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Discover the 2025 Conference

The world beyond the wardrobe, where all sorts of things can happen

Our events seek to embody Lewis’s own conviction that the riches of scholarship belong not to the academia alone, but to the whole community. Where imagination becomes thinking in the lecture hall, it also can and should indeed become living in schools, halls, streets, cafés and homes of Iași.

By welcoming the public into this dialogue between past wisdom and present questions, we seek to show how imagination, wonder, and the arts are essential nourishment for every human soul, thus enriching the everyday lives of pupils, students, and ordinary citizens: transforming academic inquiry into shared cultural inheritance.

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academia

Where imagination becomes thinking

Contributions from over 50 scholars across literary criticism and literary history, applied linguistics, philosophy, theology, history, arts and law

Engaging interdisciplinary lectures, panels, and presentations

World-class voices from Cambridge, Oxford, Bucharest, New York, and more!

Opportunities for research papers to feature in leading publications: 

  • Linguaculture (indexed journal –  See here)
  • Alexandru Ioan Cuza University Press

Speakers from 17 countries: United States, England, Romania, Germany, Canada, N. Ireland, France, Serbia, Rwanda, Australia, Haiti, Poland, Wales, Mexico, Kenya, Scotland
South Korea

art

Where thinking becomes making

Art Exhibition: Features of Immutable Realities

  • Immersive visual experience in UAIC’s Hall of Echoing Footsteps
  • Featuring 70+ works by globally renowned and up-and-coming artists 
  • Global and local contributions
  • “Hurin the Captive Memory” – a 3D VR Experience about curse, memory and suffering

The contemporary exhibition entitled “Features of immutable realities” presents a range of artistic ideas unifiied through the central thematic focus of spiritual and existential nature, drawing inspiration from the literary works of C. S. Lewis, especially the subjects of imagination and faith. The artistic compositions seek to elicit a sense of tension between what is visible and what is not, manifested in a variety of ways. These include the juxtaposition of the desolate, industrial landscape and the revitalization of natural environments, as well as the philosophical pursuit of internal truth and of a comprehension of the concept of eternity. The imagination serves as a medium of acquiring knowledge and can be considered in the context of Lewis’s conceptualizations concerning Narnia or the symbolically transposed reality of the world. Other ideas focus on Christian symbolism, exploring the connection between humans and nature through the fragility of material existence, or the profound enigma of prayer and the fortitude to confront spiritual darkness.

“Features of immutable realities” is designed to provoke contemplation among viewers on themes of identity, temporal perception and enlightenment. It also promotes introspection and enables the perception of realities which trancends a purely tangible understanding of reality.

Creative Workshop: Un-Dragoning

  • Interactive visual art activity — all guests invited to participate in this communal project
  • Creating eco-gear garment inspired by symbols from C. S. Lewis’ imaginative world

Street Art Mural – The word beyond the wardrobe

  • Large-scale mural installation by local Romanian artist Alexa Lincu 
  • Inspired by the impact of C. S. Lewis’s writing on the former communist landscape of Eastern Europe

Lectures: Artist Presentations on Various Projects

  • Artists from 15+ countries represented 
  • Distinguished creators including Ross Wilson, Liviu Mocan, Owen A. Barfield
  • Reflections on vocation and the creative process, research on various artistic disciplines, and first-look presentations of works-in-progress

Artworks from 8 countries: Romania, Italy, Bosnia, Croatia, United Kingdom, Austria, Bulgaria, United States

culture

Where making becomes sharing

School & University Workshops 

  • Interactive workshops for students bridging imagination, literature and the arts
  • Featuring numerous speakers from the Conference, representing a variety of disciplines

Rodi’s Hunger

World Premiere

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An immersive, multi-disciplinary theatrical experience with live orchestrations composed by Christ Mitchell (UK), with original choreography by Kennedy Muntanga (Zambia) — featuring acclaimed performers, dancers, and singers from across the globe

Starring Joy-Anna Gooch (UK) and Rebbeca Rodgers (AUS) at the Palace of Culture

Joy-Anna Gooch

Kennedy Muntanaga

Rebecca Rogers

Romanian Cultural Dinner 

  • An evening of traditional music, folklore, and cuisine for international guests

