The First Twenty
This first edition of REFUGIU is intentionally small. We will welcome a maximum of 20 participants. Not because we couldn’t invite more, but because we want to create something meaningful before we create something bigger. This isn’t simply the first edition of a festival. It’s the beginning of a community.
The people who gather around the fire this August won’t just attend REFUGIU, they will help shape what it becomes in the years to come.
The conversations we have, the rituals we invent, the traditions we begin, the mistakes we make, the friendships we build… all of these will become part of the festival’s DNA. In many ways, you’re not buying a ticket. You’re becoming one of the first people to believe in an idea that doesn’t fully exist yet.
We hope that one day REFUGIU will grow into an annual international gathering, a place where queer people from across the world come together to celebrate art, tenderness, nature and chosen family.
If that happens, the first twenty people will always have been there at the very beginning.
We hope you’ll be one of them.
There is a version of you that exists only when nobody is watching.
For seven days, we leave behind our everyday identities and disappear into a secluded cabin somewhere in the Apuseni Mountains in . Hidden among forests and mountains, far from the noise of ordinary life, we create a temporary world of our own.
A world where time slows down. Where beauty isn’t measured by appearance. Where chosen family is built around shared meals, long conversations, laughter, vulnerability and care. Where everyone arrives as themselves, and leaves as someone a little freer.
This is the first edition of what we hope will become an annual gathering: The Fairy Festival.
The Journey
Monday, 24 August
At 10:00 AM, we meet in Cluj-Napoca.
A private coach will take us into the Apuseni Mountains.
The journey is part of the ritual.
By travelling together, we begin leaving behind the identities we’ve carried with us every day. Work stays behind. Expectations stay behind. Social media stays behind.
When we arrive, Fairyland begins.
Sunday, 30 August
At 6:00 PM, we leave REFUGIU together and return to Cluj-Napoca, hopefully carrying home a few new friendships, a few unforgettable memories, and perhaps a fairy version of ourselves that refuses to disappear.
Fairyland
Like every magical place, Fairyland likes to keep a few secrets.
To preserve the sense of discovery, and to respect the privacy of the land and everyone who will share it with us, the exact location of the cabin will only be revealed after your first payment has been received.
We’ll provide all practical information well in advance, but we’d love for your arrival to still hold a little mystery.
There’s also a practical reason for this: keeping the location private helps us create a safe, intimate space for everyone attending.
And besides… we’re in Transylvania.
It’s a land of ancient forests, strange legends, and creatures that are said to roam after dark. We’ve heard the vampires around here have a particular taste for fairy blood, so it’s probably best not to advertise exactly where you’ll be hiding.
Some secrets are worth keeping.
Whichever one becomes Fairyland this year, one thing is certain:
It will be beautiful. It will be remote. It will belong to us for one week.
Become Your Fairy
The first evening marks our crossing into another world.
Together, we leave behind our everyday selves.
Each participant is invited to:
• choose a Fairy Name
• imagine an alter ego
• invent a personal mythology
• take part in an opening ritual
• meet everyone through games, storytelling and playful introductions.
You’re encouraged to bring clothing that feels like your fairy uniform.
It can be glamorous. Ridiculous. Elegant. Camp. Vintage. Handmade. Covered in flowers. Or almost nothing at all. The goal isn’t to impress. The goal is to stop thinking about how you look. Once we’re here, getting dressed becomes secondary. Being present becomes everything.
Living Together
REFUGIU is built around community.
Everything essential will be provided:
• accommodation
• breakfast, lunch and dinner every day
• coffee, tea, fruit and snacks
• transportation
• workshops
• art materials
• shared spaces
Breakfast is served buffet-style every morning. Lunch and dinner is something we create together. Although all ingredients are provided, everyone will take part in preparing meals throughout the week. When it’s your turn to cook, others will help prepare the table. When someone else cooks, you’ll wash the dishes. NLike any chosen family, we take care of each other.
No one is a guest.
Everyone belongs.
Daily Life
Every day offers at least two curated activities, balanced with generous free time to rest, wander through the forest, swim, read, nap or simply exist.
