Centrul de Cultură, Artă și Tradiții

  The first Romanian language theater performances were tours by the Fani Tardini Pascaly and Petculescu troupes in Turda between 1866 and 1879. The statuary organization of the "Romanian Craftsmen" in Turda in 1883, by the defender of the Romanian cause, Dr. Ioan Rațiu, was an encouragement for the development of theater in the Romanian language. The first review of Romanian theater in Turda appeared in 1903. In 1922, the society "Friends of the Arts" was established, which began with the performance of Moliere's "The Learned Ladies." The Turda Municipal Theater building (Piața Republicii nr. 52) was built between 1902 and 1904 in an eclectic style, with architectural elements of the Art Nouveau, neobaroque and neorococo styles. In August 1948, the People's Theater in Cluj was transferred to Turda in a building dating from 1902-1904 and is part of the historic center of Turda. Ten years later, in 1958, it changed its name to the State Theater in Turda. Thus the Turda Theater was born. Over a period of more than half a century of existence, over 300 premieres have been presented here. In 1993, international collaborations and travels abroad with own performances began in Greece, France and Sweden. National premiere pieces have also been included in the institution's repertoire. In 1999, the institution changed its name to the Turda Municipal Theater. Since 1956, Turda artists have participated (successfully) in various national-level dramaturgy festivals. Some Turda actors are also remarkable in Romanian cinema (Stela Furcovici, Stelian Stancu).   In 2014, Turda Municipal Theater received a new name and is now called the "Aureliu Manea" Theater Turda, in honor of the late director, Aureliu Manea. This initiative to give a new name provides a authentic identity to the public cultural institution in Turda and at the same time is a recognition of the theatrical value of Aureliu Manea, who was the director of the State Theater in Turda. Manea represents the finest page in the history of the Turda theater and deserves appreciation from the entire Turda community for his exceptional achievements in the Romanian theater scene. The promotion of this project aims to pay tribute to the late director, Aureliu Manea, for his entire artistic career and for the memorable performances staged on the Turda stage. Born in Bucharest on February 4, 1945, in an artistic family, Aureliu Manea graduated from the I. L. Caragiale Institute of Theater and Cinematography in Bucharest in 1968 in the class of professors Radu Penciulescu and Mihai Dimiu. He made his debut in the same year at the National Theater in Sibiu with H. Ibsen's play, Rosmersholm. The director collaborated with many theaters in the country, including the National Theater in Timisoara, the Municipal Theater in Ploiesti, the National Theater in Cluj, the State Theater in Turda, and the Youth Theater in Piatra Neamt, among others. Some of his reference performances include: The Seasons by Arnold Wesker, Philoctetes by Sophocles, Britannicus by Racine, Macbeth and A Midsummer Night's Dream by W. Shakespeare, The Seagull by A. P. Chekhov, A Stormy Night and Conul Leonida versus the Reaction by I. L. Caragiale, A Royal Celebration and Under the Moon's Light by Theodor Mazilu. He published Energies of the Show, essays on the science of directing, Imaginary Performances, writings on possible Shakespearean stagings, and Recovered Texts, a collection of original texts. Three plays written by Aureliu Manea were staged at the National Theater in Cluj in 2013 under the title Aureliu Manea Trilogy, directed by Gábor Tompa. In 1992, he was awarded the UNITER Prize for his entire activity, and in 1999, the Diploma of Excellence for outstanding achievements in promoting theater arts, awarded by the Ploiesti Municipality and the Toma Caragiu Theater in Ploiesti. For health reasons, Aureliu Manea retired from activity in 1991 and was placed in the Neuropsychic Recovery and Rehabilitation Home in Galda de Jos, where he passed away on March 13, 2014.    During the periods of 1922-1926-1928, valuable performances took place in Turda. The theater ensembles from Bucharest, Cluj and Craiova find a special climate in Turda. In the years 1940-1944, when Turda became a temporary border city through the hateful Vienna dictation, the Romanian theater experienced a rebirth for the population of North Transylvania, becoming a strong center for refugees. Theater represents culture. "A mask laughs... a mask cries" is the motto that greets you at the entrance of the theater building. It is true that the theater has become an important cultural institution. There is no person who has not stepped at least once in this institution, to participate in different cultural events-theater, music, conferences, exhibitions. In our modern society, the theater holds a distinct, irreplaceable place, because here man forms a moral conduct, fills his soul with beauty, banishes ugliness and criticizes it, forms dreams. Often, through the content of many theater plays, real life has taken to the stage, stories have come to life in the artists' play. Children, accompanied and guided by teachers, parents, grandparents, shyly, curiously and amazed, step into the magical world of the "castle" called theater. It is already a tradition for the Turda theater to offer outstanding premieres for children. "The theater" cannot be replaced by any other means of information and culture. Here, you are attracted by the costumes, makeup, music, the lights of the stage and the comfortable plush "boxes". 

