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1. Main trends in young people's creativity and cultural participation

2. Main concepts

Main trends in young people's creativity and cultural participation

According to the Cultural Consumption Barometer 2017, conducted by the National Institute for Cultural Research and Training, the cultural infrastructure in Romania included in 2017: 10 111 libraries, 431 museums and public collections, 90 cinemas with a total number of 13 887 470 spectators in 2017, compared to 8 348 538 spectators in 2012 in 81 cinemas, 174 performing arts and concert institutions and companies, 5319 historical monuments, 818 historical ensembles, 738 historical sites. The number of cultural infrastructure objectives is constant, varying with less than 10% in between 2012 and 2017 (the period considered by the Cultural Consumption Barometer 2017 for comparisons), with the exception of a significant increase in the number of cinematographers and film spectators.

During the COVID-19 pandemic young people (18-35 years old) are the age group that consumed most ‘non-public cultural products’, compared to other age groups. The ‘non-public cultural consumption’ included: listening to music, reading books, watching movies on streaming platforms, playing video and computer games, according to the report on the cultural consumption during the pandemic, published in 2021.

According to the same Cultural Consumption Barometer 2023, young people (ages 18–35) display a significantly higher participation rate in public entertainment events, such as local festivals and music shows, compared to older adults. For example, monthly participation in such events increased from 8% in 2014 to 19% in 2023 for this age group​. On the other hand, in 2023 only 14% of young people aged 18 to 35 had attended a theatre performance at least once in the previous six months. This marks a notable decline compared to 2014, when 31% of young people in a similar age category reported theatre attendance. The data suggests a downward trend in interest or accessibility concerning performing arts among youth. Conversely, young people demonstrate a greater inclination toward book fairs than any other age group. This suggests a continued interest in literary culture, albeit expressed in more social or event-based formats. However, this enthusiasm does not seem to extend to traditional reading spaces. Between 2014 and 2023, there has been a decline in library usage among young people aged 18 to 36, indicating a shift in how this generation accesses and interacts with literature. 

Main concepts

There are no specific concepts for the creativity and culture fields in Romania, however an important note has to be made related to cultural policies, programmes and initiatives dedicated to young people in Romania. With few exceptions, including the initiatives of the Students Cultural Centres and the programs dedicated to young creators, most of the programmes and projects targeting the young cultural public target both children and young people, without discrimination. Therefore, most of the initiatives promoting culture and cultural participation, social inclusion through culture or non-formal education in cultural fields target children and young people alike and the lack of monitoring and evaluation of these initiatives makes the estimation of the impact of these initiatives among young people impossible.