Day Trip on November 22nd: Journey Through Romanian Heritage 

  • Embark on a cultural pilgrimage to Bucovina’s historic monasteries 
  • Once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for a religious, historical, and cultural adventure into Romania’s mysterious past 
More about the trip

community

Where sharing becomes communion

ImagineArea, The Art of Living 

  • Unwind with the community, engaging in a casual atmosphere of art, poetry, stand-up comedy, and music 
  • A perfect way to connect, unwind, let the creative juices flow — and be immersed in the art of living

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Day trip to Bukovina

  • Leave at 9:00
  • Return to Iasi at 20:00

Probota Monastery

Probota Monastery is a Romanian Orthodox monastery situated in Probota village, Dolhasca town, Suceava County, Romania. It is one of eight buildings that make up the Churches of Moldavia UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is the oldest monastic centre recorded in the area – in 1398, which suggests an earlier religious establishment. The monastery was dedicated to St Nicholas, celebrated on December 6thAs successive buildings were destroyed by cataclysms, a new stone church was raised in 1530 on order from Prince Petru Rares, Stephen the Great’s natural son – and heir. This was completed 20 years later by the Prince’s widow and children, with strong fortified walls more than 1 m thick, and three corner towers, which made it look like a fortress. The plan is triconch (three apses connected by a rectangle) and the complex consists of the altar, the nave, a special room holding the founders’ tombs (gropnița), the narthex (vestibule) and an ancient element (exonarthex) opening to the west – a spectacular Gothic element, unique in Moldavian architecture. The style has late Renaissance influences.  The framework of the doors and windows, all different in shape, size and style, are influenced some by the Gothic style, some by the Renaissance. The interior and exterior frescos are in perfect harmony with the space they cover. The restoration dating 1996-2001 recovered the old images from under an 1844 repainting. An interesting and innovative feature is the presence under the Pantocrator of a cycle depicting the angelic hierarchies inspired from Dionysius the Areopagite.

The frescoes in the nave are structured along three cycles: the Church Festivals, the Passions, and another one dedicated to St. Nicholas and his intercession for the Christians. A spectacular Dormition of the Mother of God covers the western cove. Much of the rest of the paintings represent the first six months of the Menologion (the liturgical calendar with each day dedicated to a saint), while the second half is represented in the pronave. The exonartex stands out for its ample Last Judgment. The external frescoes, although very deteriorated, are impressive for their delicate chromatic scale; only those on the southern wall bear recognizable scenes from the Hymn (Hymnos Akatistos) to the Mother of God and the Tree of Jesse. The complex also includes the Prince’s Residence, the bell tower, and the monks’ cells.

Voroneț Monastery

The Voroneț Monastery is a medieval monastery in the Romanian village of Voroneț, now a part of the town Gura Humorului. It is one of the famous painted monasteries from southern Bukovina, in Suceava County. The monastery was constructed by Stephen the Great in 1488 over a period of 3 months and 3 weeks to commemorate the victory at Battle of Vaslui. Often known as the “Sistine Chapel of the East” for its vivid frescoes, Voroneț’s walls feature an intense shade of blue known in Romania as “Voroneț blue.” The age of the monastic site is not known, however, the was dedicated to Saint George.

Voroneţ was also known for its school of calligraphy, where priests, monks and friars learned to read, write and translate religious texts. The school produced two notable copies of Romanian translations of the Bible: The Codex of Voroneț, discovered in 1871, and The Psalter of Voroneț, found in 1882, now at the Romanian Academy.

The church was built on a triconch plan (with three apses), with a chancel, a naos with its tower, and a pronaos. The small windows, their rectangular frames of crossed rods and the receding pointed or shouldered arches of the interior doorframes are Gothic. The south and north doors of the exonarthex of 1547 have rectangular frames, which indicate a transition period from Gothic to Renaissance. But, above them, on each wall is a tall window with a flamboyant Gothic arch. The whole west façade is without any openings, which indicates that the intention was from the beginning to reserve it for frescoes.

Like the other painted churches, the frescoes from Voronet date from different periods. The interior paintings are the oldest, from the time of the founder, Stephen the Great, pictured in the nave together with his family. Bible stories with Virgin Mary and Jesus decorate the nave, while the narthex presents the life of Saint George and the Orthodox calendar in the small scenes of Byzantine inspiration.

