DEAR FRIENDS, Summer is upon us – at least as to the time of the year, if not obviously as to temperature and sunshine. In the world of culture, this is traditionally the time when people start to prepare for the holiday and to reduce the workload until Autumn reappears. As our parting shot, I have the pleasure to let you know that we continue to be creative and that we have prepared not one, but four Culture Power events to keep you well and truly connected to the pulse of Romanian culture. The first of these will take place on Monday 27 June, when musician and researcher Ioana Raluca Voicu-Arnautoiu will talk about the great composer George Enescu, and the way the Romanian communist authorities were trying to convince him (unsuccessfully) to support them. Then, on Friday 1 July, playwright Saviana Stanescu will introduce her critically-acclaimed play ‘Aliens With Extraordinary Skills’. And the start of the following week, on Monday 4 July, we present a display and sale of Romanian art furniture by an extraordinary group of women artists, Black Bird Creators. Finally, on Thursday 21 July, Romanian-American author Domnica Radulescu will present her new novel, ‘Black Sea Twilight’, ahead of its UK launch by Black Swan publishers. As you can see, the events are very diverse in subject-matter, and we trust to have you as our guests at any or all of them. See more details below. We hope that you will agree that we have prepared a good summer programme for you. During August and September, we are going to keep up with our work on other exciting projects – not least on the Romanian Film Festival which is scheduled to take place in November 2011. Our next event is scheduled to be the Ratiu Scholars’ Culture Power Day, on 8 October 2011, when the Foundation’s scholars and project partners will present their work. More on this, soon. In the meantime, keep updated with what we do by visiting our website, or joining us on the Romanian Cultural Centre’s Facebook page. With best regards, Ramona Mitrica Director Ratiu Foundation / Romanian Cultural Centre FORTHCOMING CULTURE POWER EVENTS AT THE RATIU FOUNDATION

Culture Power Presentation: Enescu in Exile, by Ioana Raluca Voicu-Arnautoiu

Hosted by Dr Mike Phillips OBE, British novelist, historian and curator. Followed by a Q&A session. Having discovered soon after the fall of the Ceausescu dictatorship that she was the daughter of anti-communist partisans, Ioana Raluca Voicu-Arnautoiu set out to unveil their story as recorded in the Securitate files, and has written extensively about their case (also presented in London in July 2010, within the Culture Power series). Her most recent investigation focuses on the attempts of the Bucharest authorities to influence and lure back George Enescu – the great Romanian composer – who had chosen to leave Romania after the war. Ioana Raluca Voicu-Arnautoiu is head of the Chamber Music Department at the National University of Music in Bucharest . She is a graduate of the same conservatoire (1979 violin class) and holds a doctorate with a thesis on the violin sonata from Debussy to Enescu and Bartok. Between 1982 and 2000 she was a member of the George Enescu Philarmonic Orchestra. • Enescu in Exile Monday 27 June 2011, 19.00-21.00, The Ratiu Foundation / Romanian Cultural Centre, Manchester Square, 18 Fitzhardinge Street, London W1H 6EQ; Tel. 020 7486 0295, ext 108; e-mail: bookings@romanianculturalcentre.org.uk; Entry is free but booking is essential. Details here

Playwright Saviana Stanescu introduces her play ALIENS WITH EXTRAORDINARY SKILLS

Hosted by Dr Mike Phillips OBE, British novelist, historian and curator. Followed by a Q&A session. In a special event at the Ratiu Foundation, New York-based Romanian playwright Saviana Stanescu introduces her critically acclaimed play ‘Aliens With Extraordinary Skills’, a dark comedy about a clown from the “unhappiest country in the world”. “Saviana Stanescu’s Aliens With Extraordinary Skills is an enchanting piece of theater.. Ms. Stanescu’s dialogue is flawlessly observant... the energy people talk about as New York ’s essence comes from all those newcomers’ hopes and dreams in the air. Aliens pays tribute to that energy and at the same time radiates tons of its own” – The New York Times Saviana Stanescu was born in Bucharest , Romania , and was ‘reborn’ in New York . Her plays have been widely presented internationally and in the US , in stage productions, readings, and workshops, gathering rave reviews and awards. • Saviana Stanescu introduces her Work Friday 1 July 2011, 19.00-21.00, The Ratiu Foundation / Romanian Cultural Centre, Manchester Square, 18 Fitzhardinge Street, London W1H 6EQ; Tel. 020 7486 0295, ext 108; e-mail: bookings@romanianculturalcentre.org.uk; Entry is free but booking is essential. Details here

Exhibition of Romanian Folk-inspired Art Furniture

Hosted by Dr Mike Phillips OBE, British novelist, historian and curator. Followed by a Q&A session. The merging of tradition and modernity was a constant preoccupation of many artists and designers. Furniture designer Simona Stoicescu, founder of Black Bird Creators and also a painter, together with her friend, sculptor and designer Oana Gyarmath – author of the collection on display – were inspired by Romanian traditional motifs and brought to life a series of functional art objects which sometime include vintage, authentic pieces of traditional Romanian folk costume. On the evening of 4 July, the presentation of the works on show will be made by Simona Stoicescu. The objects exhibited at the Ratiu Foundation are on sale, part of the proceeds going to support the Ratiu Foundation’s restoration and heritage work in Romania . • ‘Love Tradition’ Art Furniture at the Ratiu Foundation Talk and Drinks Reception, Monday 4 July 2011, The Ratiu Foundation / Romanian Cultural Centre, Manchester Square, 18 Fitzhardinge Street, London W1H 6EQ; Tel. 020 7486 0295, ext 108; e-mail: bookings@romanianculturalcentre.org.uk; Entry is free but booking is essential. Exhibition open from Monday 4 July to Tuesday 19 July 2011, Mon – Fri 12.00 – 18.00. Admission free, booking is essential. Details here

Culture Power Talk by Romanian-American Author Domnica Radulescu

Hosted by Dr Mike Phillips OBE, British novelist, historian and curator. Followed by a Q&A session. Domnica Radulescu fled her native Romania during Nicolae Ceausescu’s dictatorship. She settled in the United States as a political refugee in 1983. Her first novel ‘Train to Trieste ’ won the Library of Virginia Award for Best Fiction. ‘Black Sea Twilight’ is her second novel (Black Swan, July 2011; ppbk). To mark the UK launch of her new book, Domnica will present her work and discuss some of the creative processes and sources of inspiration that lead to the creation of her novels, in light of her experience of growing up in Romania and also of being an émigré in the Western world. • Domnica Radulescu at the Ratiu Foundation Thursday 21 July 2011, 19.00-21.00, The Ratiu Foundation / Romanian Cultural Centre, Manchester Square, 18 Fitzhardinge Street, London W1H 6EQ; Tel. 020 7486 0295, ext 108; e-mail: bookings@romanianculturalcentre.org.uk; Entry is free but booking is essential. Details here // // // // // // // // // // // // Organised by The Ratiu Foundation / Romanian Cultural Centre in London. Culture Power is a programme initiated by the Ratiu Foundation, consisting of a number of presentations and constructive dialogue with an invited audience. With the support of Profusion International Creative Consultancy.