Cultural Consumption Figures at Brâncuși’s House. by Institutul Național pentru Cercetare și Formare Culturală

Cultural Consumption Figures at Brâncuși’s House. Titlul lucrării care va fi A Perception on the Cultural Offer secțiune in the Countyîn ofcarte Gorj Ediția 2017 2017 Autori: Autor Unu, Autor Doi, Autor Trei

NATIONAL INSTITUTE for Cultural Research and Training

Cultural Consumption Figures at Brâncuși’s House. A Perception on the Cultural Offer in the County of Gorj Authors: Carmen Croitoru (coordinator), Anda Becuț Marinescu (coordinator), Ioana Ceobanu, George Matu, Bogdan Pălici Editor: Bogdan Pălici Desktop-publishing: Aurora Pădureanu Graphics: Cătălin Toma Translation: Cristina Elena Andrei Cover photo: Vasile Pleșea

CIP description of the National Library of Romania Cultural Consumption Figures at Brâncuși’s House. A Perception on the Cultural Offer in the County of Gorj / Carmen Croitoru (coord.), Anda Becuţ Marinescu (coord.), Ioana Ceobanu, George Matu, .... - Bârlad : Universul Academic; Bucureşti : Editura Universitară, 2018 ISBN 978-606-94566-9-9 ISBN 978-606-28-0747-4 I. Croitoru, Carmen II. Marinescu Becuţ, Anda III. Ceobanu, Ioana 008

National Institute for Cultural Research and Training (NICRT) No. 22, Unirii Blvd., 2nd Floor, Sector 3, Postal Code 030833, Bucharest Phone: 021 891 91 03 | Fax: 021 893 31 75 | Website: http://www.culturadata.ro/

Târgu Jiu People’s Art School

No. 53, Vasile Alecsandri Str., Târgu Jiu Phone: 0253 215 945 | Website: http://artegorj.ro

Universul Academic Publishing House

Bucharest | Phone: 0722 777 996 Email: editura@universulacademic.ro | www.universulacademic.ro

Table of Contents 1. Study on Cultural Consumption in Gorj County . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 2. Focus Group – People’s Art School of Tg. Jiu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49

Study on Cultural Consumption in Gorj County Authors: Ioana Ceobanu, George Matu, Bogdan PÄ&#x192;lici

NATIONAL INSTITUTE for Cultural Research and Training

Contents 1. Methodology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 2. National identity and the Centenary of the Great Union .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

2.1 National and sub-national self-identification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 2.2 Subjective definition of national identity. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 2.3 Centenary of the Great Union . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 2.4 Definition of cultural identity in the county of Gorj. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 2.5 Protection of the built cultural heritage. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 2.6 Intangible heritage. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

3. Non-public cultural consumption . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 3.1 Radio consumption . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3.2 Music consumption . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3.3 TV programmes consumption. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3.4 Consumption of written culture. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3.5 Internet consumption and access to Internet services. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3.6 Access of the Gorj population to domestic infrastructure. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

24 25 26 28 29 31

4. Cultural consumption and participation in leisure activities in the public space in the county of Gorj . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 4.1 Forms of participation in cultural activities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.2 Forms of participation in entertainment and leisure activities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.3 Forms of participation in community activities. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.4 Profiles and types of public. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.5 Top of cultural institutions attended . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.6 Information sources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.7 Growth of the cultural consumption in the public space . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

33 34 35 36 37 39 39

5. Peopleʻ s Art School . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 5.1 Profile of respondents among whom the People’s Art School is known . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

6. Conclusions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 6.1 National identity and the Centenary of the Great Union. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 6.2 Non-public cultural consumption. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 6.3 Cultural consumption and participation in leisure activities in the public space in the county of Gorj . . . . 46

7. Annex

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Methodology

1. Methodology The cultural consumption study in the county of Gorj is based on a survey on various culture-related themes, conducted by NIRCT in 2017 at the request of the People’s Art School of Târgu Jiu. The study focused on the analysis of the cultural consumption and practices among the population in the county of Gorj and the analysis of the profiles of beneficiaries and non-beneficiaries of the cultural activities organised by the county’s institutions. The survey was conducted in the period 27 September – 28 October 2017, and the sample volume was 1,064 persons, with an error margin of maximum +/-3%, at a 95% confidence level. The sample was built in accordance with a two-stage stratification.

In the first stage, we applied a stratification by locality size (cities with over 100,000 inhabitants, towns between 100,000 and 50,000 inhabitants, towns under 50,000 inhabitants, commune-centre villages and peripheral villages). The number of persons in a certain locality was proportional to the size of the locality and the statistical weight of that type of locality in Gorj county. In the second stage, at the level of each locality, the sampling point was made from randomly chosen voting sections. The selection of the households was made by using the random route method, and the selection of respondents was made by using the birthday method.

2. National identity and the Centenary of the Great Union 2.1 National and sub-national self-identification In order to better understand the cultural consumption practices, we need to know the manner in which people in a certain geographical space define themselves. Belonging to a national identity is no longer seen in the specialised literature as a pre-established attribute, but as a matter of choice between several possible supra- or sub-national identities. 1 In this study, the respondents were asked to choose between the local identity (their belonging to the commune or town where they were living), the 1 J. Billiet. ‘Questions about National, Subnational and Ethnic Identity’, [website], 2007 http://www.europeansocialsurvey.org/docs/methodology/ core_ess_questionnaire/ESS_core_questionnaire_national_ethnic_identity. pdf, (accessed on 12 December 2017).

county identity, the regional identity, the national and the European identity, based on a set of questions from the European Values Study.2 These different levels are not mutually exclusive, as a person can identify himself/ herself with several identity components.3 This is why the question requires the respondents to rank the importance of belonging to each of these groups. The results presented in Graph 1, Graph 2 and Graph 3 show that most of the respondents in Gorj identify themselves firstly with the local level (i.e. with the town or 2

The question was also used in two surveys representative for Romania,within the 1999 and 2008 waves of the European Values Study (EVS)

3 J. Billiet. ‘Questions about National, Subnational and Ethnic Identity’, [website], 2007 http://www.europeansocialsurvey.org/docs/methodology/ core_ess_questionnaire/ESS_core_questionnaire_national_ethnic_identity. pdf, (accessed on 12 December 2017).

10 National identity and the Centenary of the Great Union village they live in, mentioned by 54% of the respondents), secondly with the county they live in (49%) and thirdly with Romania (42%). It is important to notice that the level of the historical region scored relatively low percentages for all the three mentions. Thus, we can notice that in the hierarchy of national and sub-national self-identification, there is a transition from the local to the national level, and the main intermediary stage is represented by the self-identification with the county, not with the historical region. These results are very similar to the results of the European Values Study (EVS) obtained at the level of Romania in 2008.4 Although a slightly different question was used (the respondents could only mention the most important two groups they felt they belonged to, and the county level was not included in the answer options), the results of the EVS 2008 show the importance of the local identity (mentioned by 58% of the respondents as first option) and of the national identity (mentioned by 47% as second option). In this case, too, the self-identification with the historical region was mentioned much less often. The data obtained at the level of Gorj county illustrate that this hierarchy is constant at the level of respondentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; residence area (rural, urban under 30,000 inhabitants, urban above 30,000 inhabitants), even though there are slight differences in the percentages recorded. This is especially relevant for the first position in the hierarchy, suggesting that, regardless of the locality size, the respondents firstly identify themselves with the town or commune they live in. Furthermore, the hierarchy presented is also constant for the distributions by gender (male, female), education level (elementary education, medium education, higher education) or age (18-29 years old, 30-39 years old, 40-49 years old, 50-64 years old, 65 years old and above), which shows that these preferences hold true for various segments of the population. 4 European Values Study 2008: Romania (EVS 2008). GESIS Data Archive, Cologne. ZA4773 Data file Version 1.1.0, doi:10.4232/1.10168.

From the viewpoint of the cultural services provided at the level of Gorj county, the data obtained suggest that the cultural events and activities that also include a component of national or sub-national identity construction should mainly be focused on the three levels that respondents identify themselves with: local, county and national. Thus, a reduced statistical weight could be given with respect to the level of the historical region (Oltenia). Graph 1. National and sub-national self-identification [What group do you feel you belong to? â&#x20AC;&#x201C; First mention]

Graph 2. National and sub-national self-identification [What group do you feel you belong to? â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Second mention]

National identity and the Centenary of the Great Union 11 Graph 3. National and sub-national self-identification [What group do you feel you belong to? – Third mention]

2.2 Subjective definition of national identity For this section we used a question on the various elements of national identity construction. The respondents could evaluate how important are aspects such as speaking the Romanian language, holding Romanian citizenship, selfidentification as a Romanian etc., in order to be ”a real Romanian”. The findings are presented in Graph 4. The initial categories of answers (Very important, Important, Not too important, Not at all important) were grouped into two main categories (Important and very important and Not too important and not at all important). This decision is justified by the distribution of the answers obtained, as the majority of the options fall into one of the four initial categories.

The data suggest that all identity elements included in the questionnaire were deemed important and very important by the majority of respondents, with percentages varying between 82% (for the option ”To have lived almost the entire life in Romania”) and 96% (for the option ”To respect the Romanian laws and institutions”). Despite the very close percentages, we must notice that the first two positions in the ranking are occupied by elements from the area of democratic values (respect for the laws and institutions of the state and holding the Romanian citizenship) and not by traditional values (such as belonging to the Orthodox-Christian religion or the condition of having been born and lived on Romania’s territory). In the perspective of planning cultural activities and events in the county of Gorj, these results suggest two types of implications. Firstly, the importance given to the respect for the laws and institutions of Romania shows that we can speak about a high level of receptivity towards the cultural services provided by the county’s public cultural institutions. Secondly, there is a certain openness of the Gorj public towards a diversification of the themes of cultural activities and events, beyond the mentioned traditional values. At the level of Gorj County, this partial openness towards diversity can be explained through a long history of relocations in the communist period (at the level of our sample, about a quarter of the respondents are currently living in a locality different from their locality of origin – Graph 5), as well as through the recent external migration experiences (Graph 6). This aspect is also revealed by a series of additional analyses (statistical association tests). Thus, both the persons who have not lived their entire life in their locality and the persons who had a personal or family external migration experience consider such criteria as ”To have lived almost the entire life in Romania” less important in the definition of the national identity.

12 National identity and the Centenary of the Great Union Graph 4. Subjective definition of national identity [In your opinion, how important are the following aspects for somebody to be a „real Romanian”?]

Graph 5. History of living in the locality [How long have you been living in this locality? – re-codification]

Graph 6. Personal or family experiences regarding external migration [Which of the following statements fit your situation?]

National identity and the Centenary of the Great Union 13

2.3 Centenary of the Great Union For this theme we included three distinct questions in the study. The first one focuses on the respondents’ initial relation to the Centenary of the Great Union. The other two questions attempted to identify the respondents’ opinions on the types of events that should be organised and their interest to participate in events dedicated to the Centenary of the Great Union. In order to illustrate as well as possible the manner in which the respondents relate themselves to the theme of the Great Union Centenary, the first question within this section was an open-ended question (What is the first thing that comes to your mind when you hear the phrase ”Centenary of the Great Union”?). The received answers were then recoded into distinct answer categories, and six categories were obtained in the end: Mentioning the idea of union or Great Union; National identity elements; Temporal dimension of the Centenary; Festive elements (anniversary, celebration etc.); Feelings and values; Others (Graph 7). As some answers could be simultaneously included in two distinct categories, the data in the graph below present the percentages for the cumulation of all the answers received. The results show that 42% of the respondents associate the Centenary of the Great Union with the general idea of union (unification of the country, union, unity of the country, reunification etc.). When adding the 16% of the answers referring to the temporal dimension of the centenary (”100 years”, ”1918”, ”December 1st 1918”, ”anniversary of 100 years” etc.), we can notice that more than half of the answers received (58%) evoke at least one of the words included in the syntagm ”Centenary of the Great Union”. This direct semantic association is not found in the other answers received. Thus, 20% of the answers include elements of national identity (Alexandru Ioan Cuza5, Alba Iulia6, the history 5

Domnitor (Ruler) of the Romanian Principalities (1859-1862), after the Union of the Romanian Principalities of Moldavia and Wallachia, in 1859.

