Regaining a sense of belonging
Arts Lab 5.0
Alternative Museums for Small Towns & Villages
Arts Lab 5.0 brought together 12 international volunteers and 1,700+ participants to rethink culture, heritage, and identity. Through four alternative museums, we turned forgotten stories into interactive experiences, combining art, non-formal education, and community engagement. The project connected people across generations, created sustainable cultural spaces, and empowered young people to become leaders in their communities through creativity.
Romania
Local
Targu Frumos and the villages around
It addresses urban-rural linkages
It refers to other types of transformations (soft investment)
Yes
2024-05-30
Yes
European Solidarity Corps
No
No
As a representative of an organisation
In many small and rural towns, cultural spaces are limited, and history often feels distant, reserved for books and museums in big cities. Through Arts Lab 5.0 we wanted to change that.
By creating four alternative museums, we reimagined heritage, turning it into living, participatory, and meaningful activities for today’s communities. The project connected past and present by combining art, storytelling, and non-formal education with local traditions. We worked with 12 international volunteers from 9 countries, who helped co-create exhibitions, workshops, and cultural interventions alongside teachers, students, and artisans.
The four alternative museums we created:
1. JEMOM (Jewish Memorial Open-Air Museum) – A tribute to the 640 victims of the 1941 Pogrom, blending memory and environmental action.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1CSa-_5ycTuq5RUCOZF8MjuSUw9vbNUo6/view
2. Cucuteni Alternativ – Bringing 7,000 years of neolithic heritage into contemporary conversations on sustainability.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1xliEORdlYyWMF4jnTwFr3Rzih9p6fUvS/view
3. The Rroma Alternative Museum – A space for redefining identity, breaking stereotypes, and celebrating cultural richness.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1onkKnJ7QyWDJDZQxQXgBC3qS3ippdSiG/view
4. MAF (Alternative Folklore Museum) – A reimagining of folk traditions, using music, storytelling, and interactive art.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1wpSwaWSZLBfLndH1gRiCidIcs30viw41/view
Through creative residencies, exhibitions, and hands-on activities, we involved over 1700 beneficiaries from Iași county and Republic of Moldova, making heritage accessible, engaging, and relevant. Instead of just preserving history, we reconnected people to it, creating a sense of belonging, pride, and shared identity.
By creating four alternative museums, we reimagined heritage, turning it into living, participatory, and meaningful activities for today’s communities. The project connected past and present by combining art, storytelling, and non-formal education with local traditions. We worked with 12 international volunteers from 9 countries, who helped co-create exhibitions, workshops, and cultural interventions alongside teachers, students, and artisans.
The four alternative museums we created:
1. JEMOM (Jewish Memorial Open-Air Museum) – A tribute to the 640 victims of the 1941 Pogrom, blending memory and environmental action.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1CSa-_5ycTuq5RUCOZF8MjuSUw9vbNUo6/view
2. Cucuteni Alternativ – Bringing 7,000 years of neolithic heritage into contemporary conversations on sustainability.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1xliEORdlYyWMF4jnTwFr3Rzih9p6fUvS/view
3. The Rroma Alternative Museum – A space for redefining identity, breaking stereotypes, and celebrating cultural richness.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1onkKnJ7QyWDJDZQxQXgBC3qS3ippdSiG/view
4. MAF (Alternative Folklore Museum) – A reimagining of folk traditions, using music, storytelling, and interactive art.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1wpSwaWSZLBfLndH1gRiCidIcs30viw41/view
Through creative residencies, exhibitions, and hands-on activities, we involved over 1700 beneficiaries from Iași county and Republic of Moldova, making heritage accessible, engaging, and relevant. Instead of just preserving history, we reconnected people to it, creating a sense of belonging, pride, and shared identity.
Heritage
Creativity
Community
Inclusion
Sustainability
During Arts Lab 5.0 we worked with existing spaces, giving them new purposes instead of creating something from scratch. The materials, the methods, and even the themes of our museums focused on how to make cultural heritage sustainable for the future.
What we did:
- Repurposed spaces - Schools became museums, classrooms turned into galleries, and abandoned corners of the town became storytelling hubs.
- Recycled materials in art - Over 30% of the artworks created by volunteers and participants used recycled or natural materials, integrating waste reduction into the creative process.
- Nature as part of culture - In JEMOM, we committed to planting 640 trees in memory of the Jewish victims of the Pogrom, linking history with environmental action.
