visitors per year, while the others overall attract less than 40,000 per year.
Iași is also renowned as a religious centre featuring the biggest pilgrimage in Romania occurring in Iași on Saint
Parascheva’s Dedication Day. It attracts as many as 800,000 pilgrims coming from all over Romania every year,
between October 7 and 15, to touch the relics of St. Parascheva.
As the seat of the Romanian Orthodox Metropolitan of Moldavia and Bukovina, and of the Roman Catholic Bishop
of Iași, the city and the surrounding area house a composite religious architecture (more than 10 monasteries and
100 historical churches) contributing to preserve the spiritual character of the city. Among the oldest is Princely
Saint Nicholas (1491) and the Metropolitan Cathedral, the largest of its kind in Romania. Erected in 1635–1639, the
Three Holy Hierarcs Monastery is considered to be an architectural masterpiece. The monastery is listed in the
National Register of Historic Monuments and included on the tentative list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites20.
In 2012, Iași registered a total of 164,297 visitors, of which 141,299 were Romanians and 22,998 foreigners with a
slight increase in 201321. Considering that only 16%%
were foreign tourists and just 34% of the accommodation
22
capacity was used , there is scope to increase tourism activities.
The city’s authorities are committed to make the most of their cultural resources for tourism development. Iași’s
heritage has indeed grown and been modernised in the last decade. New museums have opened recently, such
as the Cucuteni Museum on the Cucuteni archeological village (2005) and the Cucuteni Civilisation Museum (2010)
as part of the University Al. I. Cuza Museum. The latter is a good example of successful application of new
technologies, videos and modern design to an ancient history museum. Similarly, in 2012 the Kogălniceanu
Museum introduced a 3D hologram representing former Prime Minister Kogălniceanu himself, signifying a premier
among the Romanian museums. It is still the first and sole museum in the country making use of such technology.
The city is also undergoing major infrastructural works to renovate its museums, churches and historical
buildings at the highest standards. However, renovation also means that several areas are currently closed to the
public, including the Palace of Culture and its four museums (only a small part is open for temporary exhibitions),
and the Philharmonic’s Palace. Its concerts are “displaced” at the moment and played all around the city (but this
also gives the orchestra opportunity to “infiltrate” classical music in different settings, such as other theatres or
museums). The municipality intends to finalise infrastructural works well before the European Capital of Culture
year thus ensuring that the funding in 2021 will mainly go to cultural activities and projects. But the finalisation of
the works does not entirely depend on the city as most of the historical buildings in the city are owned by the
Ministry of Culture.
A long-lasting theatrical and opera tradition
Iași is the first city in Romania having hosted a National Opera since 1960s. In these last fifty years, the Opera
became a distinctive element of the city, able to attract a very receptive and passionate audience. The Opera
underwent a period of decline for a couple years, until the city decided to reinstate the National Opera back to
its successful beginnings.
The Renaissance of Iași’s National Opera
Beatrice Rancea, a Romanian stage director from Bucharest and Director of the National Opera of Iași since 2011,
is at the origin of the Opera’s Renaissance. Today, it offers a much differentiated repertoire that includes opera
performances but also concerts and ballet.
To reinstate the Opera as part of the city’s identity, image and life, Mrs. Rancea successfully brought the opera
“outside” the opera’s building thus “infiltrating” unconventional settings and attracting broader and younger
20
http://whc.unesco.org/en/tentativelists/
Data had been provided by the tourist office of Iaşi. According to the same source, data on the total number of tourists in 2013 are not
finalized yet, but an estimation of the period from January to November indicates that Iaşi County registered 172,153 tourists, of which
148,740 were Romanians and 23,413 foreigners.
22
Source: INS Iasi, press release, nr. 3/2014
21
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audiences. Performances were organised in the streets at the opening and closing of the theatrical season,
gathering 5,000 people at the first edition and around 10,000 in 2013. The Opera also played in Museums
(Museum of the Union, Museum of Literature) and took part in a Flash Mob23 organised by the national
broadcaster TVR at Palas, the recently opened shopping centre next to the Palace of Culture.
Beatrice Rancea also initiated “Opera’s Oscars”, an awarding ceremony co-organised together with TVR Iași that
gathered lots of attention.
The “new” Opera is a real success: its capacity is fully exploited thanks its high quality repertoire and
programme of public events. Tickets are soon sold out for most of the performances, attracting 50,000
spectators per year (without counting the people following from home as the performances are now also
transmitted live). Due to the high demand, the theatre even had to change its sales policy: 50 stand seats were
introduced in addition to the 700 seats. It is also estimated that more young people are now attracted. Such
success is particularly interesting in a city where the average salary is about 250 euros per month while a
ticket costs between 20 and 50 euros.
The Opera’s modernisation has attracted private sponsors, too. “Usually Operas look for sponsors. Here it is the
other way round: companies propose to sponsor the Opera due to the high visibility of the theatre. In return
they receive some small tax deductions at local level”, Beatrice Rancea said. Although the Ministry of Culture
remains the main sponsor of the institution, the interest of private companies represents an important return on
public investment. This could be further exploited to introduce a sustainable public-private funding model.
The ambition is to transform the Opera into a dynamic entity entering the city’s life in a way that could
innovate the concept of Opera itself. The big step forward will be the creation of a modern Opera for Iași – a
multicultural space to be shared with the National Theatre. This would be a first example of space dedicated to
the Opera outside its historical building. The project is currently being assessed. There is also a strong
willingness to make the National Opera even more present in unconventional and open air areas such as the
botanical garden, the near forest or churches.
The Opera shares the same building with the National Theatre that could be the object of a similar renaissance.
However, the fact that the two institutions share the same physical space creates some practical as well as
promotional difficulties (it is not necessarily clear that the building hosts two different institutions). This is why
the creation of a bigger and more modern space hosting both in a more functional way has become an urgent
need.
Iași is also home to the State Philharmonic Orchestra, the major orchestra in the Moldova region, hosted in a
beautiful historical building currently under renovation.
Luceafărul enriches Iași’s theatrical scene with a specialised offer dedicated to the young public. Luceafărul is a
State theatre company founded in 1950, funded by the Romanian government and counting 25 actors. The
company makes productions and international co-productions mainly targeting children and young adults. It also
organises a 6-7 day international annual festival in October (Festivalul Internaţional de Teatru pentru Publicul
Tânăr), the only festival of this genre in the county attracting about 14-15,000 participants to its performances
(mostly sold out). In 2014 the Festival will celebrate its 7th edition again in partnership with several institutions
(UNITER – association of theatre professionals in Romania, Institut Français, British Council, Polish Institute, etc.).
Partnerships are considered key to acquire new funds as well as to keep in touch with artists in Europe and
outside Europe.
As for theatres directly owned and supported by the City Coucil, the Athenaeum Tătăraşi is certainly worth
mentioning. It was founded in 1920 with the aim of becoming the main cultural centre of Moldavia, improving the
region’s links with Europe and supporting young creators. The Theatre produces and organises different cultural
initiatives, from theatre performances to film projections to debates, and attracts around 40,000 people per
year. It works in partnership with several institutions in Iași, Romania, Europe and abroad.
23
http://www.ziaruldeiasi.ro/stiri/moment-inedit-realizat-de-opera-nationala-romana-iasi-la-palas-video--30670.html
8
Iași’s performing arts scene is completed by a number of young, independent NGOs mainly focusing on
contemporary and experimental theatre, such as the Fix Teatru and the Fapt Company, founded in 2011 to
support contemporary arts and artists, with a special focus on play development. They mainly attract young
audiences (about 5,000 spectators per year) with an average age of twenty-six.
What truly benefits the theatrical scene in Iași is the presence of a high quality theatre school locally (at the Fine
Arts Academy) as well as the presence of a “truly beloved, enthusiastic and interested public” (Beatrice Rancea).
The presence of the Fine Arts Academy creates a win-win situation: it gives young students the opportunity to
be admitted to a high quality practical training (calls are regularly made by the Opera to recruit students and
NGOs regularly works with students), and the local theatres and companies the possibility to easily access a
qualified labour pool.
Iași has exported some of its talents in this field: the actor Constantin Chiriu, current Director of the Radu Stanca
National Theatre in Sibiu (ECoC 2007) studied in Iași. The actors of the movie “A fost sau n-a fost?”, winner of the
Camera d'Or Prize for best first film at the Cannes Film Festival in 2006, are from Iași’s National Theatre.
A vibrant visual arts scene
Since 1950, Iași has been hosting the local branch of the Romanian Fine Arts Union (A.U.P. Iași). The Union is a main
actor of the fine arts scene in the city as it animates and supports the professional interests of its members
through the organisation of exhibitions, shows, art galleries, art camps, etc. against the payment of a fee. Its
members - 246 today - including sculptors, painters and conceptual artists, have to undergo a CV-based
selection process requiring artists, among others, to be graduates of the local Fine Arts Academy. Most A.U.P’s
members have been able to diversify their professional activity: most of them teach at the Academy and carry
out projects in the field of TV, scenography or industrial design, parallel to their main painting or sculpture
activities.
A positive evolution has characterised the life of the Union in the last few years. With the fall of the Communist
regime and the adoption of opening policies, it has become easier for artists to travel and exhibit abroad and
contacts with Romanian cultural institutes in Europe (very important “entry” point to exhibit in European countries)
have improved.
The Union has partnerships with several institutions and hotels in the city to host exhibitions (e.g. Passage Hala
Centrala, Traian Hotel and the World Trade Center). It also manages three art galleries right in the city centre, a
strategic place that wants to become the city’s “art district”. There is a strong need to further dynamise and give
greater visibility to this district, for instance through attractive events, restaurants and bars that could make the
area livelier and more attractive. This is why the Union welcomed FIE (Festival of Art Education), a new enterprise
initiated and supported by the Iași City Council in 2013. It promotes Iași’s artists through a number of events
taking place in the city centre, in an area that is very close to the art district.
Open air events to dynamise Iași’s cultural life and get ready for Iași 2021
The Festival of Art Education is part of the city’s commitment to enrich Iași’s cultural life through a programme
of public events, also in preparation for Iași 2021. The Festival was initiated with a view to promote the local
fine arts scene as well as to face tourism seasonality (the event, taking place in the summer, counter-balances
the big pilgrimage happening in autumn).
Differently from other events, this Festival gathers initiatives mainly extra muros, with artists painting all around
the city centre and theatre companies exhibiting at bars and clubs (within the Fringe Festival of theatre
happening as part of FIE). The open air events reflect the city’s intention to raise awareness about Iași’s artistic
scene especially among new audiences.
The event was very well received by local cultural and creative players, particularly for giving any citizen the
opportunity to get in direct contact with art and art productions. The Union estimated that around 20% more
people visited the Union’s galleries during Festival.
9
A second edition is planned for the summer 2014.
The fine arts community includes several names appreciated and recognised abroad. A number of artists have
been able to establish international connections with galleries in different parts of Europe and create an
international client basis, often through the important intermediation of Romanian Cultural Institutes abroad. These
include artists such as Felix Aftene, the young President of the Fine Arts Union Iași, or Matei Bejenaru, the founder
of the Vector Association as well as of a recently-opened Centre of Photography (CCF), a research and
exhibition centre focusing on photography and visual arts. Matei Bejenaru is also the founder and former director
of Peripheric, a very successful Biennale of Contemporary Visual Arts that lasted 15 years.