The ”Capital” of the Union of Transylvania with Romania, on December 1st 1918, which completed the ”Great Union”.

of the country, legends, the national anthem, the Union Hora7, flag, traditions etc.). Only 11% of the answers referred to festive elements (anniversary, events, celebration, festivity etc.), while 9% referred to feelings and values (such as love of sacrifice, pride, proud to be a Romanian, sacrifice, freedom, patriotism, past etc.). Two per cent of the answers fell in the category of Others. Graph 7. Relation to the Centenary of the Great Union [What is the first thing that comes to your mind when you hear the syntagm „Centenary of the Great Union”? – Cumulative percentages]

The second question included in this section aimed at identifying the preferences of the Gorj population regarding the types of events that could be organised on the occasion of the Great Union Centenary. Just as in the case of the previous section, we used an open-ended question and the answers received were subsequently grouped into five distinct categories (Festive events, Cultural and educational events, Commemorative events, Local or identity-related events; Others). In order to adequately harness the more complex answers, which could be included simultaneously in two or more categories of answers, the results were calculated by cumulating all the percentages obtained (Graph 8). 7 Hora – a type of circle dance originating in the Balkans

14 National identity and the Centenary of the Great Union Festive events (shows, fairs, concerts, musical events, festivities etc.) are by far the first in the hierarchy of preferences, being mentioned in 43% of the answers. They are followed by cultural and educational events, with 18% of the mentions. We notice here that, although a small part of the answers included relatively specific cultural activities (symposia, plays, exhibitions etc.), most mentions referred to the generic categories Cultural events and Educational events. This incurs that, although the people of Gorj show some interest in cultural and educational events, they might not know too well the specific activities that might cover this area of interest. This is the reason why they could have difficulties in identifying and subsequently participating in such activities. In order to address this issue, cultural services providers should not limit the promotion of cultural events to specific terms (”vernissage”, ”symposium” etc.), but they should also include elements of the common language. The third position in the ranking is occupied by commemorative events (parades, military parades, deposition of wreaths, commemorations etc.), which were mentioned in 11% of the answers. The local or identity-related events (Days of the Commune, Days of the Town, folk traditions, Sons of the Jiu8, local events, horas etc.) only take 6% of the total answers received, while the answer category Others included 7% of the mentions. We notice that 15% of the respondents did not express any preference for the types of events dedicated to the Centenary of the Great Union. On the other hand, we notice from Graph 9 that only 6% of the respondents stated they were interested to a very low extent in participating in the cultural events organised in the county on the occasion of the Great Union Centenary. Consequently, the respondents who did not express their preferences on the cultural events dedicated to the Centenary of the Great Union are not necessarily persons who do not want to participate in such events, but rather they do not have a clear option regarding the types of events they would like organised. 8 Jiu – river in the County of Gorj

The hierarchy of preferences pointed out in Graph 8 is maintained at the level of the various sub-groups of the sample, e.g. at the level of age categories, residence areas (rural / urban) or gender categories. The only noteworthy difference appears within the distribution by education level. Thus, people with higher education prefer festive events to a lower extent (33%) and they choose cultural and educational events (33%) or commemorative events (20%) to a higher extent compared to the overall distribution. Local or identity-related events scored percentages identical to the average of the total sample (6%). Despite this element of differentiation, the data suggest that the possible cultural events organised on the occasion of the Great Union Centenary should attempt to cover all the four types of events mentioned by the Gorj population (festive events, cultural and educational events, commemorative events and local or identity-related events). Graph 8. Preferences for the events dedicated to the Centenary of the Great Union [What type of events would you like to be organized in your locality on the occasion of the Great Union Centenary?]

The last question in this section is focused on respondents’ interest in participating in events dedicated to the Centenary

National identity and the Centenary of the Great Union 15 of the Great Union. Graph 9 suggests a relatively high interest, more than two thirds of the respondents stating that they are interested in participating in such events to a high extent (47%) or to a very high extent (24%). The same high level of interest is present both for the urban and for the rural population. Furthermore, in terms of interest in attending events, there are no differences between the female and the male respondents. On the other hand, the distribution depending on age shows a lower interest in participating in events dedicated to the Centenary of the Great Union among the elderly population (categories 50-64 years old and 65 years old and above). Thus, more than a third (36%) of the respondents aged above 50 are interested to a low and very low extent in participating in such events, while for the rest of the age intervals (18-29 years old, 30-39 years old, 40-49 years old), the non-interested persons represent approximately only a quarter of the total of the age group (Graph 10). At the same time, the interest in participating in cultural events is higher among the population with a higher level of education. Respondents with elementary education are interested to a high and very high extent in participating in a proportion of 64%, the respondents with medium education – in a proportion of 73% and the persons with higher education – in a proportion of 84% (Graph 11). Therefore, several conclusions can be drawn regarding the planning of the possible cultural events dedicated to the Centenary of the Great Union. Since there are no major differences in the county population’s preferences regarding

the preferred events, there is no need for too extended a diversification of the types of organised events, but only for a diversification of the activities within the events, in order to cover all the possible cultural interests specific to the county’s inhabitants. Secondly, it is necessary to facilitate the access to cultural events for the rural population (e.g. by organising events near localities, giving information on the programme of cultural events, transport facilities etc.). Furthermore, additional efforts are needed to stimulate the interest in attending organised events, particularly among the population aged above 50 and among the population with elementary or medium education. Graph 9. Interest in attending cultural events dedicated to the Centenary of the Great Union [Would you be interested in attending cultural events dedicated to the Centenary of the Great Union organised in your county?]

16 National identity and the Centenary of the Great Union Graph 10. Interest in attending cultural events dedicated to the Centenary of the Great Union, depending on age

Graph 11. Interest in attending cultural events dedicated to the Centenary of the Great Union, depending on education level

National identity and the Centenary of the Great Union 17

2.4 Definition of cultural identity in the county of Gorj Within this sub-theme, we aimed for the identification of the elements that best define the identity of Gorj county in the population’s opinion. In this respect we used an open-ended question and the operators were trained to write down all the received answers (aspects like names of local personalities, historical sites, elements of tangible or intangible heritage etc.). The answers were subsequently re-coded and thus six categories resulted, as presented in Graph 12. Similarly to the cases of the previously discussed open-ended questions, the results were calculated by cumulating all the answers received, including the answers that simultaneously fell into several categories. The data presented in Graph 12 show that the most important elements in the definition of Gorj county’s identity are represented by Constantin Brâncuşi and his sculptures. Thus, 75% of the answers referred either to Brâncuşi’s name, or to one of his works. The next category mentioned (with 11% of the answers) is related to elements of tangible cultural heritage (others than Brâncuşi’s sculptures: churches, monasteries, memorial houses, historical monuments etc.). The county’s natural heritage elements (for example, Cheile Sohodolului or Peştera Muierilor) were included in only 5% of the answers. Other 4% of the answers mentioned various names of personalities deemed representative for the county of Gorj (for example, Ecaterina Teodoroiu9 or Tudor Vladimirescu10). The elements of intangible heritage (taking the sheep down the mountain, traditional folk dances, culture etc.) represent only two per 9 Ecaterina Teodoroiu - Romanian woman who fought and died in World War I, and is regarded as a heroine of Romania. She was born in the village of Vădeni, Gorj County 10 Tudor Vladimirescu - Romanian revolutionary hero, born in Vladimiri, Gorj County. He was the leader of the Wallachian uprising of 1821 and of the Pandur militia

cent of the total answers received, while the category of Others included 3% of the answers. In an additional analysis, we built a socio-demographic profile of the respondents who consider Brâncuşi’s personality and sculptures as defining elements for the identity of the county of Gorj. The results show that there are no differences between this group of respondents and the rest of the population in terms of gender, age category, residence area (urban / rural) or education level. These results suggest that, beyond the fact that he is the most mentioned defining element for the county’s identity, Brâncuşi represents at the same time an identity element with an equivalent support within all social categories. Graph 12. Definition of the Gorj county identity [In your opinion, which of the following elements best defines the Gorj county identity?]

18 National identity and the Centenary of the Great Union

2.5 Protection of the built cultural heritage The two questions used within this theme were focused on the importance given to the protection of the built heritage and the identification of the benefits associated to this activity. The results included in Graph 13 show that 90% of the respondents deem the protection of the built cultural heritage Very important or Quite important, each of the two options recording 45% of the total answers received. As regards the benefits associated to the protection of the built cultural heritage (Graph 14), the first positions in the hierarchy of answers are taken by knowing the past (49%), preservation of identity and traditions (45%), tourism development (42%) and heritage for future generations (40%). The comparison of these results to those obtained at national level within the 2014 Cultural Consumption Barometer11 shows that the Gorj population is similar to the national population in terms of benefits associated to the protection of cultural heritage. However, the percentages reported at the level of Gorj are approximately 30-40 percentage points lower than the percentages reported at national level within the 2014 Cultural Consumption Barometer. Thus, we learn

11 A. Becuț, ‚The Built Cultural Heritage. An analysis of the population’s perception’, in C. Croitoru, A. Becuț (coord.), 2014 Cultural Consumption Barometer. Culture between Global and Local, Pro Universitaria, 2015, pp. 109-110.

that there is a significantly lower acknowledgement of the advantages of the built cultural heritage protection at the level of Gorj as compared to the national average. For this reason, in the future promotion / information programmes developed by the county’s cultural services providers, one of the dimensions could aim precisely at raising the population’s awareness on the positive impact that the protection of the built cultural heritage may have on the local development. Graph 13. Protection of the built cultural heritage [In your opinion, how important is the protection of the built cultural heritage of Gorj County?]

National identity and the Centenary of the Great Union 19 Graph 14. Benefits of protecting the cultural heritage [In your opinion, what are the benefits of protecting the built cultural heritage of Gorj County?]

20 National identity and the Centenary of the Great Union

2.6 Intangible heritage Within this theme we focused on three distinct dimensions regarding the intangible cultural heritage: the importance given to traditions and customs, the knowledge of the various elements of intangible heritage and the intergenerational transfer of the intangible heritage. The results included in Graph 15 show a very favourable attitude towards traditions and customs at the level of Gorj. Thus, 97% of the respondents believe that ”Traditions and customs have an important role in the Romanian society”, 92% believe that ”Observing the traditions and customs helps building a better future”, while 86% agree with the statement ”Customs and traditions are not sufficiently valued in Romania”. Nevertheless, we notice that these expressed attitudes are not conservative or extremist. Thus, 91% of the respondents state that ”The customs and traditions of all

cultures are important”, while 61% of the respondents accept that ”In some cases, the observance of certain traditions and customs hinders the development of the society”. The detailed analyses on age categories and residence areas (rural / urban) do not confirm the predicted trend, wherein the elderly rural population values traditions and customs to a greater extent. Although this can be noticed for some of the statements used, there are also statements of the young urban population giving a greater importance to traditions and customs as compared to the elderly rural population. For the providers of cultural services in the county of Gorj, these results suggest that there is a relatively large acceptance of the public for various approaches on traditions and customs. The events to be organised can explore various „cultural loans and” the use of traditions in a broader sense than the one delineated by conservative perspectives.

