Mişcarea artistică de amatori la începuturile regimului Ceauşescu, 1965-1971
The Amateur Art Movement at the beginning of the Ceauşescu regime, 1965-1971

Summary/Abstract: This paper’s aim is to analyze the various organizational forms which preceded national festival „The Singing of Romania“ (Cântarea României), that is choruses, folklore groups, trade unions’ artistic brigades and so on. In the first years of the Ceauşescu regime the amateur performing arts were not a political priority for the leadership of Romanian Communist Party. The governmental authorities initiated legislative projects supporting financially the students’ and trade unions’ artistic brigades, and encouraged various contests and competitions involving amateur artists. I considered 1968 a turning point for the amateur art movement, too, due to various reasons. In the course of the year it is obvious the increasing personality cult; moreover, for the first time Ceauşescu was labeling aggressively those who opposed socialist system calling them nuts and promising that they will be punsihed. On the other hand, in Bucharest numerous students (approx. 2000, according to some sources) publicly showed their christian beliefs on Christmas Eve ignoring (or even manifested against) the official amateur performing artists’ program. In the same time, especially after 1968 the party and governmental authorities has introduced administrative and social structures that encouraged and demanded mass participation within the frame of amateur art movement.

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