In recent months, the Nikola Vaptsarov Drama Theatre – Blagoevgrad has carried out a series of guest performances within the project “Cultural Bridges in Southwestern Bulgaria: Access and Inclusion through Theatre,” implemented with the support of the National Culture Fund Bulgaria under the programme “Presentation of Contemporary Bulgarian Productions to Bulgarian Audiences in the Cultural and Creative Industries Sector.”
Within the framework of the project, performances from the theatre’s active repertoire were presented to audiences in Svoge, Godech, Krupnik village, Bulgaria, and Belitsa, in partnership with local community cultural centers:
Gradishte Cultural Center - Svoge Nikola Jonkov Vaptsarov 1899 Cultural Center - Godech Vladimir Mayakovsky 1937 Cultural Center - Krupnik village Georgi Todorov 1885 Cultural Center - BelitsaThe audience had the opportunity to watch the following performances:
Cinderella in "Cinderella" by Charles Perrault, director Margarita Macheva “The Trouble” (based on a Bulgarian folk tale), directed by Ognyan Spirov and Bilyana Dilkova "The Iron Candlestick" by Dimiter Talev, director Kalin Angelov "The Marriage" by N. V. Gogol, director Rostislav GeorgievIn addition to the theatrical performances, the project also included supplementary educational and social activities aimed at encouraging active audience participation.
Creative workshops for children, titled “Recreate Your Favorite Character,” were held after the children’s performances. During these workshops, children had the opportunity to create their own puppets, masks, and theatrical characters using various materials, inspired by the characters on stage. The workshops were led by actors and young theatre professionals from the theatre’s troupe and aimed to stimulate imagination, creative thinking, and interest in the performing arts.
Audience discussions were held after the evening performances. During these, viewers had the opportunity to engage in conversation with directors and actors from the production teams, ask questions, and share their impressions. These meetings became a space for a lively dialogue between the stage and the audience and contributed to a deeper understanding of the art of theatre.
The project aimed to expand access to professional performing arts beyond major cities, to encourage cultural participation among diverse audiences, and to create new connections between the theatre and local communities.
We would like to thank the partner community cultural centers, all audience members, and the theatre team who made these encounters possible.
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