Graph 15. Attitudes towards traditions and customs [To what extent do you agree with the following statements…?]

National identity and the Centenary of the Great Union 21 Graph 16 presents elements of intangible cultural heritage, known at the county level. We notice that more than half of the respondents know traditional celebrations (61%), traditional folk songs (59%), traditional folk dances (58%) and specific customs (57%). To a lower, yet significant extent, traditional crafts (36%) and common idioms (35%) are known.

certain intangible heritage elements: organising cultural events mainly addressing the youth, focused on the direct promotion of the intangible heritage, alongside with events with an integrative approach, wherein the importance of the intergenerational transfer of the intangible cultural heritage would be promoted.

The analyses made by taking into consideration the residence area or level of education do not show significant differences regarding the known elements of intangible heritage. On the other hand, we notice significant differences in the distribution by age (Graph 17), where, for almost all the elements included in the questionnaire, the persons aged 18-29, 30-39 and 40-49 stated a lower level of knowledge as compared to the respondents aged 50 or above. The only exception in this respect is represented by traditional folk dances, where similar percentages were recorded for all age categories. The distribution by gender suggests that, for certain elements of intangible cultural heritage (specific customs, traditional celebrations, traditional songs and common idioms), women hold more knowledge than men, with differences varying between 5 and 8 percentage points.

Graph 16. Knowledge of several intangible cultural heritage elements [Considering the locality you are living in, do you knowâ&#x20AC;Ś? â&#x20AC;&#x201C; % Yes â&#x20AC;&#x201C; ]

Considering the generational differences previously pointed out, the cultural institutions of Gorj could adopt two complementary strategies for the promotion of

22 National identity and the Centenary of the Great Union Graph 17. Knowledge of several intangible cultural heritage elements, depending on age [– % Yes –]

As regards the intergenerational transmission, the intangible heritage elements most frequently learnt from parents, grandparents or other persons are Christmas carols (59%), traditional folk dances (49%), traditional folk songs (48%), proverbs (47%), fairy tales / legends (45%) – Graph 18. The additional analyses at the level of residence areas suggest that there are no differences between the inhabitants in rural areas and the inhabitants in urban areas. As regards the distribution by gender, the only significant difference is pointed out for the recipes of traditional dishes, where we can notice the presence of patriarchal gender roles (52% of women learnt recipes from previous generations, while only 25% of men did the same). The distribution by education level suggests a higher level of intergenerational transmission of the intangible heritage only for respondents with elementary education. These persons learnt from parents, grandparents or other persons such elements as fairy tales, ballads, traditional songs, traditional games, crafts, lore or traditional recipes to a greater extent. Similarly to the previous question, there are significant differences depending on the respondents’ age (Graph 19), as we notice a decrease of the transmission of intangible heritage elements to the younger generation. A possible explanation in this respect is given by the manner in which older generations valorise and decide to communicate further the intangible cultural heritage elements. By comparison to their parents and grandparents, the elderly in our sample mainly lived in periods when these cultural aspects were not sufficiently valorised (in the communist period, as well as in the transition period). This is precisely why, although they hold various pieces of knowledge of intangible heritage, the elderly do not deem them important cultural elements and they decide to pass them on to the future generations to a lower extent. Overall, the data suggest a relatively low general level of intergenerational transmission of the intangible heritage (only the category of Christmas carols scored a percentage higher than 50%). Moreover, we are assisting to a declining trend of cultural transmission for the age categories, which means that

National identity and the Centenary of the Great Union 23 in the future we can expect an even lower level of knowledge of the intangible heritage elements. In this context, the cultural and educational institutions should have an active role in promoting the elements of intangible cultural heritage. Graph 18. Transmission of intangible cultural heritage [Have you learnt any of the following from your parents / grandparents / other people of previous generations? â&#x20AC;&#x201C; % Da ]

Graph 19. Transmission of intangible cultural heritage, depending on age [First six mentions â&#x20AC;&#x201C; % Yes]

24 Non-public cultural consumption

3. Non-public cultural consumption In this section we present the main activities performed by respondents within their household. The level of nonpublic cultural consumption is an important indicator that helps us understand the people´s interests and consumption preferences. The results of this study are helpful in drawing up strategies and promotion directions, particularly from the viewpoint of the improvement of communication and of the visibility of public cultural institutions among the Gorj population. The non-public cultural consumption is most of the times higher than the public one. According to the data of the Cultural Consumption Barometer, at national level, most of the activities pertaining to the cultural consumption within the domestic space are allocated a larger spare-time budget as compared to the cultural consumption activities in the public space. The film, music or Internet consumption are the main cultural consumption activities preferred by people in the nonpublic space.

3.1 Radio consumption The consumption of radio among the Gorj population is high. More than half of the respondents stated they used the radio daily (33%) and weekly (26%) to listen to the news. At the level of the general Romanian population, radio consumption is lower than at the level of Gorj County.12 This aspect shows the higher interest of the Gorj population in this type of consumption, as compared to the interest manifested at national level.

12 Cultural Consumption Barometer, 2015, p. 78.

Graph 20. Frequency of radio use [In the last 12 months, how often have you used the radio?]

Although the majority of the Gorj inhabitants (54%) do not use the radio for cultural programmes, the radio is a source of cultural programmes for quite a large part of the respondents, who listen to such programmes daily (18%) and weekly (14%). Graph 21. Frequency of using the radio to listen cultural programmes [In the last 12 months, how often… have you used the radio to listen cultural programmes?]

Non-public cultural consumption 25 The radio is an information and entertainment source which the Gorj inhabitants use frequently. For example,

35% of the respondents use the radio daily to listen to music.

Graph 22. Frequency of using the radio to listen to music [In the last 12 months, how often… have you used the radio to listen to music?]

3.2 Music consumption As regards the music consumption, 30% of the respondents stated they had listened to music daily in the last 12 months,

while 19% of the county population performed this activity on a weekly basis.

Graph 23. Frequency of listening to music [In the last 12 months, how often… have you listen to music, in general (on the computer, radio etc.)?]

26 Non-public cultural consumption As regards the music genres preferred by the respondents, when asked to mentioned the main three music genres they listen to the most often, they mentioned traditional (folk) music on the first place. The second position in the top of preferences is taken by ethno music (modern folklore), while on the third position we find pop music. An explanation for the fact that traditional music is the most appreciated musical genre may be related to the preservation and promotion of traditional and local values within the Gorj communities.

Music genres preferred by the general population of Gorj

First mention / preference

Traditional (traditional folk music) – 56%

Second mention / preference

Ethno (modern folk music) – 24%

Third mention / preference

Romanian pop – 18%

3.3 TV programmes consumption As regards the consumption of TV programmes, 41% of the respondents stated they watched TV daily to see movies and serial movies. The same percentage of the population stated they used the TV daily to watch entertainment shows.

Graph 24. Frequency of watching TV [In the last 12 months, how often have you… watched TV?]

Non-public cultural consumption 27 Graph 25. Frequency of watching TV to see entertainment shows [In the last 12 months, how often have you watched TV... to see entertainment shows?]

The TV is a daily source of news and updates for 69% of the respondents, while 21% stated they used the TV to watch cultural programmes. Both the radio and the TV are important sources used by the Gorj inhabitants to get informed or to access the desired programmes or shows daily. It is interesting to highlight the medium level of consumption of cultural programmes and shows. This translates through the populationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s interest in this type of productions (cultural shows).

Graph 26. Frequency of watching TV for the news [In the last 12 months, how often have you watched TV... for the news?]

Graph 27. Frequency of watching TV to see cultural programmes [In the last 12 months, how often have you watched TV... to see cultural programmes?]

28 Non-public cultural consumption

3.4â&#x20AC;&#x201A; Consumption of written culture In the last 12 months, 31% of the respondents have never read printed newspapers, while 15% have read printed newspapers on a weekly basis. A quarter of the respondents have read less frequently, while 8% have read daily. Printed newspapers are no longer the main source of information for the general population of the country, either. The main reasons are related to the development of technology and the shift of productions to the online environment, in digital format.

Graph 29. Frequency of reading magazines in paper format [In the last 12 months, how often have you read... magazines in paper format?]

Graph 28. Frequency of reading newspapers in paper format [In the last 12 months, how often have you read... newspapers in paper format?] Almost half of the respondents have never read books in the last 12 months, 20% have read more rarely and only 10% have read monthly. At the level of Gorj county, the percentage of those who have not read at all in the last year is higher than the country average. The percentage of those who read several times a year is 21% nationwide and 12% in Gorj. The statistical weight of those with a regular reading behaviour is lower in Gorj than in the rest of the country. Graph 30. Frequency of reading books (in general) [In the last 12 months, how often have you read... books (in general)?]

As regards the reading of printed magazines, the situation is similar to that of the printed newspapers. In this case, 47% of the respondents stated they had never read printed magazines in the last 12 months and only 25% stated they read more rarely.

Non-public cultural consumption 29

3.5 Internet consumption and access to Internet services As regards the access to the new technologies, the Internet is one of the IT services with the highest degree of dissemination at national level. At the level of the Gorj population, 43% of the respondents stated they had a fixed Internet connection, while 43% stated they neither had, nor used one. In the county of Gorj, the percentage of persons owning a fixed connection is lower than the country average. This shows that the infrastructure that provides data network coverage is more deficient in Gorj than in Romania overall. The national average of respondents who have an Internet connection is 56%.13 Graph 31. Respondents’ access to fixed Internet connection (example: on the personal computer / laptop) [Do you have a fixed internet connection at home, in your household?]

A similar percentage state they had and used a mobile data connection. The trend of the last year is for people to use the Internet on mobile devices more and more often, due to the flexibility and portability this type of connection offers. Thus, the access to the desired information and materials is much easier. 13 2016 Cultural Consumption Barometer An in-depth analysis of the cultural consumption practices’, Pro Universitaria, 2017, Bucharest, p 83.

Graph 32. Respondents’ access to mobile data connection (3G, 4G on the phone, tablet etc.) [Do you have a mobile data connection (3G, 4G on the phone, tablet etc.), in your household?]

The Internet is most frequently used to access social networks like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram etc. (76% daily) and 71% of the respondents stated they used the Internet to communicate daily with their families or friends. The music consumption takes place online for 38% of the respondents, while 29% of them watch movies or serial movies on the Internet. The Internet is less used for activities like reading / downloading / using documents / archives / books in digital format from a library or to access sites with movie / shows / concerts archives. An explanation for the low percentages of people who use the email service might be related to the level of digital and technological literacy of the Gorj population. In this respect, local institutions should consider the manner in which the population uses and understands technology. It is possible that a series of local projects or programmes of promotion and familiarisation with the digital services (provided by libraries or museums, for instance) have positive effects on the level of people’s interaction with other digital services or products than the social networks and online platforms for communication or entertainment.

30 Non-public cultural consumption Table 1. Frequency of Internet use for various activities Daily

Weekly

Monthly

Several times a year

More rarely

Never

1. For Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or other social networks

76%

13%

2. For communication with family or friends

71%

13%

3. For searching information to help you at work or in your career

18%

14%

24%

22%

4. For email

13%

20%

12%

16%

30%

5. For reading online newspapers or magazines

13%

12%

18%

40%

6. For listening to online music

38%

20%

15%

12%

7. For watching online movies or serial movies

12%

29%

13%

19%

14%

60%

13%

17%

11%

18%

34%

10. For virtual museum tours

73%

11. For visiting theatresâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; sites

10%

74%

12. For visiting cinemasâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; sites

13%

66%

13. For reading / downloading / using documents / archives / books in digital format from a library

72%

14. For accessing sites with movie / shows / concerts archives

10%

68%

15. For searching information on cultural events (programmes of theatres, cinemas, museums, shows etc.)

16%

62%

16. For searching travel information / tickets / offers (trips, holidays, travel packages)

20%

24%

45%

17. For watching online concerts / shows (e.g. YouTube)

11%

14%

13%

47%

18. For reading specialised / scientific books or articles

12%

64%

19. For watching / downloading hobby materials (online documentaries, articles, books)

14%

58%

8. For blogs / vlogs or forums 9. For watching news or other informative shows

Non-public cultural consumption 31

3.6 Access of the Gorj population to domestic infrastructure

Graph 34. Population’s access to a laptop [Do you currently have in your household… a laptop?]

