FABER · Timișoara, Romania

7–10 October 2026

ENTRY

Free to attend · Registration required · Donations welcome

Why Culture Matters returns to Timișoara for its third edition, taking place from 7 to 10 October 2026 at FABER. Over four days, we bring together people who research, protect, interpret and pass on cultural heritage to discuss its role in contemporary society and why culture matters.

Cultural heritage is more than the buildings, objects, places or traditions we have inherited. It shapes how we construct identity, memory and a sense of belonging, how we understand the past and relate to the present. And what we choose to protect, interpret or pass on says something about the kind of society we want to build.

The 2026 edition approaches these questions through three interconnected themes: Heritage under Threat, Heritage Narratives and Heritage Literacy & Education. What happens when heritage comes under threat? How do we learn to recognise it, understand it and care for it? Who shapes the stories we tell about heritage, and how do these narratives influence what a community chooses to preserve, forget or pass on?

Through case studies, discussions and workshops, Why Culture Matters brings local and international experiences into dialogue, along with responses, methods and tools that can be put into practice.

This edition also marks the beginning of the Cultural Heritage School, a non-formal education and cultural mediation programme that Asociația Prin Banat will develop from 2027 onwards, building in part on the ideas and formats tested during the symposium.

More details.