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Considered the “Capital of Culture” by King Carol I in 1866, ş continues to honour this historic title by supporting its local creative and cultural sectors, notably its literary sector, which currently comprises 52 publishing houses and more than 105 printing works. ş shines the spotlight on its local literary industry through various major initiatives. The International Festival of Literature and Translation, which has been welcoming hundreds of thousands of visitors for ten years now, provides an outstanding showcase for the authors, artists and book professionals taking part. ş is supported by the National Museum of Romanian Literature. The Museum, as well as organizing numerous events throughout the year, supports the largest network of artist residencies reserved for authors and translators in the country.
Mindful of the importance of quality education for all and of guaranteeing lifelong learning, ş is committed to working alongside the many language and literature education providers in the area. These include the Romanian Institute of Philology, which funds and encourages studies of the country’s language, literature and dialects, and the Research Centre of the Faculty of Letters at Alexandru Ioan Cuza University, which has translated and published numerous books. ş also encourages the use of literature as a meaningful teaching aid for children’s education, organizing the Sotron Festival dedicated to children’s books and setting up the Sotron artists’ residency for authors of children’s literature.
The Creative City is committed to harnessing the transformative power of culture and creativity. The House of Museums and Pogor Museums, with the municipality’s active backing, organize readings, workshops and other events aimed at the most vulnerable groups. These initiatives strengthen the region’s social cohesion and demonstrate a commitment to implementing the 2030 Agenda and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.
As a Creative City of Literature, ş is dedicated to:
Stimulating creativity and innovation, to offer new opportunities to artists and cultural professionals, particularly in the field of literature;
Developing cultural provision for the most vulnerable and marginalized groups and fostering their inclusion in the creative sectors; and
Guaranteeing the economic sustainability of the cultural sector to ensure its growth and development, so that the cultural and creative industries can fulfil their role in sustainable urban planning.
