Romania - Timisoara 2

Romania - Timisoara 1
Reclaim!

"The Underground Timisoara Festival started 15 years ago, in the mid 90s when still almost nothing was existing in Romania at level of punk, diy or activism...the festival during the years promoted many different styles, which later on developed into small little scenes... with their good and bad parts... but still, that is for others to analyse, not me.

Even from the first edition, the festival was haunted with problems, interference from the city to stop it, police repression against travelling people during the festival, conflicts with local nazis, intent of total commercialisation by a student organisation etc etc... all this situation built up to the moment when in 2008 there was the only year when The Underground did not take place.


At the moment the Gluga Neagra Collective have decided to take over the organisation of the festival and since 2009 we have organised RECLAIM! Underground Timisoara festival, a little more dynamic, a bigger international participation and much more of a Do It Yourself ethic to the organisation (no sponsors permitted! not big sound companies! no shitty bouncers etc!).


Timisoara has been the place where there is actual proof of punk rock existence and organisation during Ceausescu’s time! There is a highly repressed small punk community in the Plopi neighborhood, I might add. When the underground appeared and in the following years, Timisoara was one of the most influential cities in Romania... together with punk rock city Craiova, it was an example to be followed by younger friends in Bucharest, Cluj, Brasov, Iasi, Bistrita etc etc

Anyway, since Romania entered the EU, migration also starts to affect the local scene... leaving less and less people taking care of local stuff... and also, this way allowing the "nazi" scene to grow... leading to attacks on punks, concerts or actions...same also, cop attention was given to the "scene" and more troubles arrived... for some... (I remember for the last festival one person got a 300euro fine for sticking Underground posters!).

When more than music was needed Timisoara scene organised and presented itself with INCA social center... another long attacked project by all sides…city inspectors, police, nazis and hooligans etc. After 5 years of hard resistance people got thrown out in the streets by the city again...

2009 brought the Atelier DIY smaller size project, but run on the same principles: self-organisation, do it yourself, autonomy and collectively run, hosting diy shows, film evenings, discussions and an infoshop.

As more people left the scene or the city, the few people left in Timisoara are faced with several different problems in organising anything. This is why, we have started this International Campaign of Support which we hope people will join in.

I know, reality is harder... and there are friends and comrades in prisons who need our solidarity, others in hospitals, or others with trials or legal problems... of course these people deserve our support more than anyone, and for the rest of the year we also try to get involved in supporting good causes...

But also the reality is next: in all the chaos and madness of the contemporary world, "crisis", blah blah ... killing the Underground will be a fatal thing for all 20 years or more of building a resistance movement in Romania. Even more, we think the Underground should be a place to again put the engine of alternative culture and get a radical critique working, and inspiring other people to keep going, and not to give up... we want to make "not giving up" COOL again... in a society, and a scene where all people are depressed and ready to give up... we wish to affirm our silly (maybe) belief that "giving up is NO alternative for us!"

As we see it now will be 20 bands (Spain, France, Germany, Italy, Austria, Czech, Serbia, Romania...) playing the concerts. Then we plan a set of discussion and workshops on themes like: diy film-making, feminism, pirate radios, self-management, diy publications, food not bombs etc


Also this time we plan a collaboration with Sub Art collective from Slovenia, regarding sound and stage management, mobile kitchen and more... some of you know festivals like Bakanika Core Festival or Krastival in Slovenia, which were organised by our friends. It is the first time that a festival has such a dimension of collaboration between do it yourself collectives in 2 different countries (ex-communist east/central Europe/Balkans). Also a second collective from outside Romania, Serbia will join in...

Projects in Timisoara now:

Gluga Neagra Collective/Atelier DIY space


Food Not Bombs


Fanzines:

Gluga Neagra (diy hc/punk)


Slogan (diy/anarcho)

Mauvais Jours (situationist)


Lovekills collective/festival (anarchafeminist)


Bands diy:

Pavilionul 32


Livia Sura


Haos


Nomega


The Bad Days Will End


As one of conditions was in 2009 when we started the new project of festival was not to collaborate with commercial sponsors of any kind, we find relevant only presence of public and bands, and the interactions and future actions between them!
so this will be in order to help the bands with transportation money... but other stuff such as: sound transportation, sleeping place, the space for the concerts and workshops, printed materials, food are just few of the other expenses for this years festival that we need help...this is why we appeal to bands playing this year, or other bands we worked with, and people we know...

One more detail frequently forgot, and most of the times shamefully not mentioned by local people... small collectives taking care of the events during the rest of the year (because its not just one event we do... it’s constant work) are sometimes faced with situations that is hard to imagine in many western countries... like sometimes not even having the money to buy bread or toilet paper (they always get pissed at me for saying this to people... but fuck off, this is reality... not apology). Asking such people to contribute from their own pockets would be hilarious.

It’s reality, that nobody complains is fucked... we just explain it, and do whatever we know, or can in order to survive.

So, please write to me in case you would be interested in organising a benefit concert or other type of event for this year’s Underground Festival in Timisoara.

If you are a band, and don’t want to organise a concert in your town... but want to play it... just write us, we are "diy gipsy mafia" most probably we know some collective or space which could help you make it in your town or area.

Also if you are person or group who want to help or need some band, or more info... just write me at: pavilionul32@yahoo.com and I will help.

WE REALISE THAT THERE ARE 100 BETTER CAUSES TO SUPPORT THAN THIS...
AND WE REALISE THAT THERE ARE 100 CONCERTS HAPPENING IN YOUR CITY IN THE NEXT FEW MONTHS...
BUT IF YOU, LIKE US, THINK THAT THIS ACTION DESERVES YOUR SUPPORT, BY ALL MEANS WRITE AND HELP... BECAUSE IT MATTERS."

Tavi