- Cucuteni Alternativ as a model - The Cucuteni civilization had a strong connection with nature, involvement of the women in all structures of the society and pottery, and we used their heritage to spark conversations on gender equality and sustainability today.
By focusing on sustainable cultural spaces, environmental protection, and long-term impact, the project became a model for how to integrate heritage, art, and environmental responsibility in small communities.
What we did:
- Repurposed spaces - Schools became museums, classrooms turned into galleries, and abandoned corners of the town became storytelling hubs.
- Recycled materials in art - Over 30% of the artworks created by volunteers and participants used recycled or natural materials, integrating waste reduction into the creative process.
- Nature as part of culture - In JEMOM, we committed to planting 640 trees in memory of the Jewish victims of the Pogrom, linking history with environmental action.
- Cucuteni Alternativ as a model - The Cucuteni civilization had a strong connection with nature, involvement of the women in all structures of the society and pottery, and we used their heritage to spark conversations on gender equality and sustainability today.
By focusing on sustainable cultural spaces, environmental protection, and long-term impact, the project became a model for how to integrate heritage, art, and environmental responsibility in small communities.
Arts Lab 5.0 transformed culture into experience, making history, identity, and heritage something you feel, touch, and interact with, and all with the help of 12 volunteers from nine countries. The alternative museums weren’t just about displaying the past—they were about making it alive and relevant today.
The aesthetic approach was deeply rooted in local identity while being open to global influences. The Cucuteni Alternative Museum, for example, reinterpreted 7,000-year-old artistic symbols through modern installations, linking the past to contemporary conversations about sustainability, gender issues and artistic expression. The Jewish Memorial Open-Air Museum transformed memory into experience, using space and visual storytelling to commemorate the victims of the 1941 Pogrom in Târgu Frumos. The Rroma Alternative Museum challenged stereotypes by presenting Rroma crafts, music, and traditions as vibrant, evolving cultural elements rather than static. Meanwhile, the Alternative Folklore Museum brought together young people and elders to revive folk traditions through music, movement, and creative expression.
By taking cultural storytelling beyond galleries and into public spaces, Arts Lab 5.0 turned culture into an everyday experience. Schools became museums, classrooms turned into workshops, and outdoor areas hosted installations that invited interaction. The aesthetic value of the project lay not just in the artistic works themselves, but in the way they encouraged people to see their surroundings, their history, and their cultural identity with fresh eyes.
Young people played a central role in shaping the alternative museums, contributing their creativity, perspectives, and personal stories. Through co-creation workshops, they transformed abstract historical themes into tangible artistic expressions, strengthening their connection to local heritage. By actively engaging in the design and storytelling process, they developed a deeper sense of belonging.
The aesthetic approach was deeply rooted in local identity while being open to global influences. The Cucuteni Alternative Museum, for example, reinterpreted 7,000-year-old artistic symbols through modern installations, linking the past to contemporary conversations about sustainability, gender issues and artistic expression. The Jewish Memorial Open-Air Museum transformed memory into experience, using space and visual storytelling to commemorate the victims of the 1941 Pogrom in Târgu Frumos. The Rroma Alternative Museum challenged stereotypes by presenting Rroma crafts, music, and traditions as vibrant, evolving cultural elements rather than static. Meanwhile, the Alternative Folklore Museum brought together young people and elders to revive folk traditions through music, movement, and creative expression.
By taking cultural storytelling beyond galleries and into public spaces, Arts Lab 5.0 turned culture into an everyday experience. Schools became museums, classrooms turned into workshops, and outdoor areas hosted installations that invited interaction. The aesthetic value of the project lay not just in the artistic works themselves, but in the way they encouraged people to see their surroundings, their history, and their cultural identity with fresh eyes.
Young people played a central role in shaping the alternative museums, contributing their creativity, perspectives, and personal stories. Through co-creation workshops, they transformed abstract historical themes into tangible artistic expressions, strengthening their connection to local heritage. By actively engaging in the design and storytelling process, they developed a deeper sense of belonging.
Arts Lab 5.0 was designed as a project where everyone had a voice, demonstrating how culture can truly belong to everyone. Instead of presenting history from a single perspective, the project actively included diverse people and communities.