The domestic infrastructure is a very important aspect in understanding how people consume cultural services and goods. At present, 26% of the county’s inhabitants own a (desktop) computer, while 30% have a laptop in their household – less than the national average. At national level, 45% of Romanians own a computer, while 37%14 have a laptop in their household. The percentage differences between the national level and the county of Gorj are not very high, which means that the Gorj inhabitants are interested in using technology to the same extent as the national average. Graph 33. Population’s access to computer (desktop PC) [Do you currently have in your household… a computer (desktop PC)?]

Half of the respondents own a normal-screen TV set in their household, while 46% own a flat-screen TV. The percentage of those who own a normal-screen TV is declining at national level, and the percentage of those who own more technologically-advanced TV sets is rising. At the level of Gorj, the percentage of those who own LCD, plasma or LED TVs is similar to the national average, as the difference is small (55% at national level). This shows a higher level of interest in the new technologies and in more advanced devices. Graph 35. Population’s access to a normal screen TV set [Do you currently have in your household… a normal screen TV set?]

14 ’2016 Cultural Consumption Barometer An in-depth analysis of the cultural consumption practices’, Pro Universitaria, 2017, Bucharest, p 83.

32 Non-public cultural consumption Graph 36. Population’s access to a flat screen TV set (LCD, plasma, LED) [Do you currently have in your household… a flat screen TV set?]

general trend to replace the old technologies with new ones, therefore the percentage of those who do not own such a device has been continually decreasing in the last years. In this case, the Gorj inhabitants are as interested in this type of technological device as the average national population. There are no significant differences, because at national level the percentage of those who own a smartphone is similar to the county of Gorj (49% at national level).15 Graph 38. Population’s access to a smartphone [Do you currently have in your household… a smartphone?]

Furthermore, the percentage of the population that has access to services related to devices is significant. More than half (63%) of the respondents have access to TV cable at home. Graph 37. Population’s access to TV cable [Do you currently have in your household… TV cable?]

The percentage of those who own a smartphone at present is almost half. In this case, too, a possible explanation is the

15 ’2016 Cultural Consumption Barometer An in-depth analysis of the cultural consumption practices’, Pro Universitaria, 2017, Bucharest.

Cultural consumption and participation in leisure activities in the public space in the county of Gorj 33

4. Cultural consumption and participation in leisure activities in the public space in the county of Gorj Through the analysis of the cultural consumption in the public space, we shall monitor the types of cultural consumption and recreational activities performed outside the household, i.e. outside the private space of an individual. These consumption types are not strictly defined by the free access (for some events, the access is ticket-based) and neither are they performed only in public cultural institutions (e.g. theatre, library etc.), but they also take place in private spaces (e.g. cinema or shopping centre). For the comparison of the data obtained for the county of Gorj with the data at national level, we shall use the classification of the forms of participation in cultural and leisure activities in the public space advanced in the chapter Forms of participation in cultural and leisure activities in the public space of the 2016 Cultural Consumption Barometer. An in-depth analysis of the cultural consumption practices16, as follows: Table 2. Classification of the forms of participation in cultural and leisure activities in the public space General category

Forms of participation in cultural activities

Subcategory Participation in cultural performances Consumption of cultural institutions’ products/services

Activities – theatre – classical music – ballet – going to the library to read – visiting art museums – visiting art galleries – visiting historical monuments

16 ’2016 Cultural Consumption Barometer An in-depth analysis of the cultural consumption practices’, Pro Universitaria, 2017, Bucharest.

General category

Forms of participation in entertainment and relaxation activities

Subcategory

Activities

Participation in passive consumption activities

– cinema – spectator at sports competitions – music / entertainment shows – jazz music concerts

Participation in active consumption activities

– going to the mall (for shopping, games, movies, restaurants) – going to the disco / club – going to restaurants / bars / cafés (not in malls)

Forms of participation in community activities Forms of participation in activities that require an active lifestyle

– going to church – participation in local celebrations / events (days of the town / commune) – going to parks, green areas – trips outside the locality – going to the gym (fitness)

4.1 Forms of participation in cultural activities In the analysis of the cultural consumption practices from the previous year, we notice that a significant percentage of respondents from the Gorj County have never participated in cultural activities in the last year. As regards the participation in cultural performances, most of the respondents have been to theatre in the last year: 32% of the inhabitants of Târgu Jiu and 15% of the inhabitants of Gorj County (see Graph 39). Thus, the participation in this type of events is mainly an occasional activity, not one integrated within the current practices of the majority of respondents.

34 Cultural consumption and participation in leisure activities in the public space in the county of Gorj Graph 39. Participation in cultural performances [In the last 12 months, how many times…?] (percentages in the graph represent the „yes” answers)

Graph 40. Consumption of cultural institutions’ services [In the last 12 months, how many times…?] (percentages in the graph represent the „yes” answers)

It is important to notice that the segments of theatre and classical music consumers in Târgu Jiu are similar to the values recorded at national level in 2016.17 Furthermore, the analysis of the consumption of services of the cultural institutions of the county reveals that the consumption level for some services / products of the cultural institutions is also low. More precisely, the visiting of museums, art galleries and going to the library to read are rare practices among the inhabitants of Gorj County (see Graph 40). However, the percentage of those who have visited historical monuments stands out, which can be explained through the existence of the Constantin Brâncuşi Sculptural Ensemble in Târgu Jiu. Located in the centre of the town, the ensemble stretching between the Public Garden and the Park of the Column is easily accessible to the wide public. It is due to the location of the four sculptures that their visiting can be associated to the recreational and leisure activities: walking in the park. 17’2016 Cultural Consumption Barometer An in-depth analysis of the cultural consumption practices’, Pro Universitaria, 2017, Bucharest, p 133.

4.2 Forms of participation in entertainment and leisure activities The entertainment and leisure activities are divided into two categories. The first one refers to activities wherein the effort required for their practice is low:18 attending sports competitions as a spectator, attending music and entertainment shows, watching movies at the cinema theatre. The second category includes activities that require an active consumption: going to malls, to restaurants / bars / cafés, going to discos / clubs. The analysis of the answers reveals a relatively moderate degree of participation in recreational activities in the public space in Gorj County (see Graphs 41 and 42). However, the percentages are higher than those recorded in 2016 at 18 ’2016 Cultural Consumption Barometer An in-depth analysis of the cultural consumption practices’, Pro Universitaria, 2017, Bucharest, p 137.

Cultural consumption and participation in leisure activities in the public space in the county of Gorj 35 national level: cinema (33%), music / entertainment shows (43%), sports competitions (29%).19 Graph 41. Participation in activities that require a receptive consumption [In the last 12 months, how many times…?] (percentages in the graph represent the „yes” answers)

It is interesting to notice that for the inhabitants of Târgu Jiu the frequency of going to the cinema (47%) is relatively similar to the frequency of participation in entertainment shows (52%).

4.3 Forms of participation in community activities Going to church and participating in local celebrations and events (days of the town / commune) do not require a longterm active engagement, but they have a role in the creation of social cohesion and in the affirmation of local culture. What especially draws our attention is the big difference between the degree of participation in local celebrations and events recorded at national level (52%) and the one resulted from the analysis on the Gorj sample. Graph 43. Forms of participation in community-related activities [In the last 12 months, how many times…?] (percentages in the graph represent the „yes” answers)

Graph 42. Participation in activities that require an active consumption [In the last 12 months, how many times…?] (percentages in the graph represent the „yes” answers)

In order to analyse and describe the recreational practices with an active or sportive component, we considered the following activities: walking in the park, going on trips and fitness practice. 19 ’2016 Cultural Consumption Barometer An in-depth analysis of the cultural consumption practices’, Pro Universitaria, 2017, Bucharest, p 139.

36 Cultural consumption and participation in leisure activities in the public space in the county of Gorj Graph 44. Forms of participation that require an active lifestyle [In the last 12 months, how many times…?] (percentages in the graph represent the „yes” answers)

In this respect, we chose as an example the public who has participated in theatre performances, who visited historical monuments, who saw at least one movie at the cinema and who participated in local celebrations. Thus, the analysis showed that: •

the respondents who have seen at least one theatre performance in the last year are mainly urban (69%) young (49%) people aged between 18 and 29;

•

the respondents who have watched a movie at the cinema at least once in the last year are mainly urban (67%) young people (47% of them are aged between 18 and 29), most of them are not in a couple (46%) and over 60% are employed;

•

the respondents who have visited historical monuments at least once in the last year mainly live in urban areas (54%), are between 18 and 29 years old (29%) and 40-49 years old (23%) and married (56%);

•

the distribution of respondents who have attended at least one local celebration in the last year by age categories is more uniform than in the other cases (see the table).

4.4 Profiles and types of public In the analysis of the forms of participation in cultural activities an important role is played by the differentiation of the types of public by socio-demographic variables: age, education level, gender, occupation, marital status etc. Table 3. Distribution of answers by age categories Watching movies at the cinema

Watching theatre performances

Visiting historical monuments

Participation in local celebrations and events

18-29 years old

49%

47%

29%

26%

30-39 years old

21%

18%

14%

16%

40-49 years old

17%

13%

23%

21%

50-64 years old

12%

19%

21%

65 years old and above

11%

15%

16%

Watching movies at the cinema

Watching theatre performances

Visiting historical monuments

Not in a relationship

46%

48%

38%

Married

42%

39%

56%

In a relationship, but not married

12%

13%

Table 4. Distribution of answers by marital status

Cultural consumption and participation in leisure activities in the public space in the county of Gorj 37

4.5 Top of cultural institutions attended

Cultural Agenda20, the cultural events of 2017 are divided into several main categories:

The top of cultural institutions attended is different from the top of cultural consumption practices. While at Gorj level most of the institutions are attended to a lower extent (per cents between 3% and 7%), at the level of Târgu Jiu the following institutions stand out: „Elvira Godeanu” Drama Theatre (16%), Children’s Palace (14%) and the cinema theatre within the Shopping City centre (13%). Table 5. Top of cultural institutions attended at the level of the county of Gorj and of the town of Târgu Jiu No

Which of the following cultural institutions in Gorj County have you attended at least once in the last 12 months?