The programme may include:
• Naked Drawing
• Naked Yoga
• Morning movement and stretching
• Guided meditation
• Forest walks
• Massages
• Breathwork
• Purification
• Sound journeys
• Flower crown workshops
• Body painting with
• Drag and gender-play improvisation
• Fairy portrait photography
• Creative writing
• Campfire storytelling
• Tarot and oracle readings
• Queer discussion circles
• Dance beneath the stars
• Collective singing
• Sauna or hot tub evenings (depending on the cabin)
• Silent sunrise walks
• Time to do absolutely nothing.
Participation is always optional.
There is no pressure to perform.
Only an invitation to explore.
Our programme is curated and led by artists, facilitators, and professionals with extensive experience in their fields, ensuring a thoughtful, inspiring, and safe environment for everyone.
Please note: The programme is still evolving, and additional workshops and activities will be announced in the coming weeks.
A Little Extra for Our International Guests
If you’re joining us from abroad, we’d love to help you experience a little more of Romania beyond the festival itself.
We’re planning to organise a special evening featuring a live concert by local musicians, along with an informal talk introducing the history, traditions, folklore, and customs of , the region that will host REFUGIU. Together, we’ll explore local myths, fairy tales, village traditions, and the cultural heritage that has shaped this unique landscape.
The final schedule will be emailed to all participants three days before arrival, allowing us to adapt the programme to the group, the weather, and any last-minute additions.
Evenings
One evening is dedicated to The Devourers of Porn. Together we’ll watch a curated programme of unusual, humorous and historically significant queer erotic cinema, celebrating pornography as a form of cultural expression, camp, absurdity and artistic experimentation. The selection is designed to spark conversation as much as laughter, curiosity and reflection.
Another evening, we’ll gather outdoors for Movie Night Under the Stars, screening films that invite us to think about intimacy, identity, transformation, belonging and freedom.
Fairy Disco – The night before the party, every Founding Fairy is invited to submit five songs: the gayest, campest, most iconic tracks that have ever made them dance, laugh, cry, or feel completely themselves. We’ll weave everyone’s choices into one collective playlist, creating the soundtrack to our first Fairy Disco.
Letters to Your Younger Self – A quiet evening of writing, sharing (if you wish), and reflecting on the journeys that brought us here.
Fairy Swamp – Everyone secretly leaves a small handmade gift somewhere in the forest for another fairy to discover the next morning.
Fairy Photoshoot – Step into your fairy alter ego with the help of wings, flowers, body paint, glitter, and whatever magical elements you choose to bring to life. Set against the forests and landscapes of Fairyland, we’ll create a series of professional portraits that celebrate individuality, transformation, and queer beauty. Each participant will leave with a collection of images to remember both their fairy self and the community we created together.
Fairy Ball – On our final night, we’ll celebrate together with a magical gathering where everyone is invited to dress as the fairy version of themselves or wear nothing at all if that feels most authentic. Expect music, dancing, laughter, and a few surprises as we close the first chapter of REFUGIU.
Every night ends around the fire.
Rituals
Throughout the week, we create our own traditions.
An opening ceremony. A forest blessing. Water rituals. Letters to our future selves. Collective moments of silence. Moments of celebration. A closing ritual before returning to the world beyond the mountains. By the end of the week, Fairyland exists because we built it together.
Who Is This For?
REFUGIU is created primarily for queer men and anyone who feels drawn toward exploring softness, vulnerability, femininity, playfulness and transformation within that shared context.
No specific body. No specific age. No expectation of experience.
No requirement to identify in any particular way beyond respecting the space and the people within it.
Bring your curiosity. Bring your tenderness. Bring the version of yourself that rarely gets invited outside.
What’s Included
Your participation includes:
• 6 nights in a secluded mountain cabin
• Return transportation from Cluj-Napoca
• Launch every day
• Dinner every evening
• Coffee, tea, fruit and snacks
• All workshops and activities
• Art materials
• Shared cooking ingredients
• Use of all communal spaces
• A welcome gift
What’s Not Included
Alcoholic drinks are not included.
If you’d like a glass of wine by the fire or cocktails with your fellow fairies, you’re welcome to bring your own and share if you wish.
Travel to and from Cluj-Napoca from your place of departure is not included.
Fairy Laws of the House
No dark potions (drugs).
