The Drama Theatre “Nikola Vaptsarov” – Blagoevgrad successfully implemented the first events of the project “Cultural Bridges in Southwest Bulgaria: Access and Inclusion through Theatre”which took place on 22 January 2026 in the town of Svoge, on the stage of the Community Cultural Centre “Gradishte 1907.”

The visit to Svoge was met with an exceptionally warm reception and strong audience interest, with the performances bringing together spectators of different ages and social backgrounds. The events marked a strong start to the project and reaffirmed the importance of efforts to decentralize the performing arts and to ensure genuine access to culture in smaller communities.

On the morning of 22 January, audiences had the opportunity to watch the children’s performance "Cinderella" directed by Margarita Macheva – a moving and engaging stage interpretation that introduced the youngest spectators to the magic of theatre, the power of imagination, and messages of kindness, hope, and belief in dreams. The performance sparked lively reactions and genuine enthusiasm among children and their families.

After the performance, a children’s creative workshop was held on the theme of “Draw Your Favourite Character”in which the children had the opportunity to express their impressions through drawing and play. The workshop became a natural continuation of the theatrical experience, filled with smiles, imagination, and shared joy, with the children’s happy reactions serving as the clearest proof of the power of their encounter with theatre.

In the evening of 22 January, the performance "The Iron Candlestick" was presented. The performance impressed the audience with its dramatic intensity, strong acting performances, and contemporary resonance. Following the show, a discussion with the audience took place, turning into a space for sharing, questions, and emotional responses.

As part of the project’s social focus, complimentary tickets were provided for people from socially vulnerable and marginalized groups, effectively fulfilling the goal of ensuring equal access to cultural content.

The events held in Svoge laid a strong foundation for the next stages of the project “Cultural Bridges in Southwest Bulgaria” and reinforced the role of theatre as an active mediator between culture and the community—a place for meeting, dialogue, and shared experience.

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This publication has been produced within the framework of the Funding for Final Recipients under the Recovery and Resilience Mechanism (RRM), under Component 11 “Social Inclusion”, Investment 6 “Development of the Cultural and Creative Sectors”, Procedure from the RRM Information System BG-RRP-11.025 “Grant Scheme ‘Presentation of Contemporary Bulgarian Productions from the Cultural and Creative Industries Sector to the Bulgarian Public’, for the implementation of the investment proposal (Application Form submitted in the RRM Information System) “Cultural Bridges in Southwest Bulgaria: Access and Inclusion through Theatre”, BG-RRP-11.025-0002 (title and number from the RRM Information System), under procedure BG-RRP-11.025, with contract registration number BG-RRP-11.025-0002-C01. The entire responsibility for the content of this publication lies with the Drama Theatre “Nikola Vaptsarov” – Blagoevgrad, and under no circumstances can it be considered to reflect the official position of the European Union or the Managing Authority.