Local artists also benefit from a historical art collection tradition due to the cultural “soul” and history of the city.
This makes the city quite unique compared to other cities featuring a mainly industrial past. Although collectors
are gradually leaving the city, they often remain attached to the city and keep their interest in local artists.
In parallel to the Union’s community, contemporary and experimental art forms are mainly nurtured by
independent NGOs often combining different art disciplines and visual art forms, from Studio Luno (video
platform) to the Transit Foundation, the CCF or the Vector association. These NGOs have also been running
social arts programmes. From 2004 until 2007, the Vector Association worked on the “cARTier” project, a social
culture project in the Tatarasi district of Iași aiming at changing the visual aspect of the Oancea-Tatarasi
Esplanade by redecorating the façades together with the district inhabitants. They also took part in the city’s
renovation project of the ancient Turkish Bath, now hosting cultural events and performances.
There is a willingness to start cooperating on both sides (fine artists and visual arts scene). This will allow
experimenting innovative arts practices as well as “crossing” the respective audiences. The collaboration could
help dynamise the art district and, at the same time, give more visibility to visual artists by bringing them to the
art district/city centre (at the moment, most of them work in the northern part of the city, in the university
quarter).
The active presence of the German, French and British Cultural Institutes is another great asset for the city. They
importantly contribute to animating the local cultural life by organising events, often in collaboration with local
institutions, NGOs or artists. They also enable the city to be exposed to international art by bringing artists from
the countries they represent.
2.3.2 The Cultural Sectors
A leading position in Romania’s book publishing and literature
While most economic activities, including in the CCI field, are concentrated in Bucharest, Iași is a leading city in
the publishing sector: Iași is home to one of the top publishing companies in the country (POLIROM) as well as to
other prestigious organisations in the field (historical literary society Junimea, the publishing house Institutul
European dedicated to improve Romania’s integration in Europe, the Humanitas bookshop or the Grumazescu
antique store). Carturesti, a leading company in the country with its headquarters in Bucharest, counts a network
of 12 bookshops all over Romania. One of these is based in Iași. Many nationally known writers such as Ion
Creanga, Mihai Eminescu and Mihail Sadoveanu lived in the city in the past.
POLIROM is a private company founded in 1995, counting around 90 employees and publishing around 500 new
volumes per year. The presence of POLIROM contributes to local authors’ presence in Romania and abroad. In
2007-2008 POLIROM started a specific project to promote translations of Romanian authors abroad, especially
from Romanian literature.
Iași is the birth place of very active writers in the field of literature and publishing such as Florin Lazarescu, Lucian
Teodororovici and Dan Lungu, one of the most translated contemporary Romanian novelists, living in Iași where
he heads the Literature Museum. He is also the ideator and director of F.I.L.I.T – The International Festival of
Literature and Translation.
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F.I.L.I.T: the largest literary and translation event in Romania takes place in Iasi
Inaugurated in 2013, F.I.L.I.T. festival immediately registered a remarkable success, attracting over 30,000
participants, including the general public and professionals (writers, translators and publishers such as
Gallimard) both from Romania and abroad. With a budget of over € 550,000 mainly provided by the Iasi
County but also from some private sponsors and banks, F.I.L.IT. represents the biggest literary and translation
festival in Romania, celebrating its 2nd edition this year (1-5 October 2014). It has the right references to
become a milestone event of the Iasi 2021’s cultural programme.
A number of factors contributed to the success of the Festival, from the variety and high quality of guests
(both nationals and from abroad), to the good mix of writers, publishers and translators to the high presence
of journalists, to the communication strategy developed by a professional team of marketing professionals
recruited for the Festival. Partnerships were also key to ensure additional funding for foreign guests as well as
to get visibility (by hosting the BOOKFEST Book Salon, Iaşi joined Bucharest, Cluj and Timișoara as part of
the BOOKFEST network). The access plan was studied in detail with free buses available to bring people
from Bucharest and Chișinău.
The collaboration with the Vector Association worked particularly well as a way to include innovative
theatre/music performances as part of the overall programme of the Festival and better attract the general
public. Dan Lungu advocates for more collaboration of this kind, between cultural institutions and independent
NGOs.
A local impact assessment study showed that the festival was well known and appreciated by the local
population. More than 200 volunteers indeed participated, including some people coming from the rest of
Europe.
Film and audiovisual: a recent history featuring national pioneers in Iași
Iași counts half of the audiovisual companies located in the Iași County (around 10), including mayor players TVR
Iași (the regional antenna of Romania’s first national broadcaster), Tele M (an independent private broadcaster) and
Rofilco (video production). Cristian Mungiu, the Romanian filmmaker winner of the Palme d’Or in Cannes in 2007,
was born in Iași.
However, audiovisual companies in Iași have only been founded in the last twenty years, after the fall of the
Communist regime. The local film and audiovisual sector is thus relatively young, especially if compared with
Western Europe’s.
TVR Iași, founded in 1991, is one of the fifth regional studios of the Romanian television covering the 8 Moldovian
counties. Besides informative and entertaining programs, TVR Iași is also close to the cultural and educational
activities happening in Moldavia. They cooperate with cultural institutions such as the National Theatre in Iași,
Children’s Theater in Iași, Vasilache Theatre in Botosani, and Bacovia Theatre in Bacau. They were co-producers of
the first National Operas Gala in Romania, of FILIT, as well as the main partners in FIE.
Tele M is the first independent television in the country, founded in 1990. It offers a wide range of news, sports,
information and entertainment programming.
Rofilco is a successful pioneer in both film and documentary production. Based in Iași since 1992, Rofilco was one
of the first companies of this kind to be established in the country. The company worked for several local
institutions, including the University of Iași and also started a fruitful collaboration with the communication and
design agency Grapefruit. The two collaborated in the production of over 20 presentation films and multimedia
for Dacia Renault and GTC Romania.
11
The music sector is populated by a few companies (6) and independent groups and freelancers now starting up
their business activities (S’Art is an example of young association producing music videos). A very successful
music company, Roton, moved to Bucharest a couple of years ago.
People working in the sector mainly come from the Faculty of Journalism, but also from the Art Academy
(cameramen) and the Technical University, which offers technical training linked to broadcasting, frequencies, etc.
(engineers, technicians). However, according to some professionals in the field, there is still a deficit in technical
departments (cameraman, montage/editing, emission). Many professionals have attended training courses
organised by the Thomson Foundation UK, BBC and CIRCOM Regional, but, locally, they still note a missing link
between theoretical knowledge and practical applications through which young people could learn and develop a
professional experience and specialisation in the audiovisual field.
The business park Tehnopolis is important asset as if offers support and office space to technological
companies, including audiovisual companies. However, prices still seem to be high for creative/small companies.
Finally, there is a real need to create a market for films. The city’s cinema culture could for instance be improved
by increasing the local demand for films (the cinema school is in Bucharest, there is no a cinemathèque in the city
and the number of cinemas importantly decreased after the end of the Communism24). Opportunities should also
be created to facilitate international market access for local companies, either through ad hoc measures but also
taking into account already existing events in other parts of the country, such as the Transilvania International
Film Festival – TIFF in Cluj Napoca, attracting about 50,000 participants every year.
2.3.3 The Creative Sectors
From textile to fashion
Fashion is probably the sector that is associated to the city of Iași the most when it comes to creative
industries. Iași is indeed home to powerful and internationally known local brands like the fashion designer Irina
Schrotter and the company Chotronette. One of the biggest jewellery manufacturers of Romania is also a local
company (Coriolan).
Traditionally, the city counts on a strong textile and apparel industry. With the starting of the de-industrialisation
process and the crisis of the textile sector (there were 3 major textile companies in the Communist period),
efforts have been made by companies as well as the local government to “reallocate” textile skills in more
creative functions with a view to develop a new and more competitive textile industry. Thanks to the initiative of
Irina Schrotter herself, the “soul” of the Iași “Fashion Festival” in 1996 that soon became the “Romanian Fashion
Week”, the role of the FIT association (supporting local young fashion designers) as well as the city’s
collaboration with other realities in Europe through the INTERREG project Organza, fashion design has been
increasingly understood as a competitive and profitable sector and collaborations have been established
between traditional textile companies and designers. Around 200 fashion firms are today present in Iași25. These
include young companies experimenting new fashion design concepts in connection with sustainable
development and urban growth. UPSIDE DOWN, for instance, is a project by the association REVERSIBIL
promoting the concept of “upcycling, meaning to turn something old that cannot be used in something new,
unique and useful.
The local university (in particular the Textile Faculty at the Gheorghe Technical but also the Faculty of Arts at the
University of Arts) is considered an important source of qualified workforce and new ideas. Yet, there is an
increasing need for managerial skills among creative professionals with a view to transform good ideas into
marketable products.
Notwithstanding this emerging fashion ecosystem supported by a good mix of tradition, contemporary
creativity and successful brands, the sector risks losing its potential in the absence of adequate investments. In
24
The number of cinema screens passed from 106 in 1990 to 3 in 2012, compared to 6 in Cluj (from 85 in 1990). Source: INS, 2014
(TEMPO time series).
25
Source: Chamber of Commerce – see List of companies in Annexe.
12
2012 the National Fashion Week saw its last edition - despite the Orizont 2020 Strategy which intended to
further support its internationalisation – and, probably as a consequence, the FIT Association is not very active
any longer.
A pioneer city in communication design and digital branding
Alongside fashion, design is increasingly recognised for its development potential in Iași. One of the pioneer
branding agencies in the country, Grapefruit, is local. Founded in 1999 and initially conceived as a design agency,
Grapefruit gradually turned into a provider of services in branding and interactive media design, with offices also
in Bucharest.
Several other companies have appeared in the field since then, such as Aquavita Solutions S.R.L. (2005), a
marketing service agency, or Wiron (2011), a branding and graphic design agency that received the 2010 Rebrand
100 ® Global Award Brand for rebranding the water company from Iași ApaVital. In total, more than 70
companies26 are active in this field, without counting freelancers.
The workforce in this sector mainly comes from the Academy of Fine Arts or the Technical University which
offers education in design. The sector also attracts IT graduates moving to advertising, marketing or digital and
web design when entering the job market. Grapefruit, for instance, gathers very different creative and technical
profiles in its team of 14 people, from business & marketing consultants, to software engineers, copywriters,
audio/video producers and social media, legal/financial/administrative experts.
Architecture: a resource to rethink the urban space and the city image
Architects in Iași mainly come from the Faculty of Architecture of “Gheorghe Asachi” University. The Order of
Architects from Iași today counts more than 350 members (mainly freelancers) from 130 in 2001, when the Order
of Architects from Romania (OAR) was created. Such a high increase is attributed to the young graduates of the
Faculty of Architecture of Iași but also to other architects coming from other parts of the region. The city is
indeed attractive to Moldavian people as it is the biggest city in the Moldavian area and the only one with a
university. However, it seems that the city has difficulties in attracting and retaining architects (as well as other
creative professionals) from outside this area.
According to George Carapanu, the President of the Order of Architects from Iași, the sector is now faced with
two main challenges: on the one hand, it is estimated that the economic crisis has forced about 20% of
architects to suspend their work; on the other, the quality of architecture is suffering due to a drastic deduction
of tariffs for architects.