Gorj County

Târgu Jiu

’’Elvira Godeanu” Drama Theatre

16%

County Centre for the Preservation and Promotion of National Culture

Traditional folk ensemble ’’Doina Gorjului’’

County Library ’’Christian Tell’’, Gorj

Children’s Palace

14%

Cinema theatre within the ’’Shopping City Târgu Jiu’’

13%

Gorj County Museum ’’Alexandru Ștefulescu’’

People’s Art School of Târgu Jiu

Youth Culture House Gorj, Târgu Jiu

Traditional folk ensemble ’’Maria Lătăreţu”

Centre for Research, Documentation and Promotion „Constantin Brâncuşi”

’’Sergiu Nicolaescu” Cinema theatre

’’Lira Gorjului” Chamber Orchestra

The events organised by the public cultural institutions in Gorj County are uniformly distributed across a calendar year and are characterised by diversity. Most of the times they are the result of a collaboration effort, by following up a partnership between several institutions. According to the

1. Performing arts – theatre performances, theatre festivals, puppets theatre; 2. Visual Arts – painting, photo, caricature exhibitions, plastic arts camps; 3. Literature, books, printings, humorous works – reading contests, book launches, public readings, symposia; 4. Music and concert festivals – educational, religious, pop music and romanza concerts etc.; 5. Musical and choreographic folklore – folklore and traditional folk music festivals; 6. Activities of research, preservation and promotion of traditions and traditional customs; 7. Traditional crafts and handicrafts – exhibitions, fairs, contests; 8. National and international celebrations – historical evocations and symposia, archaeology, photodocumentary exhibitions; 9. Religious and secular community celebrations – Nedei21, church patrons’ celebrations and fairs; anniversaries, meetings of the sons of the village, days of the locality; 10. Brâncuşi heritage – activities of learning the significations of the Brâncuşi Ensemble of Târgu Jiu; events to nationally and internationally promote the Brâncuşi Ensemble and the town of Târgu Jiu as a tourist destination: round tables, working meetings with various categories of public, thematic exhibitions of sculpture, painting, graphics, drawing, photography; book launches; concerts; conferences on Brancusian themes; 20 http://www.cjgorj.ro/Date%20site/Info%20Cultural/Agenda%20 culturala%202017.pdf 21 Traditional rustic festivity of pastoral origin.

38 Cultural consumption and participation in leisure activities in the public space in the county of Gorj 11. 2017 – Centenary of Ecaterina Teodoroiu – the Heroine of Jiu;

Table 6. Top of participation in cultural events at the level of Târgu Jiu

12. Methodical activities of ongoing and non-formal education. In the top of cultural events most often mentioned by the Târgu Jiu respondents there are festivals organised by the most attended public cultural institutions: the ”Elvira Godeanu” Drama Theatre and the Children›s Palace. Thus, the National Folk and Pop Music Festival ”Coloana Infinitului” was mentioned by 12% of the respondents. Initiated in 2009 and organised by the Children’s Palace, in partnership with the Gorj County Centre for the Preservation and Promotion of National Culture and the People’s Art School, this event takes place in the month of May and is dedicated to children and youth between 6 and 19 years old, promoting young soloists and instrumentalists.22 Another important cultural event mentioned by respondents (11%) is Elvira Godeanu Days. National Theatre Festival, organised by Elvira Godeanu Drama Theatre, also in May. Being also a traditional event, the festival brings to the public’s attention both performances of the current season of the Elvira Godeanu Drama Theatre and performances invited from other theatre institutions of the country.23 The International Day of the Traditional Romanian Blouse is next (10%); it is an event that consists in organising traditional costumes exhibitions, parades, photo albums launches etc. The last edition took place in June 2017. Of the rural events, St. Elijah’s ”Nedeia” of Polovragi is the best known among the Târgu Jiu respondents (9%). Believed to be the biggest traditional products fair and taking place on the 20th of July, Nedeia of Polovragi dates back as early as the 17th century.24

Which of the following events have you attended in the last 12 months in Gorj County or in Târgu Jiu City? (inhabitants of Târgu Jiu) 1

National Pop and Folk Music Festival ”Coloana Infinitului’’ (”The Endless Column”)

12%

Elvira Godeanu Days. National Theatre Festival

11%

International Day of the Romanian Traditional Blouse

10%

St. Elijah’s ”Nedeia” of Polovragi

Festival of the Gorj Traditional Song, Dance and Costume, Tismana

National Ballad and Folk Festival ’’Poarta Sărutului’’ (”The Gate of the Kiss”)

Day of National Culture

GorjFest. International Visual Arts Festival

Sons of Gorj – Coming back home

Festival of the Romanian Traditional Song ’’Maria Latarețu’’

National Dance Festival ’’Prin dans spre infinit’’ (”Through Dance to Infinity”)

International Folklore Festival ’’Acasă la Brâncuși’’ (”At Brâncuşi’s Place”)

Romanian Craftsmen’s Fair

National Gymnastics and Dance Festival ’’Măiastra’’ (’’Enchanted Bird”)

Inter-County Festival of Pastoral Folklore ’’Urcatul oilor la munte’’ (”Taking the sheep up the mountain”)

National Week of Libraries

International Caricature Salon, Târgu Jiu

Brâncuşi’s Lands. Traditional Music Contest-Festival for the People’s Art Schools

International Brancusian Sculpture Symposium

22 http://www.radiocraiova.ro/festivalul-national-coloana-infinitului/ 23 https://elviragodeanu.wordpress.com/ 24 http://www.igj.ro/social/nedeia-de-sf-ilie-de-la-polovragi-afla-programul-

manifestarilor.html

Cultural consumption and participation in leisure activities in the public space in the county of Gorj 39

4.6 Information sources An important role in the analysis of the cultural consumption practices in the public space is played by the sources of information used by the public, because the consumption also depends on the degree of information and promotion attained by the organising institutions. As regards the information sources used, the traditional mass media remain the main channel preferred by the inhabitants of Gorj County, being mentioned in 42% of the cases, while 41% mentioned friends, 38% - posters and 31% - the Internet. Graph 45. Information sources [What sources of information do you use for the cultural events that you attend in Gorj County?]

4.7 Growth of the cultural consumption in the public space It is important to learn what would make the respondents increase their frequency of participation in cultural events. More spare time is the main motivation pointed out by the respondents of Gorj County for their increased engagement in cultural activities (29%; 33% for Târgu Jiu), while a percentage of 39% of the Târgu Jiu respondents mentioned the scheduling of the shows at more accessible hours and 31% - knowing the show schedule on a long term (see Graph 46). Furthermore, approximately 20% of the participants in the survey believe that there is a need for a better promotion of the shows and for promotional tickets (including lower fees for subscription). As far as the facilities provided by the public institutions are concerned, 20% of the Târgu Jiu respondents mentioned the need for near-by free parking.

40 Cultural consumption and participation in leisure activities in the public space in the county of Gorj Graph 46. Growth of the public cultural consumption [What would make you go to shows / events in Gorj County more often?]

Cultural consumption and participation in leisure activities in the public space in the county of Gorj 41 On the other hand, according to the answers to the question ”If the authorities in your locality (town/village hall and local council) benefited from more money in the budget, which of the following fields would you like this additional money to be invested in the most?”, the Gorj inhabitants do not prioritise for their community such aspects as organising cultural events, investments in the recreational infrastructure or the building of a multifunctional centre, but they do prioritise the repair / upgrade of dispensaries or hospitals in the locality, organising professional training programmes for the unemployed or the repair / upgrade of schools or high schools in the locality (see Table 7). Table 7. Respondents’ perception on the fields of investments from the state budget If the authorities in your locality (town/village hall and local council) benefited from more The The money in the budget, which of the following most least fields would you like this additional money to be invested in the most? And the least?

These results are in accordance with the analysis described in Table 8, which sums the average of the grades given by respondents depending on their satisfaction with various social aspects. The Medical system (hospitals, dispensaries), the Public education system and the Green spaces and parks record low scores. Respondents’ satisfaction How satisfied are you, personally, with the following aspects of life in the locality you are living in? Please grade from 1 to 10, where 1 means „totally unsatisfied” and 10 means „totally satisfied”

Average

Situation of historical buildings (aspect, maintenance)

Prices of cultural events or activities available for the wide public

Diversity of cultural events or activities available for the wide public

8.6

Situation of the buildings outside the locality centre (in the neighbourhoods, for example: aspect, maintenance)

8.4

Number of cultural events that take place outside the locality centre (in the neighbourhoods, for example)

7.9

Repair / upgrade of dispensaries or hospitals in the locality

30%

Situation of public spaces (public squares, pedestrian areas etc)

7.4

Repair / upgrade of the schools or high schools in the locality

13%

7.4

Professional training programmes for the unemployed

17%

Situation of social services (for example: care services for disabled and elderly persons, support services for economically-challenged people etc.)

Organising cultural events

17%

Personal safety when you are out (in the street, when shopping etc.)

7.2

Building a multifunctional cultural centre

13%

Investments in transport infrastructure

Public transport system

7.2

Investments in recreational infrastructure

13%

Facilities for practising sports and physical recreation activities (e.g. sports rooms / fields)

7.1

Investments in cultural infrastructure (museums, exhibitions, performance halls)

Sistemul public de transport în comun

6.9

Facilities for cultural activities (museums, libraries, performance halls, cinemas etc.)

6.8

Protection, preservation or rehabilitation of the historical buildings, monuments, archaeological sites, fortresses

Investments in tourism infrastructure

Building children’s parks and playgrounds

Adjusting the infrastructure for disabled people

Situation of streets (their maintenance)

6.7

Creating socialisation spaces for the elderly

Creating children’s and youth’s creation spaces

Green spaces and parks

6.2

Non-answer

15%

Medical system (hospitals, dispensaries)

6.0

42 Peopleˊs Art School

5. Peopleˊs Art School This section is dedicated to the analysis of the reputation of the People’s Art School and of the profile of the respondents who have heard about the People’s Art School. Furthermore, we shall present the most desirable training courses which people wish to attend, as well as the main aspects that matter when people choose to attend a training course.

Graph 47. Reputation of the Târgu Jiu People’s Art School [Have you ever heard of the Târgu Jiu People’s Art School?]

A high percentage (70%) of the Gorj County inhabitants have heard about the People’s Art School, which shows that the institution is well-known among the population. Regardless of their participation in a training course or in an event organised by the School, the percentage of those who know the institution shows a high level of reputation. As regards the main courses that people would like to attend, the first position is taken by the traditional weaving course. On the next three positions the respondents mentioned

canto courses (traditional music, classical music, pop music). The last position in the top of respondents’ preferences is occupied by acting classes.

Figure 1. Top courses with the highest level of attractiveness (at the level of the entire sample)

Peopleˊs Art School 43 As regards the most important aspects that matter when people choose a training course, the quality of the services provided comes first. The price is on the second position, while

the spaces and the time of the courses are the third in the top of aspects taken into account for the attendance or nonattendance of a course.

Graph 48. The most important aspects of a training course (percentages in the graph represent the „yes” answers)

5.1 Profile of respondents among whom the People’s Art School is known The profile presented below was made by taking into consideration the respondents who stated that they had

heard about the People’s Art School and its activity. The cases with affirmative answers were selected. In general, the person who presents the highest potential to be receptive to the activities performed by the People’s Art School is at least 40 years old, female, equally living in urban and rural areas, has medium education at least, and at present is active in the labour market. In terms of cultural consumption activities and

44 Peopleˊs Art School preferences, they rather prefer performing arts events. In the domestic space, they frequently use the radio to listen to music or to get informed on the local or national events. In terms of music preferences, they mostly listen to traditional folk, ethno or Romanian pop music. They generally appreciate Romanian music productions. They use the Internet daily to access social networks and to communicate with family or friends. They don’t

use the email service very often. Of the consumption activities within the domestic space, they rather prefer music than films. As a matter of fact, they don’t attend the cinema theatre very often. They rather prefer open-air, open-space activities. They regularly go to cafés, bars and restaurants and attend malls several times a month.

•

Aged between 40 and 65

•

Married

•

Woman

•

High school and higher education

•

Employed, full-time

•

Lives in urban, as well as rural areas

•

Mainly prefers the consumption of events in the category of performing arts

•

In the last 12 months has used the radio on a daily basis to listen to music or to the news

•

Watches TV daily to see movies, movie series or entertainment shows or news

•

In the last 12 months has watched TV daily to see cultural shows

•

Consumes music most often and reads more rarely

•

Listens to traditional folk, ethno and Romanian pop music most often

•

Uses the Internet daily to navigate on social networks and to communicate with their family, less frequently for the email service.