Affordability was a key focus throughout the project. All exhibitions and activities were free and took place in schools and public spaces, ensuring that financial barriers did not prevent participation. Workshops and installations were designed to be interactive, so that even those without prior knowledge of the themes could engage and contribute. Special attention was given to creating experiences for people with disabilities, including tactile and auditory components for the over 30 visually impaired participants directly included.
The project also encouraged intergenerational exchange, bringing together young volunteers, students, and elderly community members. Elders shared traditional crafts, folk songs, and local stories, while younger participants helped reinterpret these traditions through modern artistic methods. This ensured that cultural knowledge was not just preserved but evolved in a way that resonated with today’s youth.
Arts Lab 5.0 also fostered stronger collaboration with local authorities, who became increasingly interested in supporting cultural initiatives and are now committed to future partnerships. The project actively engaged marginalized communities, including visually impaired youth, as well the Rroma community from Pașcani and Zmeu, ensuring their cultural heritage and stories were represented. By involving these groups in co-creation activities, Arts Lab 5.0 promoted diversity, encouraged social inclusion, and empowered participants to reclaim their cultural narratives.
Affordability was a key focus throughout the project. All exhibitions and activities were free and took place in schools and public spaces, ensuring that financial barriers did not prevent participation. Workshops and installations were designed to be interactive, so that even those without prior knowledge of the themes could engage and contribute. Special attention was given to creating experiences for people with disabilities, including tactile and auditory components for the over 30 visually impaired participants directly included.
The project also encouraged intergenerational exchange, bringing together young volunteers, students, and elderly community members. Elders shared traditional crafts, folk songs, and local stories, while younger participants helped reinterpret these traditions through modern artistic methods. This ensured that cultural knowledge was not just preserved but evolved in a way that resonated with today’s youth.
Arts Lab 5.0 also fostered stronger collaboration with local authorities, who became increasingly interested in supporting cultural initiatives and are now committed to future partnerships. The project actively engaged marginalized communities, including visually impaired youth, as well the Rroma community from Pașcani and Zmeu, ensuring their cultural heritage and stories were represented. By involving these groups in co-creation activities, Arts Lab 5.0 promoted diversity, encouraged social inclusion, and empowered participants to reclaim their cultural narratives.
The artistic dimension was central to the project, with international artists leading creative workshops, designing exhibitions, and experimenting with new ways to present cultural narratives. Teachers and students played a vital role in shaping the alternative museums, using their schools as creative spaces where history and art met. Over 1700 young people and adults became curators of their own cultural narratives, designing installations and attending workshops about their heritage, facilitated by artists from nine different countries. Arts Lab 5.0 was not a project imposed on a community—it was co-designed and co-implemented,, built from within.
The broader community was also engaged through exhibitions, open events, and public art installations. Many visitors became participants, contributing their own memories, stories, or artistic expressions to the evolving museum spaces. The impact of this involvement was significant—citizens felt ownership over the project, and instead of viewing cultural heritage as something distant or formal, they experienced it as something alive and personal.
Arts Lab 5.0 also strengthened civil society by inspiring new youth involvement. Several participants, after co-designing and co-implementing activities, became eager to continue engaging in cultural projects. This increased interest shows that the projects not only revitalized heritage but also empowered young people to take an active role in their communities. Through shared creation, participants regained a sense of belonging, seeing their identity reflected in cultural spaces they helped shape.
The broader community was also engaged through exhibitions, open events, and public art installations. Many visitors became participants, contributing their own memories, stories, or artistic expressions to the evolving museum spaces. The impact of this involvement was significant—citizens felt ownership over the project, and instead of viewing cultural heritage as something distant or formal, they experienced it as something alive and personal.
Arts Lab 5.0 also strengthened civil society by inspiring new youth involvement. Several participants, after co-designing and co-implementing activities, became eager to continue engaging in cultural projects. This increased interest shows that the projects not only revitalized heritage but also empowered young people to take an active role in their communities. Through shared creation, participants regained a sense of belonging, seeing their identity reflected in cultural spaces they helped shape.
Arts Lab 5.0 was built on strong partnerships, ensuring that the project was well-supported and had a lasting impact. At the local level, 10 schools and 4 village halls provided crucial logistical support, opening their spaces for workshops, exhibitions, and community events. These partnerships ensured that the alternative museums remained active beyond the initial project, becoming part of the schools' ongoing educational programs.