There is an increasing interest among architects to work on public spaces in order to improve the city’s image
either through its modernisation or a better valorisation of the Communist architecture – which is actually in line
with the refurbishment actions foreseen by the Orizont 2020 Strategy. ARCA, for instance, is a street festival
organised only by the Association of the Architects Students (ASAI). The Order of Architects from Iași also
organises events such as “Street Delivery” in public spaces. There is also a clear willingness of artists’ NGOs to
work together with artists to improve citizens’ sense of belonging to the city’s public spaces.
Modernising the public space could also be a key point the get the city ready for Iași 2021: “Sibiu practically won
by arranging the public space, by rehabilitating the historical buildings” (George Carapanu, Director of the Order
of Architects from Iași).
2.4 Policy framework to support CCIs
Recent policy developments on CCIs as well as collaborations with European cities through European projects
have rapidly increased local authorities’ awareness of the potential of CCIs to achieve future growth. Iași’s
authorities are committed to make Iași a city of “creativity and innovation” and a tourist destination (Orizont
2020 Strategy). To this end, the strategy particularly targets four sectors, including ICT, innovative and creative
26
Source: Chamber of Commerce – see List of companies in Annexe.
13
industries27 with particular focus on textile (both manufacturing and fashion design) and food industry as well as
tourism. A number of structural projects are foreseen in the Strategy to support the sector, among which:
creative-technical work areas for textile and design, a centre for arts and creativity, an exhibition centre plus
more specific actions to support cultural tourism (among which the development of a tourism strategy). The
city also intends to involve architects and artists to refurbish buildings and improve the city’s image.
CCIs are also a priority of the Iași County’s development Strategy, which could be a key opportunity to gather
efforts and help the sector reach a greater critical mass. However, cooperation is difficult due to different
political majorities at the local and county level.
Currently, 1.35% of the city budget (around € 1 million) is devoted to project proposals coming from CCIs,
including both public and private entities. Funding opportunities exist also at the national level, especially for the
audiovisual and the publishing sub-sectors. In particular, the National Cultural Fund Administration (AFCN) each
year provides grants for public institutions, NGOs and private legal persons operating in the field of culture and
publishing, while the National Centre of Cinematography (CNC) and the Romanian Film Promotion (APFR) provide
funds and support for the Romanian film industry.
During the last ten years, Iaşi started to connect to the international scene by means of participating in European
projects and networks with a view to learn more about CCIs and policies to unlock their potential. In 2005 Iaşi
was chosen by the British Council as the creative city representing Romania in the South-East Europe network of
creative cities. Iași together with the Technical University were also partners of the INTERREG IVC Organza
project with focus on textile and fashion policies, and of the RETINA project (South East Europe Transnational
Cooperation programme) on regeneration of brownfield areas.
Apart from Tehnopolis (set up by public authorities including the City Council), the sector is mainly supported by
private, bottom-up initiatives emerged in the last few years.
As a follow-up to the network of creative cities in South-East Europe, a local Creative Industries Association was
indeed set up in 2010. This brings together creative professionals and entrepreneurs and provides support to
entrepreneurial and management skills. The Creative Industries Association promotes numerous initiatives, such as
networking events (Creative Coffee), mentoring and training programs (Creative Products Workshop) as well as
sharing best-practices in CIs (Creative Footprints).
The Future in Textiles (FIT) Association is another good example of an organisation supporting fashion. FIT used
to bring together fashion designers, textile and clothing producers, education experts and organisations with a
view to support young designers to present their collection at the Romanian Fashion Week, connect them with
the fashion and clothing industry as well as offer support to access foreign markets. However, following the
closure of the Romanian Fashion Week, FIT’s activities have drastically reduced.
Another recently set up private organisation, The Grape, contributes to CCIs’ development by providing
accessible working spaces and strategic advice for startups in any sector.
The decision to compete as a European Capital of Culture (ECoC) 2021 is an important step towards an even
greater commitment from the city’s authorities to make cultural investment a tool of socioeconomic
development.
2.5 Strengths and needs
Strengths
Iași’s cultural richness is unquestionable. Renowned as the cultural capital of the country, Iași is recognised as a
symbol of the Romanian culture and the identity of the city is generally connected with its strong cultural image.
The city features an outstanding cultural heritage, masterpieces of religious architecture, prestigious national and
27
The strategy Orizont 2020 includes the food industry among the cultural and creative industries, thus adopting a different approach in
defining the sector than the one selected for this study.
14
local cultural institutions (from the National Moldova Museum Complex, to the National Opera, to the city’s owned
memorial houses and the Tătărași Athenaeum), a dedicated theatrical offer for young people (Luceafărul Theatre)
as well as traditional cultural events (e.g. the religious pilgrimage on Saint Parascheva’s Dedication Day in October
or the Cucuteni Festival in June). The core arts field is completed by a number of organisations focusing on
contemporary production (i.e. the Romanian Fine Arts Union or the independent NGOs working in visual arts and
theatre) and a growing calendar of large events (FILIT and FIE) contributing to create a vibrant cultural offer.
But there is more. The above analysis shows that Iași is home to a number of pioneers and market leaders in the
creative sectors. The city is home to some of the first and most successful companies settled down in the
country in the fields of publishing (Polirom), crafts (Coriolan), fashion (Irina Schrotter, Chotronette), communication
design (Grapefruit), film (Rofilco Film Studio) and independent television/broadcasting (Tele M). The city features
particularly good growth potential in IT/web design as well as in fashion thanks to the traditionally strong textile
sector, the availability of specialised human capital as well as local expertise linked to the organisation of the
National Fashion Week (the founder, Irina Schrotter, is still active in the city) or the experimentation of new
fashion design concepts (e.g. the project UPSIDE DOWN on “upcycling”).
Architects in Iași have a specific potential linked to the need to revitalise public spaces and improve the city’s
image, in some areas still much representative of the Communist regime and the industrial past. The project in
the Tatarasi quarter (in the periphery of the city), the renovation of the Turkish Bath as well as the “art district” or
the open air events of the Festival FIE right in the city centre go exactly in this direction.
The good educational offer is certainly an asset of Iași, playing a crucial role in building a qualified work force for
cultural and creative sectors (especially in the fields of arts, theatre and fashion/textile) as well as contributing to
a lively atmosphere in the city. The large population of students offers good opportunities of audience
development to the city’s cultural institutions as well as space for new and fresh ideas to be developed.
Besides its own assets, Iași has increasingly looked beyond its borders in the last twenty years. To this end, the
presence in the city of very active foreign cultural centres (i.e. British Council, Institut Francais, Goethe Institute)
and the network of Romanian Cultural Institutes abroad has been very important in linking Iași to the international
cultural scene as it helped bring professionals from abroad as well as promote artists from Iași in Europe.
The city’s authorities are committed to exploit CCIs’ growth potential with a view to contribute to the city’s
development objectives. Creative industries are indicated as an asset in the Orizont 2020 Strategy to make Iași a
creative and innovative city and provide the city with a new image and impulses for new activities and stimulate
economic development. Organisations such as the Association of CIs and the Grape and the business park
Tehnopolis are key assets for the city for make this sector grow to fulfil the city’s ambitions.
Needs
Even though the cultural core is traditionally strong in the city, Iași’s cultural sector needs to develop and
diversify its audience. Local cultural institutions can rely on a cultivated and loyal public that is able to appreciate
high quality contents, as proven by the success of the “new” Opera or the fully booked performances of the
Luceafărul Festival. Nevertheless during local consultations the need to reach a broader cultural audience regularly
emerged. Although detailed data are not available, it is a shared impression that local cultural organisations do not
reach a sufficiently diversified public and that people visiting museums are the same that attend performances at
the National Theatre and the Opera or concerts played by the Philharmonic (essentially adults and elderly people,
with some exceptions for the Opera since the last few years). On the other end, independent NGOs mainly
attract creative youngsters. It is indicative that young people do not recognise themselves in “traditional”
heritage such as the Palace of Culture. Incentives to collaborations between different organisations (e.g. between
cultural institutions and independent NGOs) could help attract young people thus benefitting audience
development.
Iași also needs to fully tap into its potential to attract foreign audiences. Its tourism potential is only partially
exploited at the moment: as indicated by the most recent figures, both in 2012 and 2013, only 16% of the
tourists were foreigners and only 34% of the accommodation capacity was used.
15
On the cultural and creative sub-sectors side, there is a certainly a major necessity linked to the sector’s
consolidation and professionalisation. Indeed, as companies were mainly established after the fall of the
Communist regime around twenty years ago, the creative sector in the city is still relatively young. In particular,
although the educational offer is true strength of the city, local consultations revealed the need to better equip
students with practical knowledge and technical skills (particularly in audiovisual and fashion sub-sectors) by
establishing closer collaborations between the academic world and the industry in support of profitable business
projects and ideas.
The local cultural and creative sectors would benefit from an ecosystem able to face the sector’s needs with a
view to make the sector grow and reach a critical mass. Actions could go from aid to market development (both
at the national and international level), to support to management skills, access to finance tools or accessible
working space. The technological and scientific park Tehnopolis is an important asset in this sense but needs to
be further adapted to make it further accessible to CCIs (possibly beyond the ICT and audiovisual sector).
Also, as networking and creativity are intrinsically symbiotic, creative people need to meet and exchange to
allow an open flux of knowledge and information and make innovation happen. Bars, clubs, co-working spaces are
a possible solution to generate a creative atmosphere attracting talents and facilitating the informal exchange of
knowledge and ideas. Visual artists, musicians, actors and designers mainly meet each other at events organised
by NGOs that meet the cultural and aesthetic preferences of the Iași’s creative community. However, the feeling
is that more should be done considering the high number of young people in the city and the rise in creative
quarters such as the art district that does not yet cater for this kind of space to enable meetings and exchanges.
The ‘art district”, right in the city centre and already hosting three art galleries, could be the right place to attract
and boost such networking dynamics among creative people.
Ad hoc measures are also needed to full exploit the innovative potential of creative professionals and enhance
cross sectorial collaboration between traditional sectors (notably fashion and ICT) and creative industries. These
could bring inputs in terms of new designs, communication strategies, aesthetics or working processes based on
creativity, openness, flexibility – very much needed today to differentiate from competitors.
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3. EUROPEAN CAPITAL OF CULTURE – TOWARDS IAȘI 2021
3.1 The ECoC project and Iași 2021
The ECoC bid is opportunity for the city of Iași to re-affirm its role as a cultural capital of Romania, tacking stock
of its rich and diverse cultural assets, including both historical institutions and younger NGOs.
Building up an inventive and ambitious cultural programme through the contribution of both institutions and
younger organisations is a key aspect of this competition. A city is designated Capital not because of its
historical and artistic heritage and existing events but rather on the basis of the strength of the programme of
cultural events that it intends to accomplish in the ECoC year, its innovative character and the potential legacy
effects. At the same time, the cultural programme should be an integral part of the long-term cultural and social
development of the city with a view to boost positive effects in the long run.
