Silvia Floares, Weekend Sessions: “It was my belief that if we connect many interests, we will reach out to many communities and the program will grow faster and become more relevant in a shorter time”

During June 17-18, Weekend Sessions returns with a captivating array of festivities tailored for both the young at heart and the discerning adults, all taking place within the exquisite confines of the Museum of Recent Art. Business Review engaged in a conversation with Silvia Floares, the visionary orchestrator of these extraordinary affairs, delving into the motivations and inspirations that breathe life into this cultural initiative.

Weekend Sessions invites Bucharest residents and their friends to the Museum of Recent Art (Primăverii 15), from 16:00 to 21:00, for concerts, exhibitions, and workshops, as well as a selection of perfect drinks for warm summer evenings.

During the two days of the festival, visitors will be able to participate in music sessions featuring the duo Cristi Horia (violin) & Sorin Romanescu (guitar), Luna MAAR – jazz & folk, Electric Brother – live multimedia & electronic music, a classical harp session with Mariana Tudor, Two Sides Records – DJ set with vinyl records from a special selection.

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Furthermore, participants will have the opportunity to take part in sessions of poetry and contemporary dance, with verses by Iulian Tănase, dances with Adora Tănase and Raluca Adomnicăi, mindfulness sessions on the museum terrace with Teodora Iacob, as well as discussions and short film screenings by graduates of UNATC I.L. Caragiale. Children will enjoy theater workshops led by Alexia Mocănescu. Additionally, participants can visit the temporary and permanent exhibitions in the MARe collection throughout the evening.

Weekend sessions

Weekend sessions

How did you come up with the idea of this year’s edition of Weekend Sessions?

For the last two years we have been befriending the Bucharest Botanical Garden with a large public of adults and children throughout music, poetry, cinema, workshops, exhibitions, as well as special guests and artists. It is our belief that through meaningful gatherings the world opens and special connections with urban spaces like museums, gardens bring people closer together and nurture our mutual empathy, curiosity, and a sense of a community.

We have been watching the events and communication campaigns big European Museums put in place during the year and we wanted to start a mutual program for the most important museums and public gardens in Bucharest. We were fortunate enough to have the support of two great companies, UniCredit Bank and Aqua Carpatica.

What was the most difficult part in the process of creating this year’s edition?

2023 is the first year with multiple locations, for 7 months, around 20 days of events. We are aware this is a pilot year for a bigger and ambitious mission we set for our organization and all the effort is worthwhile imagining its full potential. The financial pressure is great because we compete with big and historical festivals and many free entry events.

All the museums and gardens that joined our endeavour have their own events and know the power of joint efforts in marketing and communication – it is just still quite difficult to ask them all to communicate as one and join forces and not see Weekend Sessions as just a solution to make some money, have new visitors and temporary visibility. But it is all to be expected it is the first time this happens in Romania. We hope at some point all museums will tap in the power of collaboration.

How do you approach collaboration and partnership building with artists, cultural organizations, and community stakeholders? What’s the key to manage all of them?

We try to approach artists, institutions, organizations, and companies that share our values and spirit in order to make sure it is not just a logo exchange but a true connection to valuable communities as well as communication channels. We are glad to have worked with partners such as: National University of Theatre and Cinematography “I. L. Caragiale”, University of Bucharest, National University of Music in Bucharest, The Order of Architects of Bucharest, The French Institute, Goethe Institute, Calea Victoriei Foundation, PRO TV, Igloo Magazine.

Weekend Sessions

Weekend Sessions

You said in a previous interview that “I have no idea what it’s like to do things easily”. Easy and creative are not in the same vocabulary, so how do you navigate the intricate realm of managing and nurturing all your projects?

Weekend Sessions is a complicated festival, many events, May-October, fragmented, with jazz, classical music and pop-indie, screenings, workshops, mindfulness, yoga, therapists, poetry, now also with museums & exhibitions. It was my belief that if we connect many interests, we will reach out to many communities and hence the program will grow faster and become more relevant in a shorter time. I did not consider the pressure a complicated project puts on the team but thankfully we have beside us wonderful and energic people.

As one of the few cultural organizers who advocate for ticketed cultural events, how challenging is it to gather an audience in a city where the agenda is dominated by free events? 

Romania has the lowest rate of cultural consumption in Europe – which means people do not buy tickets, books, workshops and are not actively invested in supporting artists and culture. Museums and cultural events are visited by a small segment of population – how can we make cultural events relevant to a larger audience, educated people, who visit museums and cultural events when travelling abroad and train the muscle of seeking out cultural contexts for personal development and for spending quality time together with friends and family.

Weekend Sessions is a friends and family festival, where you come to discover artists, feel good, relax and enjoy spaces and buildings that sometime intimidate you but can offer such an immense energy boost. Next events will take place at Muzeul Municipiului București: Casa Filipescu Cesianu, Calea Victoriei (July 1-2 / July 8-9, from 16.00-21.00), Muzeul Țăranului Român, (August 5-6, from 17:00-23.00), Muzeul Municipiului București: Garden & villa Nicolae Minovici (Sept 30- Oct 1 / Oct 7-8, from 15.00-20.00). Complete details are available here.