Western Romania: Poetry Tram arrives in Timisoara in June

The Poetry Tram returns with a third edition in June, this time in Timisoara, western Romania. The event reinvents the classic tram ride, inviting participants to enter the world of contemporary poetry, rediscover reading and reconnect with the city.

The five urban-poetic tram journeys will focus on five well-known Romanian poets, namely Svetlana Carstean, Moni Stanila, Alina Purcaru, Radu Vancu, and Andrei Dosa. Each will have two hours allocated for reading and discussions moderated by Raisa Beicu, a journalist, content creator and culture enthusiast.

Three journeys are scheduled for June 3 - at 12:00 with Svetlana Carstean as a special guest, at 14:30 with Moni Stanila, and at 17:00 with Alina Purcaru. Then, on June 4, the tram is scheduled to depart at 12:00 with Radu Vancu as the guest and at 14:30 with Andrei Dosa.

According to the organizers, during these unique journeys, the public will also be able to learn exciting information about Timisoara from the historical guide Marius Daniel Igna. Moreover, the whole cultural experience will be enriched by musical recitals by local artists Andrei Mihail Radu and Abel Chircă on violin, Csaba Zsolt Maksay on cello, and Alexandra Mahu and Bogdan Preda on flute.

For each of the five special trips, the Poetry Tram will depart from the depot on the city’s Dambovitei Avenue. Three routes are available, and participants will be asked to specify the desired route and how they would describe Timisoara in 2 words. Their vision of the city will help create a collective poem that will be published after the event.

Public access is free of charge and is limited to the number of places available to those who register by emailing curaj@artanumusca.ro.

“After 2 editions in Bucharest, I wanted the project to travel to other parts of the country where the public is less exposed to events dedicated to poetry. It is a great joy to come to Timisoara, as the project has already been validated and included in the European cultural capital’s programme, but also because the first tramway in Romania was operating in this city,” said Loredana Munteanu, founder of the Arta Nu Musca Association and organizer of the Poetry Tram event.

“We are preparing a unique experience for the 300 passengers in the 5 rides so that people will feel they are stepping into another world, thanks to a special floral installation, books and other surprises, where they can leave their worries aside and reconnect emotionally with the city they live in and with reading,” she added.

The Poetry Tram is a project of the Art Doesn’t Bite (Arta Nu Musca) Association. Further details are available