HRH The Prince of Wales attended the opening of the Transylvania Festival, held 13-15 May, in London, at The Romanian Cultural Institute to celebrate the remarkable cultural landscapes of Transylvania and the work that Fundatia ADEPT has been doing over 10 years to protect these landscape and communities, and the many benefits they bring to Romanian and European society.
The three-day celebration of Romanian culture and traditions began with a private view of ‘British Painters in Transylvania’ who are contributing 30% of the sales of their work to ADEPT. HRH The Prince of Wales attended the opening of the exhibition.
Prince Charles was greeted by the Romanian Ambassador, HE Mr Ion Jinga, by the Director of the Cultural Institute Dorin Branea and Deputy Director Magda Stroie, and by Chairman of Trustees of Fundatia ADEPT UK Nicolae Rațiu and other Trustees and organizing committee. Me was introduced to all the painters, musicians, chefs, poets, potters, sponsors and others who were involved.
The Prince of Wales met the exhibiting painters and took a lively interest in their work. The Prince also met the CEO, Dawn Rose, and management including the potters, of the Camelia Botnar Foundation, a British charity which is working with ADEPT to revive the lost tradition of Saschiz ceramics, whose distinctive patterns are made by scratching away the background colour.
The Festival also included day-time lectures by well known authors covering the rich botany, history, literature of Transylvania and vibrant culture of Romania past and present.
There was a moving and brilliant concert by Romanian concert pianist Alexandra Dariescu, winner of the UK’s prestigious Women of the Future Award in the Arts and Culture category, and Romania’s virtuoso violinist, Alexandru Tomescu who flew over from Bucharest with, to support the Festival. He booked and extra seat on the aeroplane for the 1702 Stradivarius that he has won, twice in succession, the national competition to use for a period of 4 years.
The 3-day Festival culminated with a Transylvanian Feast prepared by Gerda Gherghiceanu who came from her village, Viscri with local products and expert cooking skills to mastermind a traditional feast. All proceeds from the Transylvania Festival will be given to ADEPT for their work with the farming communities of Transylvania. See also www.transylvaniafestival.co.uk
These landscapes are threatened areas of great natural and cultural beauty.
But to supporters of these landscapes, including The Prince of Wales, their protection is about much more than their natural beauty. They are landscapes still in ecological working order, an example to the rest of Europe not of only of beauty but also of functionality.
For many practical reasons, The Prince of Wales supports the work of the ADEPT Foundation, and others, who are protecting these landscapes and communities. The Prince of Wales sees no point in replacing something that works, on every level, with something that does not work, in the name of competiveness. The loss of these landscapes just as we are beginning to appreciate their full value would be a tragedy.
See this newspaper published on 10th May 2014 on The Daily Telegraph – Weekend Edition.
See video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FhUYwgf-oB4
