Liviu Jicman, President of the Romanian Cultural Institute (RCI) and the EU National Institutes for Culture (EUNIC), embarked on a strategic seven-day visit to New York and Washington, D.C. (January 10 - January 18, 2025), reinforcing transatlantic cultural cooperation in a time of global challenges.
His visit commenced at the annual meeting of APAP (Association of Performing Arts Professionals), where he delivered a keynote speech on European financial instruments that can fuel cultural collaboration between Europe and the U.S.
A major milestone was RCI’s official affiliation with APAP, unlocking new opportunities for Romanian-American performing arts projects. For the first time, EUNIC had a strong presence at APAP, with both a dedicated stand and high-level participation.
At the ISPA (International Society for the Performing Arts) Congress, President Jicman further emphasized the power of cultural diplomacy and cross-border artistic collaboration. His address, “Unlocking Transatlantic Potential: EUNIC and APAP – A Call for Collaboration”, underscored EUNIC’s role in fostering international partnerships, co-productions, artist residencies, and capacity-building programs.
A key highlight of the visit was a high-level meeting at New York City Hall, where President Jicman engaged with Commissioner Laurie Cumbo and senior cultural officials. Discussions focused on strengthening EU-NYC cultural exchanges, including the potential launch of an artist residency program fostering European-American creative immersion.
Another major event on the agenda was the official monthly meeting of the EUNIC New York Cluster, hosted at RCI New York. The discussions centered on increasing the impact of the EUNIC network through strategic partnerships, funding opportunities, and collaborative initiatives between European cultural institutes and American institutions. President Jicman emphasized that the vitality of the EUNIC clusters, the strength of their local partnerships, and their ability to sustain long-term projects are key to the network’s global success.
The visit also featured productive engagements with EUNIC New York and EUNIC Washington, D.C. clusters, exploring strategies to amplify EUNIC’s impact through the Cluster Fund and expanding long-term partnerships. President Jicman reiterated that grassroots collaboration and dynamic programming are the driving forces behind EUNIC’s success on the global cultural stage.
Through this intensive U.S. tour, President Jicman reinforced the message that cultural cooperation is not only vital but heroic in today’s world. His engagements have paved the way for stronger transatlantic cultural networks, ensuring that European creativity and humanistic values continue to thrive across borders.