Cultural institutions, such as the Cucuteni Museum of Alexandru Ioan Cuza Iasi University and NGOs played a key role in shaping the educational content, connecting Arts Lab 5.0 with regional arts networks and offering expertise in cultural management. European stakeholders, including the European Solidarity Corps and Erasmus+, contributed by facilitating international volunteer exchanges, allowing young people from different backgrounds to share knowledge and perspectives.
The collaboration between these different levels of stakeholders added immense value to the project. Schools benefited from new educational approaches, municipalities gained cultural initiatives that strengthened local identity, and European partners saw how a small-town project could create a replicable model for cultural regeneration, demonstrating how cross-sector collaboration can lead to innovative and sustainable cultural solutions.
Thanks to a grant from EUNIC Romania and EUNIC Moldova, we expanded our impact through the Arts Lab caravan, reaching five communities in the Republic of Moldova. In total, we collaborated with 18 organizations from Romania and Moldova, including cultural institutions, NGOs, and local authorities, creating a cross-sector network that amplified the project's reach and long-term sustainability.
Cultural institutions, such as the Cucuteni Museum of Alexandru Ioan Cuza Iasi University and NGOs played a key role in shaping the educational content, connecting Arts Lab 5.0 with regional arts networks and offering expertise in cultural management. European stakeholders, including the European Solidarity Corps and Erasmus+, contributed by facilitating international volunteer exchanges, allowing young people from different backgrounds to share knowledge and perspectives.
The collaboration between these different levels of stakeholders added immense value to the project. Schools benefited from new educational approaches, municipalities gained cultural initiatives that strengthened local identity, and European partners saw how a small-town project could create a replicable model for cultural regeneration, demonstrating how cross-sector collaboration can lead to innovative and sustainable cultural solutions.
Thanks to a grant from EUNIC Romania and EUNIC Moldova, we expanded our impact through the Arts Lab caravan, reaching five communities in the Republic of Moldova. In total, we collaborated with 18 organizations from Romania and Moldova, including cultural institutions, NGOs, and local authorities, creating a cross-sector network that amplified the project's reach and long-term sustainability.
The project combined art, history, education, sustainability, and social work, ensuring that every aspect was considered from multiple perspectives.
This interdisciplinary approach made the project more dynamic and impactful. It ensured that Arts Lab 5.0 was not just an art project, not just a historical exhibition, and not just an educational initiative—but a powerful combination of all three, where each field enriched the others. The exchange of knowledge between artists, educators, and community members created an innovative model for how culture can be used as a tool for learning, empowerment, and social change.
We worked closely with four long-term partner schools in Târgu Frumos, where we organized four week art residencies for 525 students, integrating arts and heritage into the educational process. Teachers and artists worked together to design interactive workshops, ensuring that cultural content was both engaging and educational, while historians, ethnographers and local elders provided authentic narratives. Collaboration with 18 organizations from Romania and Moldova strengthened the project’s reach, demonstrating how cross-sector cooperation can create innovative, community-driven cultural spaces.
This interdisciplinary approach made the project more dynamic and impactful. It ensured that Arts Lab 5.0 was not just an art project, not just a historical exhibition, and not just an educational initiative—but a powerful combination of all three, where each field enriched the others. The exchange of knowledge between artists, educators, and community members created an innovative model for how culture can be used as a tool for learning, empowerment, and social change.
We worked closely with four long-term partner schools in Târgu Frumos, where we organized four week art residencies for 525 students, integrating arts and heritage into the educational process. Teachers and artists worked together to design interactive workshops, ensuring that cultural content was both engaging and educational, while historians, ethnographers and local elders provided authentic narratives. Collaboration with 18 organizations from Romania and Moldova strengthened the project’s reach, demonstrating how cross-sector cooperation can create innovative, community-driven cultural spaces.
Arts Lab 5.0 introduced an alternative museum model, a concept that shifted away from traditional, static exhibitions and transformed everyday spaces into interactive, community-driven cultural hubs. Unlike conventional museums that require significant infrastructure and funding, this project demonstrated how existing spaces such as schools, public areas, and underused spaces could become living cultural experiences through participatory methods.
The project challenged mainstream cultural initiatives by blurring the lines between audience and creator. Instead of visitors passively observing history or art, they actively contributed through storytelling, workshops, and co-creation sessions.
Unlike standard heritage projects that focus primarily on preservation, Arts Lab 5.0 focused on activation—turning history and traditions into living, evolving processes shaped by those who engage with them. The combination of international volunteers, local artisans, and marginalized communities ensured that the project was diverse, inclusive, and sustainable, rather than dependent on institutional structures.