•

Uses the Internet to watch shows and concerts on YouTube

•

Is not a consumer of movies in a movie theatre

•

Takes walks in parks, green spaces, gardens

•

Goes to the mall once every couple of weeks

•

Attends cafés, bars, restaurants

•

Has gone dancing several times in the last 12 months

Conclusions 45

6. Conclusions 6.1 National identity and the Centenary of the Great Union ¾¾ From the (sub)national self-identification viewpoint, the majority of the Gorj population deem the local, county and national identities more important than the identity associated to the historical region (Oltenia). At the same time, three quarters of the respondents define their county’s identity through Constantin Brâncuși and his works. ¾¾ Although they consider traditions and customs important, the Gorj inhabitants do not relate to these elements in a conservative manner exclusively. The respondents showed a high level of acceptance of other cultures’ traditions and customs. This is why this cultural openness could be valorised at the level of the events and activities organised by the county’s cultural institutions. ¾¾ There is a relatively high interest in the participation in cultural events dedicated to the Centenary of the Great Union, as more than two thirds of the respondents stated they were interested or very interested to participate. As regards the types of preferred events, the respondents mainly mentioned festive events, cultural and educational events and commemorative events. In order to respond to the different cultural interests of respondents in various social groups, the additional analyses show that there is no need to organise multiple distinct events, a diversification of the cultural events included in the Great Union Centenary events being sufficient, alongside with a facilitation of access to such events for the inhabitants in the rural space.

¾¾ Even though they give a high importance to the protection of the built cultural heritage, the Gorj population knows the benefits associated to this activity to a lower extent than the national population. Therefore, the cultural information or promotion campaigns of the county institutions should aim for the growth of the awareness on the benefits associated to the protection of the built cultural heritage. ¾¾ At the level of the Gorj population we notice a decrease of the transmission of intangible heritage elements from older to younger generations. This is why the county’s cultural and educational institutions should remedy this decline by actively promoting the elements of intangible cultural heritage.

6.2 Non-public cultural consumption ¾¾ The radio consumption among the population of Gorj is high. More than half of the respondents use the radio daily or weekly to listen to the news. The radio is among the most important sources of information and entertainment frequently used by the inhabitants of Gorj. ¾¾ The music genre preferred by respondents is traditional (folk) music. ¾¾ As regards the consumption of TV programmes, the respondents watch TV daily to see movies and serial movies. ¾¾ The TV is a daily source of access to news and updates. Reading is not one of the preferred activities of the Gorj inhabitants. Almost half of the respondents have never read books in the last 12 months.

46 Conclusions ¾¾ As regards the access to new technologies, the Internet is one of the IT services with the highest degree of dissemination at national level. ¾¾ As regards the use of Internet for various activities, the highest frequency is recorded for the access of social networks like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram etc. ¾¾ Most of the Gorj inhabitants have heard about the People’s Art School. Those who would like to attend a course would mainly choose the traditional weaving and canto courses.

6.3 Cultural consumption and participation in leisure activities in the public space in the county of Gorj ¾¾ Overall, it is important to highlight the existence of a series of differences between the results recorded at the level of Târgu Jiu City and those recorded for the county sample. Thus, the inhabitants of the county-residence city scored a higher degree of participation in cultural and leisure activities in the public space. ¾¾ In accordance with the results recorded at national level, the degree of participation in community activities at the level of Târgu Jiu is higher than the degree of participation in cultural or entertainment activities. Furthermore, the degree of participation in activities requiring an active lifestyle is superior both to the degree of participation in entertainment and leisure activities, and to the degree of participation in cultural activities.

¾¾ The cultural institutions that stand out in the top of respondents’ preferences at the level of Târgu Jiu are the „Elvira Godeanu” Drama Theatre (16%), the Children’s Palace (14%) and the Cinema Theatre within the „Shopping City” Centre (13%). ¾¾ According to the results of the analysis, the events organised by the public cultural institutions of the county of Gorj do not have a significant nominal reputation among the inhabitants. This aspect could be changed through more intense promotion campaigns made by the county’s institutions.

Bibliography: Agenda Culturala 2017, Gorj County Council, http://www. cjgorj.ro/Date%20site/Info%20Cultural/Agenda%20 culturala%202017.pdf (accessed on 12 December 2017). A. Becuț, ’The Built Cultural Heritage. An analysis of the population’s perception’, in C. Croitoru, A. Becuț (coord.), 2014 Cultural Consumption Barometer. Culture between Global and Local, Pro Universitaria, 2015, pp. 99-138. Billiet, J., ‘Questions about National, Subnational and Ethnic Identity’. European Social Survey, [website], 2007, http:// www.europeansocialsurvey.org/docs/methodology/core_ ess_questionnaire/ESS_core_questionnaire_national_ ethnic_identity.pdf, (accessed on 12 December 2017). European Values Study 2008: Romania (EVS 2008). GESIS Data Archive, Cologne. ZA4773 Data file Version 1.1.0, doi:10.4232/1.10168. Despoiu, A-M., Matei, S. ’Forms of Participation in Cultural and Recreational Activities in the Public Space’ in Croitoru C., Becuț, A. (coord.), ’2016 Cultural Consumption Barometer An in-depth analysis of the cultural consumption practices’, Pro Universitaria, 2017, Bucharest, pp. 129-165.

ANNEX 47

7. ANNEX Graph 49. Frequency of watching movies on DVD / Blu-ray [In the last 12 months, how often have you watched movies on DVD / Blu-ray?]

Graph 50. . Frequency of playing video games on computer / laptop [In the last 12 months, how often have you played video games on computer / laptop?]

Graph 51. Populationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s access to a digital photo camera [Do you currently have in your householdâ&#x20AC;Ś a digital photo camera?]

Research report Focus group Titlul lucrării care va fi People’s Art School of Tg. Jiu secțiune în carte Ediția 2017 Author: Ioana Ceobanu Autori: Autor Unu, Autor Doi, Autor Trei

NATIONAL INSTITUTE for Cultural Research and Training

Content 1. Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 2. Research context . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 3. Research methodology .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55

4. Main results . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 4.1 Analysis of the participants’ profile . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57

5. Main characteristics of the participants in the focus group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58 6. Participants’ interaction with the people’s art school’s services .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59

6.1 General characterisation of the People’s Art School . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 6.2 Level of satisfaction with the People’s Art School. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 6.3 What would the People’s Art School’s beneficiaries and non-beneficiaries like to attend in the future? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61 6.4 Measurement and identification of the most important organisational aspects of the People’s Art School . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62

7. Participants’ expectations and recommendations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63 8. Description of the People’s Art School’s image and position . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64 9. Perceived profile of the beneficiary and of the non-beneficiary from the viewpoint of the participants in the focus group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66 10. Conclusions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68

Introduction 53

1. Introduction This report represents the identification and analysis of the beneficiaries and non-beneficiaries of the cultural services provided by the People’s Art School of Tg. Jiu (Gorj). This report supports the understanding of the beneficiaries’ and non-beneficiaries’ profiles as regards the cultural services and events provided by the People’s Art School, because this institution has never benefited from an in-depth, detailed analysis of its beneficiaries or position among the specialised public institutions. The main goals of the study are the identification of the level of people’s satisfaction with the People’s Art School and the identification of their needs and expectations over the School’s cultural offer. The main purpose of the research is the improvement of the offer and activity of the People’s Art School. The importance of conducting this consumption study resulted from the following specific needs of the institution: ¾¾ Lack of consumption studies or statistics to identify the potential beneficiaries of the institution; ¾¾ Lack of in-depth knowledge of the categories of beneficiaries, which has been done so far strictly by means of querying the database including the attendees of the courses; ¾¾ Lack of studies to identify the institution’s categories of beneficiaries; ¾¾ Lack of information on the position of the institution and the real expectations of the target group; ¾¾ Planning such a study through the management plan. The main benefits of this study: • Identification and in-depth understanding of the People’s Art School beneficiaries;

• Knowing the beneficiaries’ needs and expectations; • Identification of the beneficiaries’ level of satisfaction; • Developing long term beneficiary-retaining strategies by means of understanding their needs and expectations; • Outlining the profile of the People’s Art School’s beneficiaries and non-beneficiaries; • Identification of the People’s Art School’s position in relation to its main competitors; • Understanding the image of the institution in relation to beneficiaries or potential beneficiaries; • The institution’s possibility to adapt its cultural events and services supply for the existing beneficiaries; • The Institution’s possibility to adapt or create a service and event offer for potential beneficiaries; • Understanding the strong and weak points of the institution, from the beneficiaries´ viewpoint; • Capacity of improving the institution’s image depending on its objectives; • Identification of optimal channels and means of communication and promotion; • Developing medium- and long-term strategies for the institution; • Setting the institution’s main directions to approach in the future, from the viewpoint of the programmes, events and services it offers; • Optimisation of the capacity to attract more, new segments of public and beneficiaries.

54 Research context

2. Research context According to the description in the Activity Report on the management evaluation 20161, the People’s Art School of Tg. Jiu is ”one of the county’s public cultural operators, providing cultural services to the Gorj community. The institution’s specific activity falls within the scope of community-related lifelong learning and ongoing training, outside the formal educational systems in the field of traditional or literate performing and visual arts, of traditional crafts, alongside with the preservation, protection, transmission, promotion and valorisation of traditional culture and intangible cultural heritage of the region. Moreover, the institution provides diverse cultural products and services for the community. In this respect, the People’s Art School is one of the main providers of cultural events included in the Cultural Agenda of the Gorj County Council. The organised events are developed in partnership with the public municipality and county institutions addressing the same community”. People’s consumption habits and preferences have changed in the last years. The need for research on the beneficiaries’ profile is real and necessary, all the more so as we have to take into account the quickness of the change of people’s – and particularly youngsters’ consumption preferences and options. The public cultural institutions are in permanent competition with all the leisure activities to which people have access. In the people’s agenda of possible activities, technology and technological devices are often the first in the top of consumption and leisure. The public institutions must take new technologies into account. The development of technology offers a great diversity of entertainment and leisure options. This is a challenge for 1 Bratu, Alexandru, Activity Report of the management evaluation of the PEOPLE’S ART SCHOOL OF TÂRGU JIU for the period 01.01.2016-31.12.2016

the public cultural institutions, which are competing with new technologies for the people’s budget of time and money. The beneficiaries’ expectations have increasingly grown in the last years, and their demands are making the institutions subject to new challenges and strategies. The cultural offers and services of the institutions must be more and more diversified, unique and specific to the beneficiaries’ punctual demands. The institution’s position and image, from the viewpoint of both its beneficiaries and its competitors, can be constructed with the help of studies such as this one, by identifying the strong and weak points that could set the direction of future marketing strategies, with a view to optimise the institutional activity. The analysis of the beneficiary’s profile is relevant for the strengthening of the institution’s capacity to develop new programmes and offers addressing either the general or the niche public. The segmentation of the beneficiaries reflects the institution’s capacity to optimise its resources and to target the potential beneficiaries by means of communication and image marketing. The institution’s capacity to adapt is important for keeping and retaining the beneficiaries on a long and medium term.

Research methodology 55

3. Research methodology The study on the activity of the People’s Art School of Tg. Jiu had the following research objectives: I. Knowing the public / beneficiary Research questions: 1. Who are the beneficiaries of the services and events offered by the People’s Art School? 2. Who are the non-beneficiaries of the services and events offered by the People’s Art School? 3. What are the main leisure activities, the main hobbies and the main places to spend one’s spare time? 4. What is understood by and how do people relate to the syntagms ”leisure”, ”entertainment”, ”recreation”? II. Information on the interaction of the participants in the focus group with the services and events of the People’s Art School A. Beneficiaries Research questions 1. What are the main reasons for which those who were in contact with the People’s Art School have appreciated this institution? 2. What is the level of satisfaction with the services and events of the People’s Art School? 3. What events or courses have the beneficiaries attended so far? 4. Have they attended them alone or with their family or friends?