A European Capital of Culture is first and foremost expected to28:
-
Develop a clear vision around which to develop the an innovative cultural programme
Mobilise all relevant stakeholders, from the cultural institutions to independent NGOs to economic actors
Safeguard and promote the diversity of its European culture, highlight the common features it shares
with other cities and cultures in Europe
Enhance the range, diversity and European dimension of the cultural offer in cities, including through
transnational cooperation
Foster the contribution of culture to the long-term development of cities, for instance putting in place
mechanisms ensuring the legacy of the event
Widen access and participation in culture
Strengthen the capacity of the cultural sector and its connectivity with other sectors
Improve the international profile of cities through culture
Put in place appropriate management structures and appoint skilled teams
Measure impacts
ECoC is thus the opportunity to rethink not only the local cultural offer but to put culture at the heart of a
strategy with the contribution of key local players. It is in particular the occasion to set up the right ecosystem
to strengthen the role of culture and the creative industries as a catalyst for economic and social regeneration,
for instance through promoting tourism, by contributing to the emergence of new economic activities, by linking
creativity to innovation as a tool for social and territorial cohesion, or as a tool to enhance the attractiveness of
cities and regions as places to live, visit and invest in. In cities such as Liverpool, Essen or Lille, CCIs’ policies have
been first developed in the context of their ECoC project with a view to support culture and creative
professionals and benefit the economic, social and image enhancement of these territories.
The Foundation Iași 2021 – set up in 2012 - has already launched Ideator Iaşi 2021. The initiative is intended to be a
“generator of cultural ideas and creative solutions” and aimed at developing and supporting the implementation of
ground-breaking ideas within the framework of the bid preparation. It involves a mix of cultural institutions and
independent NGOs that regularly meet in public meetings to discuss ideas and project proposals that could be
included in the bid.
3.2 Expectations
The consulted city authorities and representatives from the cultural and artistic sectors show a great motivation
in developing the best possible ECoC project to win the national competition29, in cooperation with local, county
and regional authorities and economic forces.
28
European Commission (2014). Guide for cities applying for the title of European Capital of Culture; see also Commission Staff
Working Document European Capitals of Culture post 2019 Accompanying the document “Proposal for a Decision of the European
Parliament and of the Council establishing a Union action for the European Capitals of Culture for the years 2020 to 2033 {COM(2012)
407 final}” available at: http://www.eumonitor.nl/9353000/1/j4nvgs5kjg27kof_j9vvik7m1c3gyxp/vj1k74vv6nza/f=/12558_12_add_1.pdf
17
The expectations are high in consideration of the remarkable cultural institutions located in Iași and, even more, of
the important student community living in the city:
“…even if I manage a prestigious patrimony institution, I can say that our biggest value is the youth, the young
people educated at our universities. We have a lot of universities in Iași. “Al. I. Cuza” is the eldest university from
Romania and this can be an advantage for Iași – as a European Capital of Culture” (Lacramioara Stratulat Director of
the Moldova National Museum Complex.
Cultural players’ biggest expectation probably concerns the city’s willingness to experiment with something
different and new that further animates the local cultural life and widens the access to the cultural offer, through
the contribution of young people and inspired by the successful examples of FIE and FILIT. They expect
authorities to gain greater awareness about the potential of culture and adopt a broader view that goes beyond
history and heritage preservation. For instance, it was mentioned that ECoC could be an occasion to foster
cinema production, in a similar way to what happened with the revitalisation of the Opera or in the field of
publishing with FILIT. Creators call on the city to unleash new energies, especially stemming from its young
population, and start a more participative dialogue with the artistic community. But they also ask the city for
precise guidelines in order to understand what the priority is and when efforts should be put into build a shared
and coherent project.
A clear plan is considered as a necessary precondition to ensure that the event benefits the city as whole. As a
priority, cultural operators expect a plan that accelerates renovation works, thus contributing to the image of the
city as a cultural, modern and lively destination (both for citizens, tourists and investors). The plan should also be
about drawing attention to the Iași’s cultural offer in all its diverse forms of expression so to attract and retain
young people and talents.
The ECoC is considered also as a moment to explore new trends and needs in the field of creative
entrepreneurship with a view to deliver new jobs (the Grape, for instance, is planning to use the ECoC
momentum to held events about co-working space and social entrepreneurship) as well as an occasion to
generate a greater sense of belonging to the city. There is a high expectation for a participatory and transparent
dialogue to start so that anybody can give their contribution to the project. Artists expect the city to ask for
their inputs as some of them (e.g. Vector Association) have direct experience with arts production as a
participatory process.
Finally, the cultural and creative sectors express support to the authorities in their decision to run the ECoC
competition, whatever the result of the competition: for them, this represents a possibility for Iași to develop a
shared cultural vision and strategy, which is considered as a major need to make the most of the city’s local
assets.
3.3 Strengths and challenges to build a successful bid
Iași has a series of strengths on which to build in order to form a successful bid, among which a strong political
will at the highest level to invest in culture and creative industries (to develop tourism and innovation) and a city
strategy already mainstreaming CCIs as a tool for development. The city also counts on a prominent community
of students/young people, high quality art and technical universities and as a consequence sound intellectual and
creative capacities. Iași gathers strong national cultural institutions representing excellence in the art and culture in
Romania as well as some prominent creative companies, national artists and arts managers with international
recognition. But, more importantly, the city has a truly European history - a key element to succeed if this
European identify is appropriately mined.
Its proven capacity to set up successful large events is another key point to show the European Commission
that the city is able to animate the local cultural life, besides offering a rich cultural heritage. The population is
29
Romania will host the European Capital of Culture in 2021. At the moment, competing cities are:Arad, Bucharest, Cluj-Napoca,
Craiova, Iasi and Timisoara
18
receptive to high quality cultural offer and events, which is a good sign to make citizens appropriate the event
and build a shared ownership (another crucial element to make the event successful). The city also features
strong sectors locally (ICT, textile and tourism) that can benefit from culture and creative inputs (design,
communication,…) through cross-sectorial collaboration (a requirement under the new rules). More at the
operational level, the existence of a Foundation is important to properly plan the event and ensure its legacy after
2021. Last but not least, the willingness (especially from NGOs) to do something different and innovative is
another key element to set up “an exceptional year”, as required by the competition.
On the other hand, Iași should appropriately strengthen its international connections, improve its international
image, better promote its large events (currently mostly known in the region and the country). There is also a
need to set up a new infrastructure (or use the existing ones) to give further opportunities to young people and
contemporary art forms to express themselves (incubators for creative entrepreneurs, exhibition spaces or even
a contemporary art museum).
One of the biggest challenges is to put in place an ambitious project while coping with the current economic
crisis and serious budget cuts, especially in a context of important renovation and infrastructural works (that
actually mainly depends on the national and regional rather than local authorities due to the national property of
most buildings). Iasi will also have to develop a competitive project tacking stock of the city’s unique assets,
against an important number of competitors in the country, among which Bucharest, Cluj-Napoca and Timisoara.
Last but not least, the city needs to carefully address the new rules for ECoCs post 2019 that put greater
emphasis on the European dimension of the event, its governance, its link with the local development strategy as
well as on monitoring and evaluation30. As stated under the new rules, each city should have a cultural strategy in
place at the time of the application. In addition, “each city would have to clearly announce its plans for the
evaluation at the application stage. The evaluation reports would then have to be sent to the Commission at the
latest by 31 October of the year following the year of the title”31. The Commission has developed a set of
common indicators that each city would have to include in its evaluation report32.
30
In addition, European Capitals of Culture will be designated by the Council of Ministers and not anymore by the European
Commission. This might subject the final decision to internal political issues.
31
See Commission Staff Working Document European Capitals of Culture post 2019 Accompanying the document
“Proposal for a Decision of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing a Union action for the European Capitals of Culture
for
the
years
2020
to
2033
{COM(2012)
407
final}”
available
at:
http://www.eumonitor.nl/9353000/1/j4nvgs5kjg27kof_j9vvik7m1c3gyxp/vj1k74vv6nza/f=/12558_12_add_1.pdf
32
See footnote 31.
19
4. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
4.1 Conclusions
Iași – a city of art and culture
Without any doubt, Iași is a city of art and culture, hosting the oldest university in the country and a vibrant
population with many students.
The city is full of heritage jewels, testimony of a rich political, academic, scientific, artistic, economic and
spiritual history, and offers an extraordinary variety of cultural assets:
-
With major national cultural institutions such as the Philharmonic, the Luceafărul Theatre, the National
Theatre or the Opera
Impressive museums, most of them hosted in beautiful historical buildings
Rich architectural heritage, including palaces, churches and monasteries
A large amount of cultural icons representative of Romania’s excellence in art and culture industries in
literature, music, cinema and visual arts
A number of artists and creative professionals with international reputation, some exercising in Iași, born
there, or having studied in the city but now living abroad
Successful large cultural events
Iași represents the excellence of Europe in art and culture but also scientific innovation with its renowned faculty
of medicine and its IT cluster.
The city has a strong European identity and a very rich history as ancient capital of Moldavia, historic capital of
Romania and crucial trading point. Today, the city preserves a strategic position having the potential of acting as
a bridge between the European Union and the neighboring countries part of the Eastern European partnership,
namely: Moldova - whose capital Chișinău is only 120 km away - and Ukraine - whose border is 200 km away.
Iași 2021 – an opportunity to re-affirm Iași’s cultural capital status and support local development
The ECoC represents a key opportunity to re-affirm Iași’s status of cultural capital in the light of the younger
generations and artistic effervescence that animate the city. The expectations are high and reliant upon the city
setting up the necessary processes for all relevant stakeholders (from cultural institutions, to creative players to
economic actors to citizens) to develop together a shared vision and an innovative cultural project, having
cultural operators, artists and creative professionals at its core.
The ECoC project is indeed first and foremost expected to be a cultural one. However, it should be designed
taking into account the broader local development objectives, too. People and the territory should be the main
protagonists. They represent resources and competences that must be mobilised as part of the city’s plan to
deliver jobs and economic development, attract tourists and foreign investments, and develop entrepreneurship
in the new economy (digital and creative), as put forward by the Orizont 2020 Strategy. Cultural investment has
the capacity to lead to economic development, social cohesion, creativity and innovation, as shown by the
legacy reported by previous ECoCs - from Glasgow 1990 to Graz 2003, Lille 2004 or Liverpool 2008, to name
just a few.
On the other hand, European requirements from the new regulation for ECoCs post-2019 should be fulfilled, too,
taking into account their stronger focus on long-term results and impact assessment compared to previous rules.
The EC indeed invites candidate cities to aim for a project that is able to contribute to the long-term cultural
strategy of the city (that should be already in place at the time of the application) and that is backed by strong
political consensus. The project should have a truly European dimension by featuring European artists and
cooperation, and being attractive to European audiences. It should ensure high quality cultural and artistic
content, be animated by a clear vision and involve both cultural institutions and innovative artistic expressions.
The project should also prove its capacity to deliver, reach out to the civil society and the relevant audiences as
well as to manage the planned programme and measure its impacts, thus paving the way for its legacy. These
20
tasks require the setting up of appropriate management structures gathering a skilled team including, among
others, an artistic team and directors.
Iași has the right assets to build such an ambitious project, as detailed above. It also counts on a specific
structure (the Foundation Iași 2021) that takes care of the planning, communication and management of the
project. The Foundation has a crucial role in the development of the cultural strategy and the ECoC project as an
independent and intermediary body between policy makers, cultural operators, economic stakeholders and the
civil society. Whilst the Foundation has already set up a participatory process to build up the project, we
suggest further strengthening the involvement of local actors in all next steps that will have to be undertaken.