The project challenged mainstream cultural initiatives by blurring the lines between audience and creator. Instead of visitors passively observing history or art, they actively contributed through storytelling, workshops, and co-creation sessions.
Unlike standard heritage projects that focus primarily on preservation, Arts Lab 5.0 focused on activation—turning history and traditions into living, evolving processes shaped by those who engage with them. The combination of international volunteers, local artisans, and marginalized communities ensured that the project was diverse, inclusive, and sustainable, rather than dependent on institutional structures.
The methodology of Arts Lab 5.0 was rooted in experiential learning, co-creation, and site-specific artistic interventions. The project followed a four-stage process that ensured deep community engagement:
1. Research & Documentation – Volunteers and local participants explored the cultural themes of the alternative museums through field visits, interviews, and archival research. Oral histories played a significant role in shaping the content.
2. Creative Co-Creation – Artists, students, and community members worked together to design interactive installations, murals, performances, and storytelling events, ensuring that cultural knowledge was transferred through creative processes.
3. Public Engagement – Schools hosted exhibitions and workshops, while public spaces were used for events, festivals and interactive installations, ensuring broad participation.
4. Sustainability & Legacy – The installations were designed to remain in place as ongoing cultural resources, ensuring long-term impact beyond the project’s initial duration.
The alternative museum methodology was particularly effective in small-town and rural environments where access to cultural institutions is limited, but also the interactions with organisations and institutions from bigger cities (Iași, Chișinău, Bacău) showed the high potential of the methodology. By using low-cost, adaptable techniques, it allowed culture to be integrated into everyday life rather than being confined to specialized institutions.
1. Research & Documentation – Volunteers and local participants explored the cultural themes of the alternative museums through field visits, interviews, and archival research. Oral histories played a significant role in shaping the content.
2. Creative Co-Creation – Artists, students, and community members worked together to design interactive installations, murals, performances, and storytelling events, ensuring that cultural knowledge was transferred through creative processes.
3. Public Engagement – Schools hosted exhibitions and workshops, while public spaces were used for events, festivals and interactive installations, ensuring broad participation.
4. Sustainability & Legacy – The installations were designed to remain in place as ongoing cultural resources, ensuring long-term impact beyond the project’s initial duration.
The alternative museum methodology was particularly effective in small-town and rural environments where access to cultural institutions is limited, but also the interactions with organisations and institutions from bigger cities (Iași, Chișinău, Bacău) showed the high potential of the methodology. By using low-cost, adaptable techniques, it allowed culture to be integrated into everyday life rather than being confined to specialized institutions.
The success of Arts Lab 5.0 came from its flexible, low-cost, and community-driven model, making it highly transferable to other locations and contexts. The alternative museum concept does not require a dedicated building or expensive infrastructure—it only needs engaged people, a space, and willingness to experiment with cultural storytelling.
Key elements that could be replicated in other places include:
- The use of schools as cultural spaces, ensuring that young people are actively involved in shaping their own cultural narratives.
- The integration of marginalized communities in cultural projects, such as the direct involvement of Rroma and rural youth in shaping exhibitions about their heritage.
- A focus on co-creation rather than passive consumption, allowing cultural projects to be led by the communities they represent rather than external experts.
- The blending of artistic expression with historical memory, ensuring that heritage remains relevant and engaging for modern audiences.
- The multiculturality, involving international artists as volunteer facilitators connects and unites Europe.
Because the methodology was non-reliant on formal museum structures, it could be adapted to other small towns, rural communities, and even urban neighborhoods looking for new ways to activate public spaces through culture.
Key elements that could be replicated in other places include:
- The use of schools as cultural spaces, ensuring that young people are actively involved in shaping their own cultural narratives.
- The integration of marginalized communities in cultural projects, such as the direct involvement of Rroma and rural youth in shaping exhibitions about their heritage.
- A focus on co-creation rather than passive consumption, allowing cultural projects to be led by the communities they represent rather than external experts.
- The blending of artistic expression with historical memory, ensuring that heritage remains relevant and engaging for modern audiences.
- The multiculturality, involving international artists as volunteer facilitators connects and unites Europe.
Because the methodology was non-reliant on formal museum structures, it could be adapted to other small towns, rural communities, and even urban neighborhoods looking for new ways to activate public spaces through culture.