  For preserving the impressive traces of history, the History Museum stands in the center of Turda, a testimony of the past. With a valuable heritage, the over 40,000 cultural assets are structured into: · Prehistory collection - 250 artifacts, the oldest traces of settlement in the area, dating from the Paleolithic - Musterian culture - are represented through fossils · Roman and post-Roman collection, with 24,526 cultural assets, specific pieces of military equipment and weapons; gold, silver, and bronze coins and jewelry; stone sculptures and inscriptions; roof and ceramic materials. · Medieval-modern and memorial collection, with 7,087 pieces - numismatics, jewelry, old books, weapons, military accessories and awards, guilds, seals, noble diplomas, documents and photographs. · Ethnographic collection - an impressive and valuable collection of ethnographic pieces, totaling approximately 750 pieces: icons and cult objects, furniture, tools, household and domestic objects, textiles and attire, ceramics, musical instruments. · Art collection - furniture pieces, paintings, tapestries, engravings, decorative objects, etc. The most valuable piece in the collection is the oil painting entitled, Dieta de la Turda, created in 1896 by Hungarian painter Körösfői-Kriesch Aladár, depicting the historical moment of declaring religious consciousness and tolerance at the Diet of Turda (January 6-13, 1568). Modernization project: A new Ethnographic Section will be established at the Turda History Museum, where a building and a pavilion will be built for the new Ethnographic Section of the History Museum to operate. Thus, visitors will experience cultural, educational, and recreational services at the highest standards. At the same time, the project also involves the development of the entire building lot with green areas and pedestrian paths. 

  The "Teodor Murãșanu" Municipal Library in Turda is a public library that serves the residents of Turda and surrounding areas. The library was named after the famous Romanian writer and poet, Teodor Murãșanu, and is dedicated to promoting reading and learning among its patrons. The library has a diverse collection of books, including fiction, non-fiction, and children's books, as well as magazines and newspapers. In addition, the library offers access to a wide range of digital resources, including e-books, online databases, and academic journals. The library also provides internet access, making it a valuable resource for students, researchers, and those who need to stay connected. The library offers a variety of programs and events for people of all ages, including reading clubs, book clubs, and story time for children. The library also hosts workshops, classes, and lectures on topics such as writing, technology, and history. The library is a welcoming and inclusive place where everyone can come to learn, explore, and connect. The "Teodor Murãșanu" Municipal Library is a vital part of the community, providing a place for people to access information, knowledge, and cultural resources. It is a place where anyone can come to improve their education, advance their careers, or simply enjoy a good book.

  The "Valer Suciu" Art Gallery is a contemporary art exhibition space located in a central location in the city. The gallery was founded in honor of the talented local painter Valer Suciu, who made a significant contribution to the local culture and art. The gallery periodically hosts temporary art exhibitions featuring works by local and international artists. The exhibitions include a variety of artistic mediums, such as painting, sculpture, graphics, and installations. The gallery also organizes artistic and cultural events, such as book launches, conferences, and art presentations, all focused on stimulating cultural dialogue and exchange of ideas among artists, critics, and the public. The gallery is also an educational center, offering courses and workshops for children and adults who wish to develop their artistic skills. The courses are taught by talented and experienced artists and provide opportunities for students to experiment with different techniques and mediums. The "Valer Suciu" Gallery is an important hub of local cultural life, offering opportunities for the public to discover and appreciate contemporary art. It is an accessible and welcoming space where anyone can come to enjoy the beauty and diversity of art. 

  The Turda Cultural House is a public cultural institution, without legal personality, under the jurisdiction of the Local Council. In a short diachronic overview, we find out about the Turda Cultural House that it was established before 1929 in the former Princely House where the Turda History Museum is located today and it operated under the patronage of Astra. The current Cultural House was established in 1948 under the name "Nicolae Bălcescu" Popular Ateneum, later becoming a Cultural Center and transformed in 1958 into the Regional Culture House. It was tasked with guiding and controlling the activity of cultural centers and reading rooms in the Turda district. With the administrative reform in 1968, the institution became the Municipal Culture House, with activity at the headquarters, at the two branches in Turda Noua and Poiana, at the cultural centers in the Mihai Viteazu and Săndulești municipalities, until 1989. In Turda's cultural and artistic scene, the Cultural House is a dynamic and adaptable institution, supporting the cultural association framework and developing partnerships with other cultural institutions, with non-governmental organizations in the country and abroad. At present, the Cultural House offers a diverse program of artistic courses, cultural activities and events that meet the needs of cultural consumers. The institution organizes numerous courses that have become a tradition: folk dances and traditions, visual arts, classical and popular singing, philately, choral interpretation. To these are added the more recent courses in ballet and majorettes. Over 300 children, young people and adults participate in these courses and one of the institution's objectives is to attract as many young people as possible who can develop their talent or be initiated, in accordance with their passion, in various areas of art.