Below we present a list of (non-exhaustive) suggestions for strategic directions to build up this project. More
operational next steps are proposed at the end of this Chapter.
1.
Towards a strategy for culture and spill-over effects
The development of a cultural strategy is a main requirement from EC regulations. This enables the building of a
project that is not an isolated one-off event but rather contributes to a broader strategy setting up the city’s
overall vision and objectives in relation to culture (e.g. support for cultural production, audience development,
international promotion of the local cultural offer or support for independent productions/NGOs). In the city, there
is certainly a strong need to support cultural production (especially from younger generations) as well as
preserve and promote heritage, still little known abroad. The strategy should also take into account audience
development as an answer to the need of most cultural institutions to better attract young people. This would
actually be in line also with European policies: the “Creative Europe” programme provides support to audience
development projects33.
However, beyond traditional cultural policies/strategies mainly focusing on support to cultural offer and heritage,
the ECoC should also serve as an element of rupture and innovation guiding a holistic strategy. The ECoC
project should help unlock the potential of culture and the creative industries by fostering linkages between
culture as a whole (from heritage institutions to creative industries) and other sectors (tourism, health or ICT) and
policy fields (education, urban planning, economic development/entrepreneurship, international
promotion/branding, …). This would be in line with the Guide for ECoCs post-2019 as well as with most recent EU
policies on CCIs. The EU acknowledges the need to support CCIs due to their ability to “boost local economies,
stimulate new activities, create new and sustainable jobs” and to “trigger spill-overs in other industries” due to
their position at the “crossroads between arts, business and technology […]. This broad approach to CCIs is also
embraced by the new programmes for the period 2014-2020, including “Creative Europe”, “Horizon 2020”,
“COSME”, “Erasmus+”, “INTERREG” and “URBACT” which therefore offer funding opportunities for cross-sectoral
projects. The European Commission also invites regions to invest Structural Funds (ERDF and ESF) in CCIs and
their spill-over effects by developing appropriate Smart Specialisation Strategies (RI3).
2. A unique and innovative project embedded in the cultural strategy
Iași 2021 should be built as a project embedded in the overall cultural strategy. Its themes and objectives should
therefore be coherent with the strategy and contribute to its main goals.
Iași’s unique “selling points” should in parallel be identified to build a competitive project. From our analysis, we
would define Iași’s uniqueness as a city built on knowledge and culture rather than a strong industrial heritage
(wiped out with the end of Communism). Iași can demonstrate that education and cultural resources can be the
motor of a city’s development. It can also illustrate the power of knowledge in the economy as education
excellence characterizes the city’s DNA.
A competitive project should also take into account that a city is awarded the title for its capacity to create
something new rather than simply for promoting its past heritage. Something innovative should be proposed. To
this aim, Iași should make the most of its cultural offer in its full richness and diversity (from cultural institutions
to experimental arts organisations). Young people and independent NGOs should be mobilised to create
something innovative and visionary. At the core of such project should be the artists and creative professionals
33
http://ec.europa.eu/culture/opportunities/audiovisual-support/audience-dev_en.htm
21
whose competence and skills enable to apprehend the “reality” in a different way. This ability to disrupt
perceptions enables citizens to see people and objects under a new light and gives the city and its inhabitants a
new perspective and renewed hope in their future.
3. A project building on and further promoting Iași’s European identity
The candidacy is an occasion for the city to strengthen and further promote its European identity. Iași should
actively involve in this project the organisations that are already working internationally such as the Athenaeum
Tatarasi as well as the foreign cultural institutions most active in the city – French Cultural Institute, British
Institute, etc. – with a view to strengthen its links with cities and cultural operators in Europe and further promote
its European history.
4. Spreading impacts to the poorest region of Europe: Moldavia
Iași 2021 should involve the surrounding regions (the EC gives the possibility to do so) in order to maximise the
impact of cultural investments. Involving the Moldavia Region would not only potentially enlarge the benefits of
Iași 2021, but could actually contribute to the uniqueness of Iași 2021 as a project contributing to the
development of the poorest region of Europe.
5. Iași 2021 to raise the international profile of the city
Although the city of Iași is a known cultural capital and destination in Romania, it is little known outside the
national borders. Iași 2021 is an occasion to draw attention to the cultural and economic assets of the city so to
raise its international profile and attract more tourists, talents or investors.
6. A plan to monitor and assess the long term impacts of Iași 2021
Last but not least, the city should take care of the design and setting up of a longitudinal monitoring and
evaluation system covering the ex-ante, ongoing and ex-post phases of the project (meaning the periods
before, during and after the project). Such a system should be developed well before the event, possibly during
the preparation of the ECoC bid (ex-ante phase). This exercise is indeed helpful to identify the expected results
of the ECoC title so to design the project in a way that such expectations can be realistically fulfilled and final
outcomes measured. In the ongoing phase, this system should enable the city to monitor interventions and
promptly adopt correction measures. In the ex-post phase, it will help measure impacts (economic, social,
cultural, on the image, etc.) and finally gather relevant information to develop evidence-based policies. More
specific recommendations in relation to evaluation are provided below, with focus on CCIs’ mapping.
Mapping Iași’s cultural and creative offer in preparation for 2021
This study represents the first mapping exercise on CCIs at city level. It is a valuable tool to provide the city
with sound evidence of the existing resources and needs (state-of-the art), enabling policy makers to better
move into the planning and implementation phase of the ECoC application.
While the process of mapping by itself draws attention to the existence and importance of cultural and creative
resources, it is even more valuable within the framework of the ECoC application. Indeed, it enables the city to:
-
Understand needs, expectations and vision related to the ECoC event of local stakeholders and key
players, with a view to mobilise and involve them to build the best proposal.
Raise awareness and promote a sense of ownership of the ECoC project among the local community by
involving and direct consulting key local stakeholders.
Provide local authorities with a tool to monitor and assess the impact of the ECoC title on the city’s
cultural and creative offer, during and after the event as starting from this first “snapshot” of the sector
against which future mappings could be compared.
Cultural and creative players have shown great enthusiasm and willingness to collaborate in this mapping. They
wish to contribute not only to the ECoC cultural programme but also to a cultural strategy for the city, so that
efforts will not be lost whatever the results of the competition.
22
Towards Iași 2021’s monitoring and evaluation system: strengths and limitations
The situation in the city in terms of data availability and accessibility is quite in line with what can be observed in
other European cities of similar size. Data were available at tourism level via the local Tourist Office and the
National Institute of Statistics (INS) – at least aggregated at County level, but were more difficult to gather at
CCIs level. For instance, the list of organisations provided by the Chamber of Commerce is not exhaustive as it
only includes (as in many other cities in Europe) for profit companies. The list is not updated either, as it seems
that several companies are not active anymore. For the cultural institutions or NGOs present in the city, there is
no alternative centralised database.
In relation to the data that we were specifically looking for on CCIs (number of employees, source of public
funding (if any), number and typology of visitors/audience/clients (geographical provenance, age, sex, education
level..), number and typology of (international) projects), information exists but would need to be gathered in a
much more coherent and detailed way in order to allow comparability. For instance, details on the age or
geographical provenance are mainly based on personal estimations rather than data collected on representative
samples.
In short, the following limits can be identified:
-
Non exhaustive/updated list of CCI organisations from the Chamber of commerce (only for profit
companies with several ones not active anymore)
Lack of registers for NGOs active in the sector
No centralised register/database for cultural institutions (city- and State-sponsored)
Lack of detailed and harmonised data across institutions
Lack of systematic data collection tools in cultural institutions
Lack of data from small organisations, such as cultural NGOs
Certainly, a more in depth research should be done to gather figures providing a further understanding of the
economic value of the sector and assess the availability of such figures.
Importantly, expertise to collect data exists locally: the UAIC – in particular the Faculty of Sociology – has often
carried out extensive surveys at city level34. This could be particularly relevant to keep monitoring the cultural
and creative offer in Iași, particularly during the ECoC year.
4.2 Recommandations
With a view to develop a monitoring and evaluation system for Iași 2021, we recommend Iași’s authorities:
-
To improve the amount and quality of data on CCIs (whatever the result of the competition):
o Create a local/regional register of NGOs and independent workers that enables the identification
of the active actors in the sector, possibly in collaboration with the local universities who can
help monitor the professional careers of their students
o Set up a local database of cultural institutions (city- and State-sponsored) gathering a minimum
amount of harmonised data (e.g. n. of annual events and typology, n. of visitors, n. employees
and annual turnover)
o Introduce harmonised data collection tools in cultural institutions and NGOs (city- and Statesponsored) enabling institutions to gather a minimum amount of comparable data, with the help
of the University
o Regularly gather data on CCIs established in the city (based on the Chamber of Commerce’s list)
to gather data on employment, at least on a representative sample
34
See for instance: Paftală‐Ciubotărița, M. 2011, The Contemporary Dilemma of the Cultural Landscape. The case of Iaşi Municipality,
Human Geographes – Journal of Studies and Research in Human Geography, 5.1, 117-125
23
-
To be able to deliver (at least) the common set of indicators required by the Commission:
o Set up a monitoring and evaluation system that take into account the different impact
dimensions of ECoC and, at least: economic; sociocultural; and image, reputation and
attractiveness;
o Introduce monitoring and evaluation actions as daily activities of strategic importance, to be
fully integrated in the cultural strategy before 2021 and, hopefully, even if Iași does not get the
ECoC title;
o Establish participative processes with a view to get all interested stakeholders involved in the
project and the evaluation;
o Build on its local creative professionals with a view to collect and communicate results in clear
and visually attractive ways;
o Refer to the European Commission’s guidelines to develop relevant indicators and collection
tools;
o Introduce the relevant collection methods to gather data on the required indicators – as the list
of required indicators has not been finalised yet, we develop recommendations in relation to the
16 performance indicators currently suggested by the Commission35:
Dimension
Sociocultural
Economic/
Image
ECoC’s objectives
1. Safeguard
and
promote
the
diversity
of
European cultures
and highlight the
common features
they share
2. To foster the
contribution
of
culture to the
long-term
development of
cities
Indicator
Citizens' awareness and appreciation of
the diversity of European cultures
Citizens' sense of belonging to a
common cultural space
National / international recognition of
cities as being culturally-vibrant and
having improved image
Increase in GDP and employment in cities'
cultural and creative sectors
Recommendations
Undertake or commission surveys
of local residents to the local
University,
eventually
in
collaboration with agencies having
expertise in culture/ECoCs
Undertake or commission surveys
of tourists and visitors to host
cities; international surveys of
tourist opinions to the local
University,
eventually
in
collaboration with agencies having
expertise in culture/ECoCs
Introduce a monitoring system of
press and social media
Sociocultural
Sociocultural
3.
4.
Enhance
the
range, diversity
and
European
dimension of the
cultural offer in
cities, including
through
transnational
cooperation
Widen
access
and participation
in culture
Total n° of events
€ value of ECoC cultural programmes
N° of activities highlighting European
diversity, based on European themes or
based on transnational cooperation
Attendance at ECoC events
% of residents attending or participating
in events, including young, minorities or
35
Regularly gather economic data on
CCIs and contribution to the local
economy
Set up a centralised data system
within the Foundation Iași 2021
gathering data on Iași 2021’s
events, including their economic
value and European dimension
(theme or cooperation)
Set up a centralized ticketing
system for ECoC events to gather
data on the public attending events
See p. 40 of the COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT European Capitals of Culture post 2019 Accompanying the
document Proposal for a Decision of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing a Union action for the European Capitals
of
Culture
for
the
years
2020
to
2033
{COM(2012)
407
final}
at:
http://www.eumonitor.nl/9353000/1/j4nvgs5kjg27kof_j9vvik7m1c3gyxp/vj1k74vv6nza/f=/12558_12_add_1.pdf
24
the
disadvantaged
Number of active volunteers
Economic
Image
5.
