The Inter-Ethnic Educational Centre for Youth (IbZ) Sighisoara, organizer of the ProEtnica Sighisoara Festival, whose 20th edition will take place from August 28 to September 1, announced on Thursday the official program of the event, showing that it will bring together representatives of the 20 ethnic groups in Romania and thus represents a „unique agora of intercultural dialogue” in our country.
„The organizer of the ProEtnica Festival, the Interethnic Youth Education Centre (IbZ) Sighisoara has published the program of the on-stage performances of the participants of the 20th jubilee edition (…). ProEtnica is an agora of intercultural dialogue with a unique value in Romania and with positive reverberations at European level. At the same time, it is a tool for strengthening inter-ethnic peace, for a pluralist and democratic Romania,” said the director of the ProEtnica Festival, Volker Reiter, in a press release.
According to the program posted on the ProEtnica website, the festival will have its official opening on Thursday, August 28, at 17.00, and will end on Sunday, September 1.
„ProEtnica 2024 brings together representatives of Romania’s 20 ethnic groups. They will hold traditional music and dance shows on the stage of Piata Cetatii (Citadel Square); while lectures, conferences, debates, exhibitions, book launches will take place under the framework of the extended dialogue between national minority organizations.. The program of these last sections will be announced later. ProEtnica Intercultural Festival was established in 2001. It takes place annually in Sighisoara and promotes cultural diversity through music shows, performances of traditional dances, lectures and exhibitions,” the press release states.
This year, the ProEtnica Intercultural Festival will take place under the High Patronage of the President of Romania, Klaus Werner Iohannis, with the Department for Interethnic Relations of the Romanian Government, the Ministry of Culture and the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany in Romania as sponsors.
The ProEtnica Festival 2024 is organized in collaboration with the Mures County Council, with the support of the Municipality of Sighisoara, the National Agency for the Roma and the National Centre for the Roma Culture – Romano Kher.
„An important number of media partners have announced their participation in this edition of the festival, which is expected to attract more than 10,000 spectators,” said Volker Reiter, the festival director.