5. What mattered the most when they chose to attend? 6. What would they like to attend in the future within the People’s Art School? 7. Have they recommended or would they recommend in the future the services offered by the People’s Art School? B. Non-beneficiaries Research questions: 1. What is their intention to attend events or courses provided by the People’s Art School in the future? 2. How do they appreciate the specificity of the People’s Art School’s cultural offers which they would like to attend in the future? 3. What were the main reasons for which they have chosen not to attend so far (identification and making a list of the main impediments based on the frequency of their mentioning and on their perceived importance)? 4. What would matter the most for the nonbeneficiaries to attend in the future?

56 Research methodology III. Measurement and identification of the most important aspects related to the People’s Art School from the organisational point of view Research questions: 1. How much do the costs or price matter? 2. How much do the payment facilities (special offers, discounts, payment by instalments, subscriptions) matter? 3. How much do the classrooms, spaces, space comfort matter? 4. How much does the course type / programme matter? 5. How much does the quality of the personnel (trainers, teachers, employees, School personnel) matter? 6. How much does the accessibility / location of the space matter? 7. How much does the timetable of the classes matter? 8. How much does the quality of provided services matter? 9.

How much does the applicability / practicality of the provided services matter (from the viewpoint of personal development, importance for one’s life / career)?

IV. Expectations and recommendations of the participants in the focus group as regards the People’s Art School Research questions: 1. What recommendations did they have for the improvement of the following aspects related to the attendance? ¾¾ Space where activities are performed; ¾¾ Location; ¾¾ Communication, promotion of events or services;

¾¾ Personnel of the People’s Art School (teachers, employees etc.); ¾¾ Price; ¾¾ Period of courses (weekly, on weekends, timetable, period of the year); ¾¾ Types of programmes / offer (adults, youth, children, seniors); ¾¾ Technical equipment / facilities of the School (studio, musical instruments etc.) 2. What are your main expectations as regards the attendance of a course within the People’s Art School? V. Description of the image and position of the People’s Art School Research questions: 1. What is the first thing the participants think of when hearing the syntagm „People’s Art School”? 2. What are the main attributes of the People’s Art School? 3. What is the perceived image of the People’s Art School in relation to its beneficiaries and non-beneficiaries? 4. What is the potential profile of the beneficiary and of the non-beneficiary of the People’s Art School?

Main results 57

4. Main results 4.1 Analysis of the participants’ profile 4.1.1 Structure of the interviewed group The selection of the participants within the focus group was made with the help of and in permanent dialogue with the beneficiary of this study. The discussion with the group of participants was based on a semi-structured focus guide. The place of the discussion was the town of Tg. Jiu, in a space selected by the beneficiary. The duration of the discussion was two hours, while the moderator obtained information from each participant within the group. The group was made from 11 participants, with permanent residence in the county of Gorj. Socio-demographic structure of the analysed group: By residence: ¾¾ Persons with residence in the county of Gorj ¾¾ Persons living in urban and rural areas By gender: ¾¾ Male and female persons General profile of beneficiaries (who had contact last year / are still in contact with the People’s Art School) ¾¾ Adult persons, with children ¾¾ Married persons ¾¾ Living both in urban and in rural areas ¾¾ Mainly interested in hobbies and household activities, as well as in open-air activities ¾¾ Persons mainly interested in performing arts

By age: ¾¾ Youth, adults and seniors ¾¾ Persons aged 15-64 By marital status: ¾¾ Persons with children, as well as persons with no children ¾¾ Married and single persons By occupational status: ¾¾ Persons active in the labour market ¾¾ Persons no longer active in the labour market ¾¾ With the following occupational statuses: engineers, professors, teachers, unemployed, (theoretical and technical high school) students, university students, art-related professions By education: ¾¾ Persons with medium education ¾¾ Persons with higher education By income: ¾¾ Persons with average and above average incomes

General profile of non-beneficiaries (who have never been in contact with the People’s Art School) ¾¾ ¾¾ ¾¾ ¾¾ ¾¾ ¾¾ ¾¾

High school and university students Men and women Single Mainly living in urban areas Persons who practise sports / open-air activities Persons with art-related hobbies Persons mainly interested in visual arts

58 Main characteristics of the participants in the focus group

5. Main characteristics of the participants in the focus group • Active persons, with hobbies, as well as persons taking care of children’s education, within the family they come from • They frequently participate in cultural activities – particularly in visual arts and performing arts events • They frequently perform leisure activities (going to the mountains, walking in the park) – adult and senior persons in particular • They perform sports activities – young males in particular • Leisure activities: cultural consumption, open-air activities, activities with their family • Adults and seniors mainly prefer entertainment shows featuring traditional folk music and dance, manual work, crafts etc. • Young people are mainly interested in activities related to photography, fashion design, musical instruments (guitar, organ) • Adults and seniors mainly prefer group or family activities or activities performed together with other consumers with whom they already have a relation or connection. • Youngsters mainly prefer small-group or individual activities

• Adults and seniors are mainly attracted to and consumers of performing arts, music and dance performances • Youngsters are mainly attracted to visual arts (painting, decorative art, design, graphics, photography) • They are persons who had contact with the People’s Art School in the past • They are persons who had and still have contact with the People’s Art School • They are persons who have never had contact with the People’s Art School The group of participants in the focus group was heterogeneous, including persons from all the previously mentioned categories. In general, the participants, both beneficiaries and non-beneficiaries of the People’s Art School, are frequent consumers of culture; they are persons who stated they had frequent contact with cultural events or artistic manifestations, they are very active persons, with art-related hobbies and passions. As regards the importance of leisure, all respondents have appreciated its importance. Within the discussion, they were asked to mention their main regular leisure or hobby activities.

BENEFICIARIES’ LEISURE ACTIVITIES ¾¾ ¾¾ ¾¾ ¾¾

Watching entertainment shows on TV Trips, walking in the open air, parks Attending music shows Attending theatre performances

¾¾ ¾¾ ¾¾ ¾¾ ¾¾

Attending opera and operetta performances Children’s care and education Reading Gardening Household activities

Participants’ interaction with the People’s Art School’s services 59 NON-BENEFICIARIES’ LEISURE ACTIVITIES ¾¾ ¾¾ ¾¾ ¾¾ ¾¾

Watching entertainment shows on TV Watching movies and serial movies Trips, walking in the open air, parks Listening to music in the domestic space Spending time on the Internet, IT and IT-related activities

¾¾ ¾¾ ¾¾ ¾¾ ¾¾ ¾¾

Drawing Guitar Sportive activities Reading Spending time with friends Sport

6. Participants’ interaction with the People’s Art School’s services Most of the participants in the focus group have had contact so far with the services and events of the People’s Art School. The majority of those who attended the courses provided by the School have recommended it to other persons, too. Those who have grandchildren or under-aged persons in the family chose to guide them to attend a course of the School. For most of the respondents, the contact with the School, once started, has not ended so far. For some of the respondents, the School is a space of socialisation and interaction with the group of friends or acquaintances. For most of them, the School is a space of relaxation, entertainment, information and permanent cultural consumption. Some of the respondents have made contact with the People’s Art School via their friends or family. For some of those who attended courses in the past, but they don’t do it anymore or have dropped the classes, the main obstacle was the fact that they could not follow up an artistic route within a formal educational framework. On the other hand, most of the respondents stated that the School was a launch pad for those who want to pursue an artistic career. ”I am and I have stayed connected to the School… because I have friends there. When you start attending the People’s Art School, you somehow stay connected with it. (…) There’s no way we meet and not have a coffee together. It can be and it is a launch pad for one’s profession”.

Those who in the past graduated from a course within the School and who are still connected to the institution have mentioned the events organised by the School as the main reasons for which the institution has become a space where they regularly consume culture. We may even say that, for the respondents taking care of young children or teenagers, this habit is an „inheritance” they pass on, in the sense of artistic guidance or training. They mentioned that, in some cases, they envisaged signing up the children for courses at young ages (6 years old). In this respect, we can state that the School offers a wide and permissive framework for non-formal education and training for very different generations. Some of the respondents above 50 years old have chosen to direct their children to the School’s courses, while some of them, in their turn, signed up for a course. Most of those who have never had contact with the People’s Art School so far stated that the reason for this is not having heard of the courses or events it provided ever. When asked about the reasons they have had no contact with the school so far, they did not mention any issue related to material / financial aspects or to the fact that they would have liked to attend under circumstances different from existing ones, in terms of location, timetable, types of courses etc. The most frequent reason mentioned by those who have never interacted with the People’s Art School was related to the lack of visibility / promotion of the

60 Participants’ interaction with the People’s Art School’s services institution, particularly for the category of young people who have not found information or details in the online environment or within the educational institution they attended (school, high school etc.). ”I would have liked to go there and sing, only I haven’t heard of this people’s school. (…) Because I did not know its profile and I did not know what it offered. The Children’s Palace was usually recommended to me, but I haven’t been there, either”. Most of the non-beneficiaries stated that, if they had heard about the People’s Art School, they would have attended the courses it provided or, at least, they would have searched more information on the course packages of the People’s Art School. The beneficiaries were always satisfied with the courses or events they attended.

6.1 General characterisation of the People’s Art School The institution is perceived by the beneficiaries as a space offering more than the possibility to get in contact with the course packages or with the events it hosts. In this respect, according to the results obtained from the focus group, we identified a series of different roles of the institution, besides those assumed through its mission and objectives: ¾¾ Socialisation environment ¾¾ Opinion-making environment ¾¾ Intergenerational-relations facilitating environment ¾¾ Facilitating environment for seniors ¾¾ Substitute environment for those interested in beginning an artistic career (beyond non-formal education) ¾¾ Substitute environment for the lack of formal artistic education in the city ¾¾ Information environment

From this point of view, we notice that not only are the institution’s main objectives and mission accomplished, but the School also offers a range of connected benefits and services for its beneficiaries. The lack of formal artistic education alternative (the lack of specialised institutions in Tg. Jiu) for those who want to access an artistic career makes the institution a substitute entity, perceived differently from its main purpose, i.e. that of providing an alternative to the formal education and training system. From the viewpoint of its position, the institution is perceived (both by beneficiaries and non-beneficiaries) as rather being an entity providing training or couching for the local artists who either want to be or are already active in the labour market.

6.2 Level of satisfaction with the People’s Art School Most of the respondents stated they were very satisfied with the courses or events provided by the People’s Art School and would recommend the School’s events or offers in the future. The main weak points identified following the discussion with the participants in the focus group were related to visibility, communication and promotion in the public space. Communication and the manner in which it is made were mentioned as being in need for future improvements, both with a view to attract a new segment of beneficiaries, and to maintain the existing one. Some respondents recommended the set-up of partnerships between the School and other (formal) education institutions (schools, high schools) with the purpose to attract more youth or persons interested in courses. Some respondents stated that a cooperation with the city’s cultural NGOs would be beneficial, too. For the adult category, the School’s cooperation with private companies or organisations was proposed, which could provide access to persons that might be interested to learn more about the People’s Art School.