No goblin behaviour, foolishness, or unnecessary chaos.
Treat every fairy, elf, human, and creature with kindness and respect.
Leave no enchanted forest (or house) worse than you found it.
Clean up your magical mess before vanishing.
Keep your spells (and your music) at a reasonable volume after moonrise.
Drink your potions wisely, don’t let the trolls take over.
If a disagreement arises, settle it with words, not dragon fire.
Those who repeatedly break the Fairy Laws or disturb the peace shall be banished from the realm immediately.
The Golden Fairy Rule:
Leave only laughter, take only memories, and spread a little magic wherever you go.
Participation Fee
The participation contribution ranges from €750 to €900, depending on when you confirm your place.
Early Fairy – €750 (available for the first 5 confirmed participants)
Forest Fairy – €850 (available for the next 5 confirmed participants)
Regular Fairy – €950 (available for the remaining 10 participants)
Participation is limited to 20 Founding Fairies.
Applications are open until 10 August 2026, or until all places have been filled.
The contribution includes 6 nights of accommodation, return transport to and from Cluj-Napoca, three meals per day, all workshops, artistic activities, materials, and supports both the invited artists and the future development of REFUGIU.
the Founding Fairies
Every festival has a first edition.
Every community has the people who dared to believe in it before it existed.
This August, REFUGIU welcomes just 20 Founding Fairies.
Not as guests, but as the people who will write the first chapter of this story.
This week in the mountains is only the beginning. We hope REFUGIU will return every year, growing into a space for queer men to gather, create, rest, celebrate, and imagine new ways of being together.
The people joining this first edition won’t just experience the festival, they’ll influence what it becomes. Their ideas, feedback, creativity, and energy will help shape future editions. Those who wish to stay involved will be invited to continue the journey as collaborators, artists, facilitators, partners, ambassadors, or supporters as the project evolves.
If you’ve ever wanted to help build the kind of queer space you wish already existed, this is your invitation.
Become one of the 20 Founding Fairies.
Your contribution covers accommodation, transport, meals, workshops, materials, artist fees, and the production of the festival.
Ready to Join Us?
If REFUGIU feels like the place you’ve been looking for, we’d love to hear from you.
To register or receive more information, please contact us:
Email: refugiudecreatie@gmail.com
Phone: +40 756 363 645
We’ll be happy to answer any questions, tell you more about the programme, and guide you through the registration process.
Payment
To secure your place, payment can be made in one instalment or two instalments.
- Option 1: Full payment upon registration.
- Option 2: A 50% deposit is required to reserve your place, with the remaining 50% due no later than 5 days before the festival begins.
As this is an intimate gathering with a limited number of participants, your place is only confirmed once the deposit has been received.
We can’t wait to welcome you to REFUGIU.
See you in Fairyland.
About the Founder
Liviu Bulea
Artist · Curator · Cultural Manager
REFUGIU is imagined and curated by Liviu Bulea, a Romanian multidisciplinary artist, curator and cultural manager whose practice explores the relationship between memory, space and community.
Working across photography, installation, text, video, ready-made objects and socially engaged projects, Liviu creates spaces where personal histories intersect with collective memory, often addressing themes of environmental justice, post-industrial landscapes, queer identity and belonging. His work is driven by the belief that art can become a form of care, resistance and transformation.
As a queer artist, Liviu has long been interested in creating spaces that do more than exhibit art; they create community. REFUGIU grows from this desire: to imagine a temporary world where vulnerability is celebrated, creativity becomes a shared language, and chosen family is built through living together.
Alongside his artistic practice, Liviu is the Founder and Artistic Director of Refugiu de Creație, a platform supporting socially engaged artistic practices and underrepresented voices in contemporary culture. He is also the manager of IAGA Contemporary Art and is currently pursuing a PhD at the University of Art and Design in Cluj-Napoca.
His work has been presented internationally at institutions including the European Investment Bank (Luxembourg), Cité Internationale des Arts (Paris), Urban Nation Museum (Berlin), the Romanian Cultural Institute (Berlin), the National Museum of Art Cluj, the National Museum of Contemporary Art Bucharest, Brukenthal Museum (Sibiu), Bucharest Biennale, Parallel Vienna, and many others.