6.
Strengthen
the
capacity of the
cultural
sector
and
its
connectivity with
other sectors
Improve
the
international
profile of cities
through culture
Strategy
for
long-term
development of the city
cultural
€ value of investment in cultural
infrastructure and facilities
Sustained multi-sector partnership for
cultural governance
Increase in tourist visits
Volume and % of positive media
coverage of cities
Awareness of the ECoC among residents
(including on residency, age..)
Gather data on volunteers through
cultural institutions associated to
Iași 2021’s programme
Gather
statistical
data
and
documents (strategy) provided by
public bodies at local, provincial or
regional level as well as via the
Foundation Iași 2021
Gather data on visits from the local
Tourist Office and INS
Set up a monitoring system and
analysis methodology to identify
positive media coverage, at least at
regional level
Set up and carry out surveys
among local residents, eventually in
collaboration with the local
University and/or agencies having
expertise in culture/ECoCs
4.3. Next steps
As next steps, we suggest the city and the Foundation to focus on the following tasks, making sure local
stakeholders as well as external expertise are called up, when necessary:
-
Benchmark competitors in order to further define unique strengths of Iași to build a competitive bid;
-
Set up a participatory process that involves cultural stakeholders (including cultural institutions,
independent NGOs and young professionals) as well as with other relevant stakeholders in the city
(companies in different sectors, the civil society, ..) to develop a holistic cultural strategy as well as the
ECoC project. It is important to keep in mind that stakeholders need guidance. The city should be clear
at communicating what it is aiming to do. To facilitate the work, working sessions could be organised
around strategic themes of interest for the city (e.g. culture & audience development, culture & tourism,
design & textile, etc.);
-
Develop a strategy to strengthen the European dimension of the project, including through a better use
of EU funding programmes (“Creative Europe”, “Horizon 2020”, “COSME”, “Erasmus+”, “INTERREG” and
“URBACT”) to set up projects and so develop new links with cultural operators or cities in Europe;
-
Approach political authorities as well as cultural operators in Moldavia to assess their interests in joining
the project and develop options/scenarios about how to involve the region;
-
Set up a branding and communication strategy to deliver the right messages about Iași 2021 to a broad
range of stakeholders: from local operators and the civil society, to the local and international press to
the European institutions;
-
Design and put in place a longitudinal evaluation system as part of the bid preparation;
-
Finally, establish a lobbying strategy at both national and European levels, including for instance the
organisation of specific events in Brussels aimed at giving visibility and raising the profile of Iași.
25
ANNEX 1 - CONSULTED STAKEHOLDERS
“Context” Stakeholders
Florin Barhalescu, ICAR Tours, Manager
Florin Cîntic, Iaşi European Capital of Culture Foundation, Vice President
Cosmin Coman, Municipality of Iaşi, Head of the Strategies Department
Oana Filip, Creative Industries Association of Iaşi, Project Manager
Sorin Gheorghiu, Chamber of Commerce and Industry Iasi, Chief of Supporting Business Department
Octavian Jighirgiu, “George Enescu” Arts University of Iaşi, Professor
Alain Ramette, French Cultural Institut, Director
CCIs’ Sample – Interviews
Felix Aftene, The Romanian Fine Arts Union Iaşi, President
Matei Bejenaru, Contemporary Photography Centre, Founder
George Carapanu, Romanian Order of the Architects – Iasi branch, President
Oltiţa Cintec, "Luceafărul" Theatre for Children and Youth, Artistic Director
Calin Ciobotari, Tele M, Journalist
Laura Galic, Laura Galic, Founder
Catalin Gheorghe, Vector Association, Co-founder
Horia Gumeni, Tvr Iasi, Executive Producer
Cristian Hadji-Culea, National Theatre ``Vasile Alecsandri`` of Iași, Manager
Costina Iuraşcu, The Grape, Co-founder
Dan Lungu, International Festival of Literature and Translation and Literature Museum, Director
Beatrice Rancea, Romanian National Opera of Iași, Manager
Adrian Serban, Polirom Publishing House, Editorial Director
Lacramioara Stratulat, Moldova National Museums Complex, General Director
Iustin Şurpănelu, Ş'ART Association, Founder
Andreea Zaharescu, Upside Down, Co-founder
CCIs’ Sample – Focus Group
Liviu Brătescu, Tătărași Athenaeum, Director
Alexandru Condurache, Rofilco, Founder
26
Aurica Ichim, The Museum of the Union, Director
Cătălin Mândru, "Fix" Theatre, Manager
Adrian Mironescu, Wiron, Founder
Alin Miu, Aquavita Solutions S.R.L., Founder
27
ANNEX 2 – IAŞI’S CCIs - COMPANIES
Source: Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Iasi
Domain
Sector
Heritage
NACE rev2
9101 Library and archives
activities
NAME
SIR GILLES JR SRL
DIGIARHIV SRL
DIGI ARHIV EST SRL
GOLDEN BUSSINES ARHIVA SRL
9102 Museums activities
Visual arts
Crafts
CODEM EXIM SRL
9103 Operation of historical
sites and buildings and similar
visitor attractions
CO. REST. ART. SRL
1623 Manufacture of other
builders' carpentry and joinery GVR JARDIN SRL
NARCOM CONSTRUCT SRL
MERANTI PROD SRL
ZUPFINESTRE SRL
MOBCONSTRUCT DESIGN LEMN SRL
PARTENER PROD SRL
TERMO STIL SRL
CORE ARTS
1629 Manufacture of other
products of wood;
manufacture of articles of
cork, straw and plaiting
materials
2319 Manufacture of other
products of wood;
manufacture of articles of
cork, straw and plaiting
materials
2341 Manufacture of ceramic
household and ornamental
articles
2370 Cutting, shaping and
finishing of stone
PIM SERVICE SRL
THUNDER TRADE SRL
Not mentioned
Not mentioned
MONUMENTE FUNERARE MORFEU SRL
GALAX INVEST SRL
SANCTUS SRL
ROMARMO CONSTRUCT SRL
Painting
9003 Artistic creation
AZZURRO SIGN SRL
ART STAGE SRL
AL FRESCO SRL
CREDART 2009 SRL
CANTORES MEDIA SRL
DOMEVET SRL
Sculpture
Photography
9004 Operation of arts
facilities
Same as painting
7420 Photographic activities
Not mentioned
Not mentioned
LUKATEH COMPANY SRL
FOCUS GRUP SRL
PRO IMAGE SRL
PANOVISION SRL
6391 News agency activities
Performing
Theatre
9001 Performing arts
MEDIA NET STIRI FLUX SRL
BOJO ART SRL
28
Arts
EVA SRL
THE SKY SRL
TEATRUL DE MARIONETE "ASCHIUTA" SRL
9002 Support activities to
performing arts
SPECTACLES ART SRL
XS EVENTS SRL
JUST SMILE EVENTS SRL
CULTURAL SECTORS
9003 Artistic creation
Audiovisual
Dance
9004 Operation of arts
facilities
Same as theatre
Circus
9001 Performing arts
Film and
Video
9002 Support activities to
performing arts
9004 Operation of arts
facilities
5911 Motion picture, video and
television programme
production activities
Same as painting
Not mentioned
Not mentioned
Not mentioned
Not mentioned
Not mentioned
LIFE MEDIA PRODUCTION SRL
ZEPELIN MEDIA SRL
FIX MEDIA ADVERTISING SRL
GRUPUL DE PRESA 24:ORE SRL
DISPLAY EVENTS SRL
5913 Motion picture, video and
television programme
distribution activities
Not mentioned
5914 Motion picture projection
activities
MALNO SRL
5920 Sound recording and
ROTON SRL
music publishing activities
SCHUBERT MUSIC PUBLISHING SRL
GREEN TREE RECORDS SRL
ROTON MUSIC PUBLISHING SRL
