The Romanian Cultural Institute in New York continues its partnership with CEC Artslink in supporting the Romanian artists which have been selected to participate in the Artslink Residencies program. Following a very competitive selection process, CEC Artslink will facilitate this year the activities of 16 leading Central and South East European, Russian and Eurasian artists and arts professionals at U.S. cultural organizations, including Bogdan Georgescu and Andra Rotaru.

Bogdan Georgescu works in all areas of theatre, from writing and directing to production and, through his organization The Generosity Offensive, furthering the practice of community theatre. His work has been performed throughout Romania and in New York, often in unorthodox venues including a maximum security prison.

Host: Brown University, Providence, RI
The Department of Theater Arts and Performance Studies at Brown University is committed to performing arts that speak to international coherence and issues of community formation and empowerment. A group of students within the department also routinely works within the prison system, which should be of great interest to Mr. Georgescu. He will have the opportunity to conduct an open workshop, make class visits in writing for performance and directing, and present his work to the student body and the public. Erik Ehn, Director of Writing for Performance, will also introduce Mr. Georgescu to artists and performance communities in Providence and New York City.

Andra Rotaru is a poet with strong interests in interdisciplinary work. Her first collection of poems, an experimental dialogue with the paintings of Frida Kahlo published in 2005, earned her four literary awards. She is also a journalist and has participated in events with visual artists and musicians.

Host: Portland Institute for Contemporary Art, Portland OR
Portland Institute for Contemporary Art (PICA) acknowledges and advances new developments in contemporary art while fostering the creative explorations of artists and audiences. Ms. Rotaru will be introduced to a range artists working in all disciplines and will have an opportunity to present her work at PICA and Literary Arts.  She will also be invited to attend classes, interact with students and professors and give a reading at Pacific Northwest College of Art and to attend numerous cultural events at Portland’s many artistic venues.