His works are part of the collections of the European Investment Bank, Schwules Museum (Berlin), Tom of Finland Foundation (Los Angeles), Urban Nation Museum (Berlin), National Museum of Contemporary Art (Bucharest), Brukenthal Museum, and several other public and private collections across Europe.
For Liviu, REFUGIU is more than a festival.
It is an invitation to slow down, to imagine different ways of being together, and to remember that softness, joy and care can also be radical acts.
Partners
REFUGIU is developed in collaboration with artists, facilitators and cultural partners who share a commitment to queer community, artistic experimentation and collective care.
Partner announcements coming soon.
Contact
Email: liviubulea89@gmail.com
Festival Email: refugiudecreatie@gmail.com
Phone: +40 756 363 645
Instagram: @liviu.bulea2
Where the idea came from
The seed for REFUGIU was planted many years ago while I was watching Queer as Folk as a teenager. In one episode, two of the characters attend a Radical Faerie gathering: a place where queer people come together in nature to celebrate freedom, creativity, and community.
I remember thinking:
“I don’t know if a place like this really exists, but if it does, one day I want to be there.”
Years later, I realised I was waiting for an invitation that might never come.
So I stopped waiting.
I created my own.
REFUGIU is my love letter to that younger version of myself, and an invitation for others to find a place where queer men can connect, create, rest, and simply be.
— Liviu Bulea
F.A.Q.
🍀 Can I come alone? 🍀
Absolutely. In fact, we expect that many participants will. REFUGIU is designed for people who arrive as strangers and leave as chosen family. You won’t be the only one coming on your own.
🍀 I’m shy. Will I fit in? 🍀
Yes. There is no expectation to be outgoing, perform, or constantly socialise. Some people come to dance until sunrise. Others spend hours reading in a hammock or walking through the forest. Every way of being is welcome.
🍀 Do I have to participate in nude activities? 🍀
Not at all. Activities such as Naked Drawing or Naked Yoga are always entirely optional, and clothing is always your choice. Nothing at REFUGIU is compulsory. Consent, comfort, and personal boundaries come first.
🍀 What should I pack? 🍀
We’ll send a detailed packing list before the festival, but we recommend comfortable clothing, walking shoes, toiletries, a warm jumper for cool evenings, and anything that helps you become your fairy self.
🍀 I’ve never done anything like this before. Is that okay? 🍀
More than okay. REFUGIU isn’t for experienced festival-goers or “professional fairies.” It’s for curious people who want to slow down, meet others, and explore creativity, nature, and community. First-timers are warmly welcome.
🍀 Can I arrive late or leave early? 🍀
Because the week is designed as a shared journey, we strongly encourage everyone to arrive and depart together using the group transport from Cluj-Napoca. If exceptional circumstances make this impossible, please get in touch with us before registering.
🍀 What if I have dietary requirements? 🍀
No problem. Vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, and other dietary requirements or allergies can usually be accommodated. Please let us know when you register so we can prepare accordingly.
🍀 What if I need to cancel? 🍀
Because REFUGIU welcomes only 20 participants, cancellations have a significant impact on the festival. Deposits are therefore non-refundable unless your place can be filled by another participant. If we are able to offer your place to someone else, we’ll happily refund your payment, minus any unavoidable administrative costs.
🍀 What if REFUGIU is cancelled? 🍀
In the unlikely event that REFUGIU has to be cancelled by the organisers, all payments made to us will be refunded in full. Please note that we cannot reimburse travel costs, such as flights or train tickets booked separately, so we recommend purchasing travel insurance if you’re travelling from abroad.
🍀 Is this a sex-positive event? 🍀
Yes. REFUGIU celebrates queer bodies, intimacy, pleasure, and self-expression without shame. We believe sexuality is a natural and valuable part of many people’s lives, and we welcome open, respectful conversations around it.
At the same time, REFUGIU is not a sex party or a cruising event. Our focus is on community, creativity, rest, nature, and meaningful human connection. Nudity may be part of some optional activities, but it is never expected or sexualised.
Consent, respect, and personal boundaries are fundamental to everything we do. Everyone is free to participate in ways that feel comfortable to them, and everyone is expected to respect the choices and boundaries of others.
Refugiu de Creație 