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Home News Festival and the City: Bulgarian Festival Association Conference

Festival and the City: Bulgarian Festival Association Conference

From 13 to 14 March, international experts are attending a conference on festivals, including the European Festivals Association (EFA), of which the Bulgarian Festival Association (BFA) is a long-time member. 

25 February 2025

The forum organised by the Bulgarian Festival Association aims to share best European practices, analyse the state of the festival sector in Bulgaria, and explore key topics such as funding, sustainability, cultural policies, and development strategies. Discussions will include representatives from municipalities, the Ministry of Culture, the National Culture Fund, and leading experts in the festival sector.

Supported by: "Creation" Programme of the National Culture Fund and the financial support of Sofia Municipality – "Culture" Programme
Venue: Toplocentrala – Regional Centre for Contemporary Arts

DAY 1: FROM PAST TO FUTURE – WHERE DO WE STAND TODAY?

13 March 2025 | Hall 2, Toplocentrala 

Morning Panel: PAST AND PRESENT 

Moderator: Svetlomira Stoyanova 

10:00 – 10:05 | Official Opening 
Welcome speech by Vasil Dimitrov, Chairperson of the Board of the Bulgarian Festival Association (BFA). 

10:05 – 11:25 | Who Are We? Regional and National Perspectives (Presentations) 
Representatives of festivals from various regions discussing organisation, funding, challenges: 

  • Sofia Music Weeks International Festival
  • Sofia Opera festivals
  • Off the beaten Path
  • Sofia Paper Art Fest 

Municipal Presentations: Sofia, Varna, Burgas, Stara Zagora, Pirdop. 

11:25 – 12:15 | International Perspectives: ESG and Financial Sustainability of Festivals 
Speaker: Natalia Oszko-Jakab, Valley of Arts Festival (Hungary), EFA Board Member (Lecture in English) 

Topics: 

  • Sustainability and business models for festivals and the cultural sector
  • Financial stability
  • Cultural entrepreneurs in the international landscape
  • Festivals in smaller communities & ESG approaches
  • Hungarian cultural policies for festival funding 

12:15 – 12:45 | Q&A Session 

12:45 – 13:45 | Lunch Break 

Afternoon Panel: PRESENT AND FUTURE 

13:45 – 14:15 | Cultural Institutes in Bulgaria on Festival Funding 
Budgets at national and regional levels, management, and strategic planning. 

Presentations by Directors of: 

  • Iwona Jakuszko-Dudka, Director of the Polish Institute in Sofia
  • Radka Rubilina, Director of the Czech Centre in Sofia
  • Diana Andreeva-Popyordanova, Cultural Economics Observatory - National Policies of Neighboring Countries

 

14:15 – 16:15 | Round Table: Financial Policies for Artistic Festivals - What Lies Ahead? 
Moderator: Vasil Dimitrov 
Participants: 

  • Ministry of Culture
  • National Culture Fund
  • Municipalities: Sofia, Plovdiv, Varna, Burgas, Veliko Tarnovo, Ruse, Stara Zagora, Pirdop
  • Experts on cultural policies and festival analysis
  • Festival organisers
  • Industry organisations 

Topics: 

  • Existing funding programmes for festivals (national and municipal)
  • National strategy for artistic festivals
  • Evaluation criteria
  • Festival categorisation
  • “The White Book of Festivals” - 8 years later 

16:15 – 16:30 | Coffee Break 

16:30 – 17:15 | Global Perspective 
Speakers: 

  • Simeon Alexander, Director of Creative Europe Bureau Bulgaria – Culture Office (Latest programmes)
  • Svetlomira Stoyanova (MONDIACULT 2025 – Shaping Cultural Policies on a Global Level)
  • Petar Miladinov, Expert in the International Cooperation Department of the Ministry of Culture (International Cooperation and Festivals) 

17:15–17:30| Closing Remarks 
Summary by Vasil Dimitrov & Svetlomira Stoyanova, introduction to Day 2, creation of theme related videos and surveys. 

 

DAY 2: HOW DO WE COMMUNICATE?

14 March 2025 | Hall 2 & Hall 4, Toplocentrala 

Hall 2: Morning Panel – THEORY AND STRATEGY 

10:00 – 10:05 | Opening of Day 2 
Summary of Day 1 and introduction to the day's topics by Vasil Dimitrov & Svetlomira Stoyanova. 

10:05 – 10:45 | International Perspectives: European Festivals Association (EFA) 
Speaker: Audrey Brisack, Communications & Networks Manager, EFA (Lecture in English) 
Topics: 

10:45 – 11:05 | Q&A Session 

11:05 – 11:35 | City Identity and Cultural Heritage – Lecture Panel 
Speaker: Neyko Genchev, Deputy Mayor of Veliko Tarnovo 
Topics: 

  • The impact of festivals beyond economic contributions
  • Digital transformation and city identity 

11:35 – 11:50 | Coffee Break 

 

 

11:50 – 12:10 | Bulgarian Music Association – Mapping the Music Sector in Bulgaria – Cultural Spaces in Bulgaria 

12:10 – 13:30 | Group Workshop: Urban Spaces 
Participants: Festival organisers, municipal representatives, students (from NATFA & NMA) 
Topics:

  • Infrastructure
  • Team development
  • Funding and business models
  • Audience engagement
  • Regional impact 

13:30 – 13:45 | Next Steps and Closing Notes 

Hall 4: Afternoon Panel – THEORY MEETS PRACTICE (Limited to 30 participants) 

15:00 – 17:00 | Workshop: The Future of Festivals – AI & Digital Marketing Strategies (Separate registration required, limited seats available) 
Host: Boyan Zhelyazkov 
A practical session combining theory and application of AI & digital tools for festival marketing. 

  • Presentation of BFA’s project: "Bulgarian Festivals – Digital Perspectives"
  • Theoretical & Practical Panel: "Festival Future: Using Digital Strategies & AI for Successful Marketing" 

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