At the ninth edition, the AFCN (National Cultural Fund Administration – NCFA) Awards has nominated “Altița ulițelor din Borlești” in the Activation of Intangible Cultural Heritage Category.

The Neamț project “ Altița ulițelor din Borlești ” – a bridge between generations for promotion and transmission local traditions was the third nomination out of five non-governmental organizations whose projects have stood out through their initiatives that have brought to light and made relevant for contemporary society the intangible heritage, valorizing identity resources.

This year’s edition of the AFCN Awards continues to be an opportunity to meet with non-governmental organizations dedicated to their cultural projects in 2023. Initiated in 2005 by the National Cultural Fund Administration on the occasion of its tenth anniversary, the project aims to give necessary recognition to the activities of non-governmental organizations operating in the cultural sector.

The project ” Altița ulițelor din Borlești” marked in Neamț County the first commune, Borlești, which undertook the inventorying by the community of the intangible cultural heritage represented by the Romanian traditional embroidered blouse (altiță blouse). Moreover, the project highlighted the power of the community, united by the common passions, which managed to promote traditions through the utilization of skills, creativity and education of locals regarding cultural richness, with a focus on involving and integrating young people in activities.

Ten years of activities and valuable experiences of Borlești Sitting (Șezătoarea Borlești) and the fruitful collaboration with the Sustainable Village Association (Sustainable Village, North East Region, Moldova) led to the comprehensive project, “Altița ulițelor din Borlești, implemented from July to November 2023 and co-financed by the National Cultural Fund Administration.

The project included three community cultural workshops, with over 70 participants from the commune and neighboring localities, the album of traditional embroidered blouse (altiță blouse) from Borlești Sitting (Șezătoarea Borlești), the glass photography exhibition “„Ambrotipie în Șezătoare” and the film initiated by motionARThoughts – Brîndușa Bălan, which has documented the entire project process and which can be viewed in individual fragments on the YouTube channel of the Sustainable Village Association, the Local Cultural Management Authority: https://www.youtube.com/@SatulSustenabil/videos

Additionally, on the website satsustenabil.ro, detailed information can be consulted on the directions, results, and products of the cultural project ” Altița ulițelor din Borlești “, as well as other activities and initiatives aimed at enhancing the community’s well-being and providing a sustainable and secure future for it.

Three aspects ensured the success of the cultural project: community, innovation, and continuity in the transmission of intangible cultural heritage, aspects that made possible all four mentioned outcomes. Moreover, the album, which inventories the altiță blouses and the traditional Romanian embroideries sewn by past and present generations, contains a selection of 31 traditional embroidery patterns and 46 altiță blouses, documented in digital format through overall and detail photographs, as well as vector representation. This is also the first album of its kind in rural communities in Romania

The favorable context for the implementing the project was based on two factors: the inclusion of the altiță blouse / traditionl embroidered Romanian women blouse (cămașa cu altiță) in the UNESCO heritage starting in 2022, and the continuation of the activities undertaken by the “Șezătoarea Borlești” community since 2013, through the materialization of accumulated experiences.

According to the Ministry of Culture in Romania, the role of the traditionl embroidered blouse (“cămașa cu altiță”) represented in the past the transmission of information about: the skill and talent of the woman who sewn it, the material condition and social position of the wearer, civil status and age, ceremonial status (bride’s blouse, mother-in-law’s blouse, mourning blouse, “deochi” blouse, etc.). Today, it has mainly aesthetic, identity, and cultural value.”

“We are pleased to see that the AFCN Awards have become a mark of excellence for both participants and the public. This is, I believe, the only project that monitors the creative energies of the non-governmental cultural sector at a national level and highlights best practice examples from the previous year,” stated Irina Cios, the director of AFCN.

“The AFCN Awards Gala is an opportunity to attach ‘faces’ to many of the projects on the lists published at the end of the funding sessions.

We invite you to mark your calendar for May 20, 2024, the date of the Awards Gala!