Rock Monsters Romania

Roca Camp 2025 comes to an end: a complete journey of training, production, and visibility for emerging bands from Romania

Roca Camp 2025 concludes at the end of this year as a comprehensive mentorship and artistic development program dedicated to emerging bands in the indie, alternative, and rock scenes. Initiated through a national open call launched in August, the project was built around the real needs of Romania’s alternative music scene and proposed a structured, step-by-step journey of training, production, and visibility.

Following the selection process, five music projects (Fier Vechi, ENCORE, Liquid Wednesday, mizantrop, and Mădălina) were invited to take part in a coherent pathway developed across several stages, designed as a realistic introduction to the mechanisms of the music industry: from training and clarifying artistic identity to music production, stage experience, and professional promotional content.

Three cities, three essential stages

The program debuted in Iași (September 12–13) with an intensive interdisciplinary training module, conceived as a solid foundation for an emerging artist’s journey. The workshops addressed essential topics such as songwriting and musical construction, communication, PR and media relations, legal aspects and copyright, artist management and booking, sustainable practices in the events industry, harmony and composition, voice coaching and performance, as well as artistic development and creative identity.

This stage provided bands with concrete tools to better understand their artistic positioning, development options, and the real workings of the music industry.

Also in Iași, the program’s first public dialogue took place, Growing a Scene, dedicated to the role of community, informal education, and mentorship in building a balanced alternative scene.

The second stage took place in Bucharest (September 16–18) and focused on applied work. Bands participated in music production and studio sessions, guided rehearsals, defining visual identity and communication direction, as well as a media training module focused on public presence, interviews, and storytelling. This stage transformed the information gathered in Iași into concrete processes tailored to each music project.

Bucharest also hosted the public dialogue The Artist’s Path: Independent or Signed?, a discussion about independence, resources, record labels, and creative freedom in the contemporary music industry.

The final stage took place in Cluj-Napoca (September 26–27) and was dedicated to live performance and stage management. Bands went through the entire process of preparing a professional concert: advancing, backstage organization, soundcheck, and live performance, complemented by workshops focused on stage management and event and ticketing strategy, with an emphasis on the relationship between artist, promoter, and audience.

The program concluded with two evenings of showcase performances and jam sessions, during which the bands performed in front of a real audience, testing in real time the music and artistic identities developed throughout the camp. Also in Cluj, the public dialogue From Showcase to Spotlight took place, focusing on the steps that follow initial live appearances and the importance of professional networks.

Roca Camp 2025 did not end with the in-person meetings. October was dedicated to developing the bands’ professional portfolios through the creation of a complete press kit, including a photo album, artistic description, and presentation materials adapted to promotion and booking needs.

In November, the project continued with the production of live videos for the bands, built around the showcase concerts, offering artists professional video content essential for their visibility and future trajectory.

Roca Camp 2025 meant process, clarity, and confidence. For the artists, it was an important step in the maturation of their projects. For the artistic community, a reaffirmation of the value of mentorship and dialogue. For Rocanotherworld, yet another proof that be curious, be different, be for others can function as a real method for building a sustainable cultural scene.

Roca Camp is a mentorship, training, and artistic visibility program dedicated to emerging bands from the alternative, indie, and rock scenes, organized by the Creative Industries Association under the Rocanotherworld umbrella.

Cultural project co-financed by the National Cultural Fund Administration (AFCN).

This project does not necessarily reflect the position of the National Cultural Fund Administration. AFCN is not responsible for the content of the project or the way in which the project’s results may be used. These are entirely the responsibility of the funding beneficiary.