More than 80,000 people showed interest in the events organized by the Harghita County Tradition Resource Center
Over the past year, the Harghita County Tradition Resource Center, a subordinate institution of the Harghita County Council, focused its activities on documenting, preserving, and promoting the authentic values of local cultural heritage. Its goal was to strengthen regional cultural identity and to expand the community’s access to cultural life.
According to Izabella Bartalis, director of the Harghita County Tradition Resource Center, their aim was not only to promote cultural programs but also to improve their diversity and quality, expand institutional collaborations at the county, national, and international levels, engage young audiences, and build a loyal audience committed to traditional culture. At the same time, special emphasis was placed on developing online communication and increasing the institution’s visibility through media partnerships.
Over the past year, the cultural centre organized large-scale festivals and events, ethnographic and traditional art exhibitions, publishing programs and book launches, educational activities, craft workshops, and audiovisual productions on ethnographic topics.
In 2025, more than 60 cultural programs were organized, including around 15 festivals and major events, more than 20 exhibitions and public presentations, approximately 15 educational programs and workshops, and over 10 book launches, screenings, and other publishing events.
Highlighted events included the Siculus Festival, Secler Days, and the Transylvanian Dance House Meeting, which attracted thousands of participants and significantly contributed to promoting the county’s traditional values.
According to data provided by Izabella Bartalis, the estimated total number of participants in the programs organized in 2025 exceeded 80,000, including both audiences present in person at events and those reached via online platforms.
The target audience of the programs was extremely diverse: children and students, young people, families, teachers, cultural professionals, artisans, as well as the general public interested in traditions and local identity. The activities had a significant impact on the community, strengthening the sense of belonging, expanding access to culture, encouraging intercultural dialogue, and contributing to promoting Harghita County as an active and attractive cultural space.
Feedback from the community was overwhelmingly positive, as reflected in the continuous growth in participant numbers, lively interactions online, and numerous requests to repeat and expand successful programs.
In parallel, the Harghita County Tradition Resource Center also participated as a partner in other cultural projects in the Udvarhely region. In total, they supported 30 cultural projects, worth 372,000 lei. These included “In the Footsteps of the Values of the Gagy Stream Valley,” the “Slam Poetry Championship,” and the “dramaMA” contemporary theatre festival.
The list of winning projects in the Udvarhely region can be found at the following link: https://hagyomany.ro/palyazatok/
– The Harghita County Tradition Resource Center is a custodian of cultural memory and local identity. Through our activities, we strive to contribute to the preservation of traditions, the education of young people, and the promotion of Harghita County’s authentic values – stated Izabella Bartalis.
Through its events and programs, the Centre continues to play a key role in the cultural development of Harghita County, providing the community with identity, continuity, and dialogue between the past, present, and future.