N & V INTER SRL
4763 Retail sale of music and ACC MAGNETICS SRL
video recordings in specialised
stores
CUTIA MUZICALA SRL
ATC OPTIC GAMES SRL
4778 Other retail sale of new
goods in specialised stores
Radio and
Television
Not mentioned
7722 Renting of video tapes
and disks
Not mentioned
5910 Motion picture, video and
television programme
activities (5911, 5912, 5913,
5914)
Same as Film and Video
6010 Radio broadcasting
PUBRIS SRL
HIT MEDIA INVESTMENTS SA
6020 Television programming
TELE M SRL
and broadcasting activities
CITV DIGITAL MEDIA SRL
INBUS MEDIA SRL
6100Telecommunications
7312 Media representation
Not mentioned
ROMANIAN BILLBOARD NETWORK SRL
KARTEZIAN SRL
MILENE VERTE SRL
ARTLOGO SRL
GREEN HILL MEDIA SRL
FACE TO FACE SRL
SEPTEMBER MEDIA SRL
ABSOLUT MEDIA SRL
AGENTIA UNU SRL
FLAIR COMMUNICATIONS & MARKETING SOLUTIONS SRL
29
SERVICE PUBLIC MEDIA SRL
RESPECT MEDIA SRL
NERIA MEDIA SHOP SRL
BLUESQUARE SRL
M PLUS INVESTMENTS SRL
Software
Publishing
including
games
5821 Publishing of computer
games
5829 Other software
publishing
ITPOSITIVE SRL
THE RED POINT SA
TH JUNIOR SRL
GEMINI CAD SYSTEMS SRL
BENTLEY SYSTEMS ROMANIA SRL
XWIKI SOFTWARE SRL
SMART2TECH DEVELOPMENT SRL
NEXUS MEDIA SRL
VERSATILE SRL
ATEK SOFTWARE SRL
IOMUNDO SRL
ROMEDCHIM INTERNATIONAL SRL
EUROKETL SRL
M-IT TECH SRL
IPIX INTERNATIONAL BUCHAREST SRL
INFOSTAR GRUP SRL
MICROBLUE SRL
EDGE SOFT DESIGN SRL
EVOLVIS SRL
ALDANIS SILHOUETTE SRL
YOURCHOICE SRL
WILORE SYSTEMS SRL
VISUAL PLAYGROUND SRL
6201 Computer programming
activities
MIND SOFTWARE SRL
AMAZON DEVELOPMENT CENTER (ROMANIA) SRL
COMODO SECURITY SOLUTIONS SRL
CENTRIC IT SOLUTIONS ROMANIA SRL
SILICON SERVICE SRL
LEVI 9 GLOBAL SOURCING BALKAN SRL
PREMIUM SOFTWARES SRL
ROMSOFT SRL
CODE 40 DEVELOPMENT SRL
EXPERT NETWORK SRL
FITS SRL
TISSUEGNOSTICS ROMANIA SRL
CODELESS TECHNOLOGY CENTER SRL
FRAGAR TRADING SRL
SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT PARTNERSHIP SRL
CAMLINE SOLUTIONS SRL
MOVIAL ROMANIA SRL
FEEL IT SRL
DUK-TECH SRL
ARTINFO SRL
INTELLIGENT BEE WEB SRL
MAUVE SRL
XOFIN SRL
MIGRATORY DATA SYSTEMS SRL
30
MOBILITY GAMES SRL
TRIAS MICROELECTRONICS SRL
CALCROM SRL
GALAXY DESIGN SRL
MOBILE TOUCH SRL
ADDENDA SRL
EAST VISION SYSTEMS SRL
GESKIMO SRL
DEVELBOX CONSULTING SRL
JXEE LAB SRL
WEB DISTRICT SRL
RUCKER DESIGN SRL
SOFT & SERVICE SRL
ITAROM TECHNOLOGIES SRL
SHAREFORCE SERVICE SRL
INSYNC SRL
EYE PARTNER SRL
5 POINT SOLUTIONS SRL
CODE932 SRL
EXPERT NETWORK SERVICES SRL
MAMBU TECH SRL
BLACK SQUARE SRL
SQNP SRL
INFOBRAIN SRL
RO SCIENTIFIC SRL
INNOVATIVE IT SRL
AXIOBIT SRL
MOLDOSOFT SRL
DDNET SOLUTIONS SRL
AYONE SOFTWARE SRL
CYNARA SRL
SWITCH ON SRL
MEDENA SOFT SRL
CYGNUS TECHNOLOGIES SRL
HEAVEN SOLUTIONS 2005 SRL
STATUS TREIZECI SI DOI SRL
RED CAT CORPORATION SRL
SOFTWARE VISION BUSINESS SRL
LEO SOFT INTERNATIONAL SRL
SPRYBASE SRL
STEUERHAUS SRL
SISOFT DESIGN SRL
MATRIX SRL
DIGITAL SOFT SRL
ATON PURPLE SRL
TECHROM-IT SRL
AYON LOGIC SRL
CODEIASI SOLUTIONS SRL
DOUBLE A SOFTWARE SRL
DIGITAL DISTRIBUTION NETWORK SRL
HIFLEX SRL
MIRNET SRL
31
PREMIUM INTELISOFT SRL
MOYA-DEV SRL
AUTODOT RO SRL
OCENTURE SRL
SAVELEC SRL
MD PAYTECH SRL
COLLABORATIVE CODE SRL
ARIA WEB SRL
DEKALOGIC SRL
IDEANCE SRL
SHIFT SOFTWARE SRL
EDITURA SF. MINA MULTIMEDIA GROUP SRL
DOTNETWISE SRL
CODE VIDEO PRODUCTION SRL
NAMOGO DESIGN SRL
FRESHCREATIVE SRL
OMNIA SOFTWARE SOLUTIONS SRL
OPENPLAN SRL
EVOLUTICA SRL
MEDENA HARD SRL
SMART LINE DESIGN SRL
ACER DREAM SRL
MEDENA SUPORT SRL
INSOFTDEV SRL-D
OXYLUS SRL
PRINCE SOFTWARE SRL
DEVIX SOFTGR SRL
GEMANSOFT SRL
NEURO SOFTWARE SRL
STRONGBYTES DEVELOPMENT SRL
PIXEL GRADE MEDIA SRL
SHOPFIT ONLINE SRL-D
BLOCK SERV SRL
SUSSOL SRL
BRANDWEB DESIGN SRL
NYX POINT SOLUTIONS SRL
FOBIA SRL
COMPUTERS SRL
STUDIO.ISSYS SRL
DUAL CORE SRL
TRY & CATCH SRL
HOLOGRAFIC DESIGN SRL
5920 Sound recording and
music publishing activities
ROTON SRL
SCHUBERT MUSIC PUBLISHING SRL
GREEN TREE RECORDS SRL
ROTON MUSIC PUBLISHING SRL
Music
N & V INTER SRL
9003 Artistic creation
Same as painting
4763 Retail sale of music and ACC MAGNETICS SRL
video recordings in specialised
stores
CUTIA MUZICALA SRL
ATC OPTIC GAMES SRL
Book and
5811 Book publishing
EDITURA POLIROM SA
32
Press
EDITURA GAMA SRL
EDITURA SF.MINA SRL
ALPHA GROUP SRL
EURISTICA SRL
ELNIK SOFT PRINT SRL
PANFILIUS SRL
EUROBOOK SRL
TEHNOPRES MEDIA GRUP SRL
ORMI INTERNATIONAL SRL
EDITURA GAMA JUNIOR SRL
TEOLOGOS SRL
CONVENTUS SRL
PELERINUL SRL
CASA EDITORIALA DEMIURG SRL
EDITURA PRINCEPS MULTIMEDIA SRL
EDITURA ALFA SRL
TIMPUL SRL
SPECULUM SRL
ED VASILIANA SRL
LUMEN MEDIA SRL
LUCYD SERV SRL
5812 Publishing of directories
and mailing lists
BSMARTEST PRESS GROUP SRL
5813 Publishing of newspapers ZIARUL EVENIMENTUL SRL
MEDIA GROUP CONSULTING SRL
G8 PRESS SRL
SMARTMEDIA SRL
VALI IMPEX COM SRL
COTIDIANUL 24 : ORE SRL
5814 Publishing of journals and TRUST TOP LIFE SRL-D
periodicals
ALTFEL SRL
MEDIA GAS IMPEX SRL
INTERMEDIA PUBLISHING SRL
7 EST SRL
OPINIA STUDENTEASCA SRL
5819 Other publishing
activities
7430 Translation and
interpretation activities
GRAPHOS SRL
BEST POINT CONSULTING SRL
STAR INFORMATION SERVICES & TOOLS SRL
ACTA.DOC SRL
TRADUCERI EUROCONTACT SRL
LEKTOR LANGUAGE TRAINER SRL
ACTIS CONSULT SRL
AVOB SRL
SOFIA WORDS SRL
JOVE OFFICE SRL
RO INTERACTIS SRL
FREELANCE TEAM SRL
EUROCONTACT PLUS SRL
MONACTIS SRL
TRADUCERI AUTORIZATE ACTIS SRL
KORALVISION SRL
INTERACTIS GRUP SRL
33
LETTERA SRL
LEVANT SRL
4649 Wholesale of other
household goods
DOI STEJARI SRL
IRSIDO SRL
OTI DISTRIBUTION IASI SRL
FRAROM INTERNATIONAL EST SRL
SHATTER SRL
EDITURA SF. MINA DISTRIBUTION SRL
GROUP AS SRL
ADISON COMPANY SRL
PRO-PLUS SRL
TEXTILE GLOBAL SERVICE H.G. SRL
MACOPRIS SRL
E.C. OIL SRL
CORIOM SRL
SINCRON PERFORMANCE SRL
AMIA INVEST SRL
PAPER LINK SRL
L.V. INTER TRANS SRL
GLOBAL PLAST MOLDOVA SRL
LOADMI IMPEX SRL
DIA SERV SRL
IRIS BARN SRL
KELSAN SRL
VOLSIM SRL
MARNIK IMPEX SRL
ROYAL INTERCOM SRL
PRIME SELL CORP SRL
ASCENDO SRL
ARENA TRADE SRL
INTER PROD GROUP SRL
CASA OTILIA SRL
CLK 0607 SRL
INTERTRADE CONSULTING SRL
MEDIA INVEST SRL
HERMES UNIVERS SRL
ELPI DMO SRL
PIROTEHNIC SHOW SRL
TEOCAR SERV SRL
PLANT-PRO SRL
4761 Retail sale of books in
specialised stores
SEDCOM LIBRIS SA IASI
EUROLIBRIS SRL
ECRIDOS SRL
LOARA SRL
OPTIMA PLUS SRL
ECO INVEST COMPANY SRL
4762 Retail sale of newspapers
AMO PRESS RETAIL SRL
and stationery in specialised
stores
TUTUN SI ZIARE SRL
DIFPRES SRL
COMPANIA MICA PRES SRL
ALMA PRES SRL
MEDIA PRESS CENTER SRL
34
TIBEC GROUP SRL
TUMI PRESS SRL
PROD IMPRIM INTER SRL
NEGHINITA PRES SRL
MASTER COMPANY T.C. SRL
BONAFIDE SRL
DISTRITECH COM SRL
COMSEROM SRL
ANCA-LUCIS SRL
4791 Retail sale via mail order
houses or via Internet
ORIGINALS SRL
RAZMED SRL
ARAMISS INTERNATIONAL SRL
BIO INTEGRA SRL
ED CONCEPT SERVICE SRL
DULAPUL CU HAINE SRL
AMBRA ACCESORII SRL
MOGAME SRL
EUROMIR SRL
ACCESORII-MUZICALE SRL
BUZZ INC. SRL
SIGNAL UP SRL
UNIK SHOP TRADE SRL
GO HERBAL SRL
ANDREI COLLAGEN SRL
PALMAX LTD SRL
CAPITAL UMAN SRL
XZONENETWORK SRL
CEASURI OUTLET SRL
GOLDESS LTD SRL
EDUZONE SRL
ALTAVI GROUP SRL
ROXART PROIECT SRL
CORA SILVER SRL
ROMCARD CONSULT SRL
CORIOLAN CREATIVE SRL
KOLLMAN GROUP SRL
HERMES GROUP SALES SRL
4789 Retail sale via stalls and
markets of other goods
(books, games and toys,
music and video recordings,
etc.)