Still, the exterior frescoes, painted decades later, remain the most impressive. The largest of all, the scene of the Last Judgment is a singular work of art for Eastern Christianity. Covering the entire western wall, the ample story of the last day unfolds in a dramatic way. Heaven and hell, separated by the river of fire, are in constant opposition. A cheerful Satan greets the sinners while King David sings to the deceased, archangel Michael pushes the condemned to eternal suffering, and Peters holds the key to heaven. On a more tragic note, the Ressurection of the Dead and the image of God, surrounded by angels that fold a scroll with the zodiacal signs, announce the end of time on Earth. Local cultural elements like musical instruments, traditional clothing, and nearby landscapes, also stand out.

The monastic life at Voronet stopped at the end of the 18th century after Bucovina was conquered by the Habsburg Empire. It only started again only in 1991.

Humor Monastery

Built in 1530 on the premises of an older church, the monastery of Humor has several particularities that differentiate it from other painted churches, including its smaller size and the absence of a steeple from its cross-shaped roof. These distinctive elements indicate the position of its founder who was a rich first rank court official but was not a prince.

Humor Monastery kept its religious function until Bucovina became part of the Habsburg Empire at the end of the 18th century. The Austrian authorities put an end to the monachal life from Humor, and only the church was allowed to continue with its religious functions. The monastery was only restored more than 200 years later, in 1991.

Built as a triconch church, the architecture of the edifice combines Gothic elements, visible in the shape of doors and windows, with local elements already used before in the painted churches from Bucovina. The church has another particular element, an open porch with arcades that marks the entrance to the narthex. The open porch from Humor Monastery is inspired by local architecture and potentially by the Italian Renaissance loggia. Another new element is a secret space hidden above the burial area inside the church where precious objects were stored in case of attacks.

At Humor Monastery, the dominant colour of the background is red. The painting of the church started in 1535, and, although partially deteriorated, the chromatic unity is still visible. The best-conserved paintings are those from the southern side, including Biblical scenes like the Last Judgment, the Annunciation, and the Parable of the Prodigal Son. These Biblical themes are combined with adapted historical stories like ‘Constantinople’s Siege’. The painters replaced the Persians with the Ottomans, and portraying the Ottomans as the biggest enemy had much to do with the constant threat of an Ottoman invasion and its menace to Christianity.

Miclauseni Palace

The Sturdza Palace at Miclăușeni or Sturdza Castle at Miclăușeni  is a historic monument in the village of Miclăușeni, 65 km (40 mi) from the city of Iași. Dating from the 17th century, it is surrounded by the Miclăușeni Monastery Park, dating from the 18th century.

In 1752, Lord Ioan Sturdza rebuilt the boyar mansion, which now had 20 rooms, ten of them on each floor. Alecu Sturdza Miclăușanu, built a park of 42 hectares (100 acres) all stylized as an English Garden with ornamental tree species and numerous flower beds. Alecu, as a hobby, dealt in the collection and preservation of rare books and manuscripts, which further added to the richness of the Palace. Even future Prime Minister Mihail Kogălniceanu spoke of the rare books and manuscripts collected by the estate. Between 1880 and 1904, George Sturdza built on the site of the old Manor the late Gothic architectural palace that exists today. He wanted the Palace complex to mimic the feudal castles of the West, also be reminiscent of the Palace of Culture in Iasi, and lastly also of the Lord Alexandru Cuza’s palace in Ruginoasa. Inside, the castle had central staircases made of Dalmatian marble, meticulously carved rosewood furniture, terracotta, porcelain or earthenware stoves bought from abroad, parquet floors inlaid with inlaid wood of rosewood, mahogany, oak and ebony, made by Austrian craftsmen and featuring geometric and floral motifs. The ceilings and interior walls were painted in oil [4], with numerous Latin sayings inscribed on them. The wooden parts of the building (doors, windows, panelling, interior staircases) are made of oak, yew and resinous wood, and are richly carved, profiled, tracery-worked and polished with a saddle-stitched furniture style.

During the First World War, the castle housed a military hospital and Maria Ghica and Ecaterina Cantacuzino helped the wounded as nurses. The great composer George Enescu visited the castle, performing among the beds of the wounded. In 1944, due to the approach of the front, the palace was abandoned. It was used as a home for orphans under Communist rule, counter to the wishes of daughter Catherine Sturdza who became a nun and donated the property to become a nunnery, which it finally became in 1990.