Arts Lab 5.0 addressed several global challenges outlined in the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by implementing localized, community-driven solutions, proving that culture can be a tool for sustainable development, social inclusion, and identity building.
The project responded to the decline of cultural participation in rural areas, aligning with SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities, by making culture accessible where it was needed most. Instead of requiring people to visit museums in large cities, Arts Lab 5.0 brought the museum to them, using schools and public spaces as platforms for cultural engagement.
It also tackled the issue of heritage loss, pertinent to SDG 4: Quality Education, by engaging young people in rediscovering and reinterpreting local traditions. The project’s focus on interactive and creative learning ensured that traditions were not only preserved but evolved in ways that felt relevant to contemporary society.
The project also promoted environmental sustainability, addressing SDG 13: Climate Action, by integrating eco-conscious initiatives such as planting 640 trees in the memory of the victims of Târgu Frumos Pogrom / Death Train (1941) and utilizing recycled materials in art installations.
The project responded to the decline of cultural participation in rural areas, aligning with SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities, by making culture accessible where it was needed most. Instead of requiring people to visit museums in large cities, Arts Lab 5.0 brought the museum to them, using schools and public spaces as platforms for cultural engagement.
It also tackled the issue of heritage loss, pertinent to SDG 4: Quality Education, by engaging young people in rediscovering and reinterpreting local traditions. The project’s focus on interactive and creative learning ensured that traditions were not only preserved but evolved in ways that felt relevant to contemporary society.
The project also promoted environmental sustainability, addressing SDG 13: Climate Action, by integrating eco-conscious initiatives such as planting 640 trees in the memory of the victims of Târgu Frumos Pogrom / Death Train (1941) and utilizing recycled materials in art installations.
Over 1,700 participants from 12 rural and urban communities engaged in cultural activities, developing skills in creative expression, storytelling, and artistic production. Through free workshops, youth and adults connected with heritage interactively. 12 international volunteers, each with unique artistic skills, co-created exhibitions, mentored locals, and expanded the organization’s methods. Their experiences in Târgu Frumos made them ambassadors of the alternative museum concept, sharing it in their home countries. Over 50 unique artistic products were created, enriching the Alternative Museums’ collections and ensuring long-term sustainability. Testimonials are here: https://www.supertineri.org/search/label/Arts_Lab_5.0.
The project established 4 alternative museums, transforming heritage into participatory experiences. The Jewish Memorial Open-Air Museum became a space for remembrance and dialogue, blending historical reflection with environmental action. The Rroma Alternative Museum empowered a marginalized community by reclaiming its cultural legacy. The Cucuteni Alternative Museum linked neolithic heritage to contemporary sustainability discussions, while the Alternative Folklore Museum revitalized local traditions.
At the institutional level, the project strengthened partnerships between 18 schools, public authorities, cultural institutions, and international organizations from Romania and Moldova. Schools incorporated the alternative museums into their non-formal curricula, ensuring their ongoing role as educational resources.
So far, 48 young artists from over 20 countries have participated in long-term volunteer mobilities in Târgu Frumos. Arts Lab 5.0 builds on methodologies from previous editions (Arts Lab 1to 4) and will continue evolving until 2028 when hosted 100 international volunteers, created 30 new exhibitions and installations, and organized an international short-term volunteering project to contribute to a more joyful world.
The project established 4 alternative museums, transforming heritage into participatory experiences. The Jewish Memorial Open-Air Museum became a space for remembrance and dialogue, blending historical reflection with environmental action. The Rroma Alternative Museum empowered a marginalized community by reclaiming its cultural legacy. The Cucuteni Alternative Museum linked neolithic heritage to contemporary sustainability discussions, while the Alternative Folklore Museum revitalized local traditions.
At the institutional level, the project strengthened partnerships between 18 schools, public authorities, cultural institutions, and international organizations from Romania and Moldova. Schools incorporated the alternative museums into their non-formal curricula, ensuring their ongoing role as educational resources.
So far, 48 young artists from over 20 countries have participated in long-term volunteer mobilities in Târgu Frumos. Arts Lab 5.0 builds on methodologies from previous editions (Arts Lab 1to 4) and will continue evolving until 2028 when hosted 100 international volunteers, created 30 new exhibitions and installations, and organized an international short-term volunteering project to contribute to a more joyful world.