Participants’ interaction with the People’s Art School’s services 61 „The School should be present in schools more. It must make itself more widely known. It should be more visible, it should go to schools and promote itself, because the School is not after potential… and, in particular, it is necessary that institutions cooperate. There you can make yourself known. Institutions like schools and the People’s Art School should cooperate. (…) When I was a child, the People’s Art School came for us to our school, when I was a pupil.” Furthermore, almost all respondents pointed out that the School should also highlight the practical aspect of these courses in the communication of its offers. ”The School should go down among the youth and come closer to them, it should also consider the commercial aspect a little. Cause you can learn how to sew and then you can open a small workshop or a small business. Some marketing stuff would also be necessary…” Besides the need for a more intense and well-structured promotion, a part of the respondents who had contact with the People’s Art School stated there was a need to improve the communication or information materials that the School provides to its beneficiaries (flyers, posters etc.). The most common issue was that the information materials are very visually-crowded and sometimes hard to read, even in electronic format. Among the non-beneficiaries, the most proposed and recommended aspect was a more intense and efficient communication in the online environment. From social networks to a very active online community, the non-beneficiaries’ recommendations mainly came from the viewpoint that the School had very little online promotion and visibility. ”I would devise a Facebook promotion, there should also be an online community active there, talking about what they do – on the Internet, by all means. We would prefer it that way for the youth – it is much easier like that…”

6.3 What would the People’s Art School’s beneficiaries and non-beneficiaries like to attend in the future? Both the School’s beneficiaries and non-beneficiaries mentioned a series of courses that they would like to attend in the future. Of the performing arts category, the ballet for youth and children was the most often mentioned. The participants aged above 40 expressed their expectations related to performing arts courses (dance, ballet) in particular. For the youth category, the most attractive courses are in the field of visual arts and new technologies, alongside with musical instruments courses. The youth also mentioned they would like to attend courses in digital photography, digital graphics and design, fashion design or interior design. For the courses in the category of traditional crafts (weaving, sewing), the most interested respondents are women aged above 50, who performed this particular activities in the past, too, within a high school or an arts and trades school. ¾¾ Ballet courses for youth and children ¾¾ Digital art and photography courses ¾¾ Digital graphics and design ¾¾ Fashion design ¾¾ Interior design

62 Participants’ interaction with the People’s Art School’s services

6.4 Measurement and identification of the most important organisational aspects of the People’s Art School For this part of the discussion, the participants in the focus group were asked to choose the most important aspects from a list, having the possibility to grade them from 1 to 5, where 1 is ”not at all relevant / important” and 5 – ”very relevant / important”. According to the figure below, the most important aspect evaluated was the accessibility of the space where the School’s activities take place, particularly from the viewpoint of the safety offered by a central location or the vicinity of transport means.

The timetable was deemed important especially by persons active in the labour market, having a lower time-budget, while the pupils and students mentioned that the weekends would be most appropriate for them. Payment facilities were deemed very important, too. In this respect, the participants believe that the manner in which they can pay for the School’s services, courses or events is more important than the price per se. The price was only deemed important from the viewpoint of adapting the payment according to age, i.e. young people or students should have bigger discounts than employed persons. The applicability or practicality of the courses was evaluated as important. Considering the previously discussed statements, it is quite relevant for the participants to know that the participation in these courses may provide them an openness even from the viewpoint of a career or entrepreneurship.

Participants’ expectations and recommendations 63

7. Participants’ expectations and recommendations For this section of the discussion, the participants were asked to mention how important the listed aspects were and to give a recommendation to improve each one of them. The space where the activities take place – This aspect was evaluated as very important, especially that, at present, Tg. Jiu no longer has a performance hall or stage where people can attend cultural events. In this respect, all participants complained that the lack of a space even forced the School to organise events to which they had no access. Location – Since at present there is no performance hall for the town’s cultural events, most of those who would like to attend are forced to do this only within the School. One of the recommendations of the majority present in the discussion was the more intense use of the Culture Houses across the county to host some of the events. Furthermore, they also deemed this aspect very important because there are young people who travel over 50 km to attend the courses they want. Communication and promotion of events or services – As we have mentioned in the section dedicated to the level of satisfaction, one of the weak points of the People’s Art School is communication. The respondents thought a promotion would be useful, be it by means of advertisements – on TV and online – or via communicating the events / courses within other events, such as the Days of the Town. As far as the visual aspect is concerned, most respondents thought that the improvement of the flyers and posters was important. As regards the type of promotion, the respondents believe that the most appropriate communication is direct and ongoing, especially on the Internet, where posts should be published on social networks more frequently and with a higher potential for interactivity between and for the users (e.g. online groups).

”They should make posters to be read with the naked eye, not with the magnifier” ”I visited the website… they could take better care of the site, I mean there is a need for more frequent posts, shares. (…) More visibility and direct promotion are necessary…” Personnel of the People’s Art School (teacher, employees etc.) – As regards the School’s personnel, all the respondents stated they had no recommendation for improvement, being very satisfied with their interaction with the personnel, with the manner in which the trainers were teaching or with the way they interacted with the institution›s employees. Price – As far as the price and payment are concerned, the most important aspect for interested people is to be able to pay in instalments. None of the participants thought that the price should be adjusted. Types of programmes / offer (adults, youth, children, seniors) – As regards the types of the programmes, most recommendations came from young people, who mentioned a series of courses they would like to attend. Furthermore, the participants mentioned that it would be very appropriated that a reading room or a projection room be set-up within the School, particularly in the case of children accompanied by parents, who spend there a couple of hours, waiting for their children to finish classes. A specially-dedicated space would be practical and useful for the parents or attendants. Technical equipment / facilities of the People’s Art School (studio, musical instruments etc.) – As regards the School’s technical or didactic equipment, the majority of the participants stated they were satisfied. Besides the recommendations for improvement of communication and promotion, the respondents also

64 Description of the People’s Art School’s image and position mentioned the need for a better space for the events and shows organised by the People’s Art School.

”More spaces are needed. The events take place, but they don’t take place in adequate or optimal spaces, yet they are still taking place.”

8. Description of the People’s Art School’s image and position For this section, the respondents were asked to mention the first thing that comes to their mind when hearing the syntagm „People’s Art School”. The participants in the focus group most often associated the School with arts, culture, fun

and education. In the figure below we listed the characteristics mentioned in free answers by the participants in the focus group.

Description of the People’s Art School’s image and position 65 For most of the respondents, the School is a form of communion and unity, beyond its main role of training. For some of the respondents aged above 40, the School should also represent an entity that must preserve traditions, traditional crafts and values.

¾¾ Building and preservation of social identity ¾¾ Building of social cohesion2 In the opinion of the participants in the focus group, the People’s Art School is defined by the following attributes:

”Tradition and modernity are not mutually exclusive. They complete each other very well. Especially that they have art in common...” The respondents have even recommended tourist partnerships with other private or public entities, with a view to preserving and promoting the local identity. ”If, for instance, some foreigners come to visit Brâncuşi’s house, she (a participant in the focus group who is passionate about painting) can just stay there to paint, for example. Like they do in Paris, they paint in the street...” The main competitors of the School mentioned by the participants in the focus group were: the Children’s Palace, as an alternative to the courses provided by the School, the social networks and the mobile devices (new technologies). The participants in the focus group were asked to mention the main attributes of the People’s Art School, what the School should and should not be. The School should be: • An ”example” – both for talented people and for those who want to have a job in the future. • ”A professional launch pad for those who want an artistic career” • ”A space of refuge” The School should not be • ”A place with grumpy people” • ”Dull” • ”A place «to hit with a rock»” For the majority present in the discussion, the School represents a space of tolerance, of inclusion and nondiscrimination. From this point of view, the institution is an environment that enhances the accomplishment of a set of social roles of culture, at micro level:

In order to identify the main aspects that the People’s Art School is associated with, the respondents were asked to name a series of features of the institution, considering a series of dichotomies. Table 1. The People’s Art School is a place where things happen, that are… Mainly...

Mainly...

–– Serious

Amusing

For everybody

–– For certain people / types of public

–– Creative

Repetitive

–– Stimulating

Boring

Few

–– Many

–– Cheap / financially accessible

Expensive

Formal

–– Non-formal

Traditional

–– Modern

Croitoru C., Pălici B., Dinu G., Infrastructura publică și impactul social al culturii, in Croitoru C., Becuț A. Barometrul de Consum Cultural 2016. O radiografie a practicilor de consum cultural. Bucharest, Pro Universitaria, 2017, p. 33

Perceived profile of the beneficiary and of the non-beneficiary

9. Perceived profile of the beneficiary and of the non-beneficiary from the viewpoint of the participants in the focus group In this section, the participants in the focus group were asked to name a series of traits of the beneficiary and of the non-beneficiary of the People’s Art School. Through this exercise of imagination, we wanted to identify those aspects or characteristics which the School is most associated with and dissociated from in the public space, in the opinion of the people who have and who have not been in contact with the School so far. The purpose of outlining these profiles is to identify what elements the institution could focus on in its process of promotion, repositioning or communication. In the following chart, we present the main traits of the perceived profile of the potential beneficiary. The mentioned traits are the most associated with the image of the People’s Art School. The majority of the participants appreciated that the beneficiary is mainly female, aged 17-20, living in an urban area, in neighbourhoods with blocks-of-flats. The group of friends is made from persons that are frequent consumers of culture, whether we consider the public consumption (theatre, museums, performances) or the domestic consumption (e.g. reading). Their main hobbies are related to artistic activities – dance, musical instruments, painting, photography etc. They are frequent consumers of Internet. The contact with the People’s Art School was mainly due to the family, who started this undertaking, especially in the case of children. They mainly spend their spare time with friends or colleagues in parks or open spaces. The time spent with friends is also mainly dedicated to cultural activities, in general, and the main conversation topics within the group are related to reading, dance, shows etc.

Perceived profile of the beneficiary and of the non-beneficiary 67 In the following chart we describe the perceived profile of the non-beneficiary and we present the main aspects or traits that the participants in the focus group mainly dissociate from the People’s Art School. The non-beneficiary is male, over 40 years old, lives in rural, as well as urban areas. They are married and have at least one child. They are persons with a small group of friends, who generally have few hobbies or none at all. The common activities with their group of friends are going to cafés, pubs, bars or restaurants. On a regular day they spend most of their time at work or at home, with their family. The main reasons perceived by the participants in the focus group for the non-beneficiary’s non-contact with the People’s Art School are related to the lack of information, lack of motivation or lack of courage. They mostly prefer the consumption of TV programmes, alone or with their friends / family. They are not very interested in culture or art, nor completely uninterested – they are rather nonmotivated or non-encouraged to participate in events or courses provided by the School.

68 Conclusions

10. Conclusions Young people in particular are more and more interested in courses or events that integrate the new media / technologies. Considering young people’s rising interest in the consumption of digital culture, we must also take into consideration their need to attend courses or to participate in events focused on technology and new media. As regards the information channels, it is obvious that youngsters are rather connected to the online communication channels, therefore their interests are mainly found in this area. Furthermore, the study revealed the major importance of updating certain courses (e.g. weaving, sewing) from the viewpoint of their presentation, especially for the youth. The majority of respondents mentioned that new ways to present these courses, as well as their rebranding are necessary, due to the image they are currently associated with. The lack of attractiveness was evaluated by the respondents as mainly due to the lack of sufficient information on these courses and to the manner in which they are presented, which rather creates the image of „outdated” courses, or of courses mainly addressing adults or seniors.

Recommendations: ¾¾ Online promotion ¾¾ Active community on social networks ¾¾ Google and online advertising ¾¾ SEO (Search Engine Optimization) and SEM (Search Engine Marketing) ¾¾ More visual attractiveness (communiqués, flyers, posters, ad spots etc.) ¾¾ More activity in the virtual space (active online community) ¾¾ Newsletter ¾¾ Video records of the classes / video blog ¾¾ More attractive press releases ¾¾ Promotion of courses focused on their practicality (e.g.: acquired skills, possible ideas for entrepreneurship etc.)