ROELLACRIS SRL
ANEVEC SRL
TINERI GOSPODARI SRL
CELSA COM SRL
HERMES FRUITS SRL
AGRO FRESH 4EVER SRL
RELIABLE SRL
IANCOMTEC SRL
APOLLO BEST FRUITS SRL
DOVIRO FAMILY SRL
FLOAREA DE COLT SRL
BUCUR FORCE SRL
POLUS SRL
SARI FLORIS SRL
ADI-RON MARKET SRL
35
BEATRICE MERY KRYS SRL
ELSEM STYLE SRL
Advertising
7311 Advertising agencies
CONCRET ADVERTISING SRL
MONEY FACTORY SRL
MEDIA GLOBAL COMPANY SRL
AD MEDIA GROUP SRL
SENSO LIGHT SRL
ARTVERTISING SRL
INDECENT DESIGN SRL
LIFE MEDIA SALES SRL
CFC DESIGN SRL
EVOLVE MEDIA SRL
BOOMERANG PROJECT SRL
CUSTOM ADVERTISING SRL
BLACK CARD MEDIA SRL
FEROIDEEA SRL
ARGOMEDIA SRL
FRONT PAGE COMMUNICATION SRL
PUBLIC PREST SRL
SMARTLINE SRL
INFORMATIA MEDICALA SRL
TUDOR IMPEX SRL
WEBMAGNAT GROUP SRL
CREATIVE SECTORS
MEDIA GRUP IMPEX SRL
WEBMAGNAT SRL
AGENTIA WEBMAGNAT SRL
44 MAN SRL
ZOOM MEDIA SRL
CRYO TECH SRL
DYNAMIC MEDIA SIGN SRL
NEW FLAVOUR SRL
TRIGON SRL
POSITIVE MEDIA SRL
MAGIC MULTIMEDIA SOFT SRL
MEDIANED NGB SRL
CREATIVE BIZ SOLUTIONS SRL
PLUS CITY SRL
ROMEDIC.RO SRL
FEEDEXT SRL
AD PRINT SRL
AGENTIA DOI SRL
HEAD IDEA SRL
WUNDERKID SRL
EVENIMENTIS SENTIO SRL
ROEN CONNECTION SRL
META DEVICES SRL
FOTOMAGIQUE STUDIO SRL
DREAM ART STUDIO SRL
INORAS.RO SRL
MOD BIZ SRL
BD INVESTMENT SRL
BCC ADVERTISING SRL
36
KROWN BUSINESS MANAGEMENT SRL
Architecture
7111 Architectural activities
ARHICON SRL
ARTCA SRL
ART INSTAL PRODUCTION SRL
CONPROIECT AKY SRL
GT ARHITECT SRL
ATELIER 90 SRL
A.B.V.-TOTAL PROIECT SRL
GENESIS SRL
SAM IDEAS SRL
MODEXCONSTRUCT SRL
PICKANT STUDIO SRL
THEO ASKANIS SISTEM SRL
PROCONDENTIS SRL
OSIRIS PROJECT SRL
HIDRO-IF-PROIECT SRL
BINAR EXE SRL
PTM GLOBAL PROJECT SRL
ARHITECTIS TRUST SRL
TDD CONCEPT STUDIO SRL
PROGANEX 2005 SRL
INTER LOPIS SRL
MAVI CONS SRL
REFCONSTEEL SRL
PERSPECTIVE SRL
BETA PROIECT SRL
DOM STUDIO SRL
HORAND COMPANY SRL
VIC DIAGONAL PROIECT SRL
ARH-LINE STUDIO SRL
URBA SISTEM SRL
GEOTECH SRL
TECK TECTONA SRL
3D ARHIGRUP SRL
D.T.C. ARCHITECT'S INVEST SRL
A.O.D. EXIM SRL
METROPOLIS SRL
ANTHEM STP SRL
INTACT SRL
ARHITECT GRUP SRL
PRO&CONS INVEST SRL
NEO PROIECT SRL
Z.I.D. CONSULTING SERVICE SRL
AXIS B & D SERV COM SRL
TEHNOURB SRL
KEY PRO SRL
PROMRAX SRL
ANTIGONA INVEST SRL
ROMEXPERT GRUP SRL
MARIA SRL
ALICON COMPANY SRL
RCSTEEL SRL
37
4 BEST PROJECTS SRL
ARC DESIGN SRL
H STUDIO SRL
ASIMPTOTIC SRL
ALIPHERA SRL
PENTA STIL STUDIO SRL
BIOPHOTONIC SYNERGY DESIGN SRL
ARHINOVA SRL
ANTARES PROIECT SRL
Design
Fashion
1300 Manufacture of textiles
(1310, 1320, 1330, 1390)
IASITEX SA
IDEAL RARTEX SRL
GENERAL-TEX SRL
MEVATEX IASI SRL
TEXTILA SA
NOVELLO MULTISERVICE SRL
HIP PROMOTION SRL
MR POWER PRINT SRL
BRAND SHOUT SRL
1400 Manufacture of wearing
apparel 1411, 1412, 1413, 1414,
1419, 1420, 1431, 1439)
CASA TEO SRL
GLOBAL SISTEM SRL
FASTER EXP SRL
ABSOLU CONFORT SRL
BT UNIMED SRL-D
MIHOPRODUCT SRL
M & C BEAUTY TEX SRL
EUROTEX COMPANY SRL
CONFECTII INTEGRATE MOLDOVA SRL
MICHAEL COM SRL
MOTEXCO SRL
EUROCONF IMPEX SRL
IASI CONF SA
VERTICAL DESIGN SRL
CRISTIAN A.B.C. SRL
JENSON CONFECTII SRL
COBYUL SRL
EXCLUSIV COMP SRL
KATTY FASHION SRL
NELMAR SRL
ART LIMITED SRL
EXTROME SRL
INTERNATIONAL CONNECTION SRL
NEWTEX CONFECTII SRL
TIMTEX SRL
CONCEPT MSG TRADE SRL
ANA CONFORT TEXTILE SRL
CAMELEON LEATHER SRL
CORA TEXTILES SRL
DONY SRL
CASA WANDA 02 SRL
DEF IND SRL
SIMODA RO SRL
SOCIETATE COOPERATIVA MESTESUGAREASCA DE GRADUL 1 TEHCONF-IASI
38
ALISTEL DESIGN SRL
EURO STIL EXCLUSIV SRL
NICHI.CN SRL
PAOLI DESIGN SRL
TIME-MODE SRL
HIPPOS FASHION SRL
A.C.M. FASHION CONCEPT SRL
OCCO 2 SRL
ISABELLE FASHION SRL
BECO-STYLE SRL
NEYLA SRL
3 STARS&COMPANY SRL
SYMPATEX SRL
VANESSA LINE SRL
FADEX-FASHION DESIGN EXPERT SRL
ORIENT CLASS SRL
SOCIETATE COOPERATIVA MESTESUGAREASCA (SCM) DE GRADUL 1 "CARPATEX" IASI
CLASSYC CONF SRL
SADALGRI SRL
INGRID VLASOV SRL
AMEDEEA SRL
33 AYA AVANGARDE SRL
SONIC FASHION SRL
SOF-CONF DESIGNE SRL
INVEST NET FASHION SRL
BUNOTTI SRL
ASO COLLECTION SRL
NERO SRL
GOLD REVOLI SRL
SOCIETATE COOPERATIVA MESTESUGAREASCA DE GRADUL 1 "VIITORUL MODEI"
LOUISE MODE SRL
SOCIETATE COOPERATIVA MESTESUGAREASCA (SCM) DE GRADUL 1 "MISS EMA"
CHARME & CHIC DESIGN SRL
ALSA- LUX SRL
ENACHE RED SRL
MOLDOVA TRICOTAJE SA
TEO STYLE COLLECTION SRL
STEFI TEX SRL
INA DESIGN COMPANY SRL
TRUST BGE CONF SRL
GOROMA TEX SRL
T & C PROD SRL
VIVACOR FASHION SRL
TRENDY KIDS SRL
TIMTEX COMPANY SRL
GIL GX COMPANY SRL
SOCIETATE COOPERATIVA MESTESUGAREASCA DE GRADUL 1 "SPORUL" IASI
MARCROMAN SNK SRL
STEFANA SRL
ANGELA INTERNATIONAL SRL
RANDALS TRADE SRL
39
SCARPALAND SRL
SILMAR SRL
RAREDOR SCARPE SRL
1512 Manufacture of luggage,
handbags and the like,
saddlery and harness
DANA POINT SRL
3212 Manufacture of jewellery
and related articles
CORIOLAN AUR SMARALD SRL
TC ISHTAR SRL
TURMALIN SRL
SALT INC SRL
3213 Manufacture of imitation
jewellery and related articles
4616 Agents involved in the
sale of textiles, clothing, fur,
footwear and leather goods
MAN CON-SERV SRL
CRIVA QUARTZ SRL
SOCIETATE COOPERATIVA MESTESUGAREASCA DE GRADUL 1 SOLIDARITATEA IASI
EVROS SRL
MONIK TEXTIL SRL
CELSEA SRL
MTM-TREI SRL
IMOTEX SRL
ECO-TEX 2004 SRL
BOGDANA DESIGN TEX SRL
A.G. X-STREAM SRL
KAPUSA SRL
4782 Retail sale via stalls and
markets of textiles, clothing
and footwear
CARMEN SILVA SRL
LAK TRADE SRL
LANDETA SRL
BOBU COM IMPEX SRL
LIDO EXPRES SRL
MARY DEY FASHION SRL
CONELDO JR. 2006 SRL
CIBO STAR SRL
4779 Retail sale of secondBELLA LICCA INTERNATIONAL SRL
hand goods in stores
(antiques, second-hand books, CHIRIAC-TEX SRL
second-hand clothes)
FABRICS TRADE SRL
CARBON SRL
HARDEST SRL
ELMEC SRL
CLAUDETTE SRL
ALT KLEIDUNG SRL
GIA TEX COM SRL
DECO BLU HOME SRL
INNENDEKORATION SRL
DEMMO TRADING SRL
TANAMI SRL
PENILLA SRL
PLAZ - GRANDI SRL
ALBERTVAL SNC
DARKT ARCADE SRL
BEAUTY C & A SRL
4791 Retail sale via mail order
houses or via Internet
ORIGINALS SRL
RAZMED SRL
ARAMISS INTERNATIONAL SRL
BIO INTEGRA SRL
ED CONCEPT SERVICE SRL
40
DULAPUL CU HAINE SRL
AMBRA ACCESORII SRL
MOGAME SRL
EUROMIR SRL
ACCESORII-MUZICALE SRL
BUZZ INC. SRL
SIGNAL UP SRL
UNIK SHOP TRADE SRL
GO HERBAL SRL
ANDREI COLLAGEN SRL
PALMAX LTD SRL
CAPITAL UMAN SRL
XZONENETWORK SRL
CEASURI OUTLET SRL
GOLDESS LTD SRL
EDUZONE SRL
ALTAVI GROUP SRL
ROXART PROIECT SRL
CORA SILVER SRL
ROMCARD CONSULT SRL
CORIOLAN CREATIVE SRL
KOLLMAN GROUP SRL
HERMES GROUP SALES SRL
Graphic
1812 Other printing
POLIROM PACKAGING SRL
I.P.P.U. PACKAGING SRL
PRINTCO SRL
CRESCENTO PRINT SRL
BUSINESS PRINT SRL
PETROLIV SRL
MASTERPRINT SRL
TIPOGRAFIA SEDCOM LIBRIS SA
PRINT COLOR SRL
MABOX SRL
LASER CO SRL
KOLOS GROUP SRL
CROMA LINE SRL
MEDIA BUSINESS SRL
ELCO SERVICE SRL
GRAND PVD IMPEX SRL
CROMO ALFA PRINT SRL
DIGITA BUSINESS SRL
CARD ID PRINT SRL
VENUS PRINTING SOLUTIONS SRL
ZEBRA SOUND EXPLOITATION COMPANY SRL
ADG PRINTFORM SRL
GRANT CONSULTING SRL
ADVICE MEDIA SRL
DELTA DESIGNS SRL
G & G DESIGN SRL
PRINTCO PACK SRL
M.G.PASS SRL
TIPOFLEX SRL
41
MY DREAM SRL
OPEN PRESS SRL
BLUE SIM & CO SRL
MARY TOUR SRL
HELEN INVITATII NUNTA SRL
HELEN WEDDING SRL
DATAQ WEB SRL
TIPO MILX SRL
SPERANTA COM SRL
UNICARD MED SRL
OMNI PRINT SRL
1813 Pre-press and pre-media
services
7111 Architectural activities
7311 Advertising agencies
7410 Specialised design
activities
INTERNATIONAL PRINTING & PACKAGING UNION IPPU SRL
PIXART MEDIA SRL
Same as Architecture
Same as Advertising
EXONIA HOLDING SA
PROCONRIM SRL
FMCG MOLDOVA SRL
C.F.U. EXPO SRL
ANDREEA TINCU SRL
ARTE FLOWERS SRL
ARTE DI MANO SRL
INLAND PROJECTS SRL
ABART DESIGN SRL
TLADY DI CONCEPTION SRL
9003 Artistic creation
Product
same as graphic
Same as painting
already mentioned
42