In the summer of 2025, arts managers from Singapore’s LASALLE College of the Arts, BA (Hons) Arts Management programme were invited to present and participate at Sibiu International Theatre Festival (FITS) in Sibiu, Romania. FITS is a multi-faceted and complex festival of all arts that celebrates cultural diplomacy through the arts, blending all aspects of theater, dance, circus, film, musical, opera, books, conferences, exhibitions, performances, music and street shows. From conference presentations to a full boarding festival volunteer programme, the academic and student team brought back valuable insights and memorable experiences. 

For Singaporean arts managers, attending the SIBIU International Festival (FITS) was truly an eye-opening experience. Forget the rigidity of safety rails! We saw a world where artistic expression knows no bounds: circus acts unfolding in the middle of a town square, people gathering around marching bands and giant puppetry.

Such spontaneity was enjoyable, relaxing and powerfully intoxicating. It revealed how art can transform public spaces, foster unity, and create lasting emotional impact.The festival’s success lies in the deep trust between organisers, artists, and audiences, allowing bold performances to take place with remarkable control and care. The entire city radiated pride, with volunteers, hosts, and residents coming together to welcome the world and celebrate their shared love for the arts.

More than just performances, being in the festival was about feeling the electric energy of the event, the genius loci, the spirit of the place through every volunteer, audience member, artist, and performer. Since it was our first time at a large-scale festival like this, we were awed as people from all walks of life came to be united through a shared passion for the arts. The medley of passion, people, and purpose is best captured at this festival opening, which tells you this: you have to be there to experience it!

What strikes us the most was the menagerie of sound cultures! Through the Romanian gypsy orchestra performance, traditional Romanian sounds blended with music from all across the globe. It felt extremely foreign, yet somehow strangely familiar at the same time. Authentic cultural exchange was audibly happening. Through music and performance, Romanian, Hungarian and even Chinese elements embedded in each other through musical variations, folk songs and rhapsodies.

Sound became a shared, almost primal language, between local and international communities. While language may have been a barrier for most audiences, sound has become THE shared appreciation that brought international communities together, such as the Hungarian Rhapsody and the classic Csárdás in variation.

On the early morning of 21 June, in the quiet embrace of Sibiel’s Portal Village, we joined ‘Sounds that Walk’ by Maria Balabas. It was an hour-long guided performative sound walk that redefined the act of listening and space. This immersive experience transformed the natural landscape into a living stage, where every rustle of leaves, footsteps in nature became part of an unfolding narrative of singing. It was an unforgettable reminder of how place transforms art and I realised how deeply space shapes our perception. It reminded us that art is not static: it can move you, and what you experienced stays with you, even long after the performance ends.

For festival volunteers, Sibiu International Theatre Festival (FITS) 2025 was both enriching and transformative. Our responsibilities extended beyond logistics; we became a bridge between cultures, facilitating communication and ensuring smooth interactions among artists, organisers, and audiences. 

By actively engaging in Sibiu’s dynamic cultural setting, the volunteers developed skills in teamwork, intercultural communication, and adaptability, carrying with them a lasting appreciation for how festivals like FITS foster global unity through the arts. The entire experience of FITS served as an inspiring case study in the potential of arts festivals, not only in Romania but globally, including back home in Singapore. Summer break has never felt more special than this!

In true festival spirit, the FITS programme was exciting and constantly expanding day by day. There was no need to plan which event to attend, because the festival naturally flowed from the street into the main town square. Each festival day began at the entrance of the town - a marching band, highly acrobatic stiltwalkers, or giant puppetry on wheels! 

This act of placemaking is powerful because it creates a living backdrop where a huge international crowd naturally mixes with locals, sparking cross-cultural interactions that are hard to come by in a small city. It’s this very energy—this global buzz in a small Romanian city—that drives its urban regeneration and fuels the local economy.