Bridge Makers rountable three: Culture as a catalyst for local and regional development
Hosted by our member the Narodni Chitalishta Foundation, the third gathering in the Bridge Makers cycle will shine a light on the Bulgarian cultural ecosystem.
As Bulgarian cities prepare new bids for the 2032 European Capital of Culture, the real test is whether rural and peripheral communities are part of that story - and Chitalishta are where that culture is built bottom-up, every day.
This roundtable will bring together MEPs, mayors, Chitalishta representatives, national and local authorities, and ECoC experts to put rural territories back at the centre of Europe's cultural policy agenda.
This is the third in a series of six roundtables under the Bridge Makers programme, following gatherings in the Czech Republic and Italy.
Discover more about Bridge Makers here
The Narodni Chitalishta Foundation was established in October 2023 with the mission to support the potential of chitalishta in Bulgaria, and to offer everyone - regardless of age, gender, education, or financial status - has a place to create, to be informed, and to learn, and so that every rural and neighbourhood community has a home of its own.
The event is co-funded by the European Union and the Sofia Municipality. It is realised with the hosting and support of the European Parliament Liaison Office in Bulgaria.
Friday, September 18th
09:00 Registration and welcome coffee
09:30 Official opening with welcome words by Evtim Miloshev (tbc), Minister of Culture; Vasil Terziev (tbc), Mayor of Sofia; a representative of the European Parliament Liaison Office in Bulgaria; Piet Forger, European Network of Cultural Centres; and Yuriy Vulkovsky, Executive Director, Narodni Chitalishta Foundation
PANEL 1: Dialogue between local authorities and Chitalishta
09:50 Opening remarks by Katarzyna Pągowska, Deputy Director for Programme Affairs, Regional Centre for Culture Animation (WOAK), Poland
10:05 Presentation of the "Active Chitalishta" programme by Irina Dakova, Deputy Mayor for Culture and Tourism, Sofia Municipality
10:15 Round table discussion (part 1): The relationship between chitalishta / cultural centres and municipalities - Good practices and challenges. With: Silvana Suleiman, Director of the Vidin Fund "Chitalishta"; Neli Roydeva, Chairperson, Association "Chitalishta with a Future – 2012", Tundzha Municipality; Donka Mihaylova, Mayor of Troyan Municipality; and Teodora Dacheva, Deputy Executive Director of NAMRB — followed by a Q&A with the audience
11:15 Coffee break
11:30 Round table discussion (part 2): The relationship between chitalishta / cultural centres and municipalities - Good practices and challenges. With: Srebra Kaseva, Deputy Mayor, Kazanluk Municipality; Albena Nedeva, Chairperson of the Targovishte Municipal Chitalishte Council; and Liliana Barganska, Chairperson of Narodno Chitalishte "Vasil Levski – 1945", Varna — followed by a Q&A with the audience
12:15 – 13:00 Lunch
PANEL 2: The role of Chitalishta in the European Capital of Culture programme
13:00 "The Heart of the Chitalishte", a documentary about Chitalishte "Nikolay Haitov - 1936", Sofia (tbc)
13:15 ECoC as a challenge and an opportunity — keynote by Else Christensen-Redžepović, former Member of the European Capital of Culture Selection and Monitoring Panel, nominated by the European Parliament
13:45 On the Road to the European Capital of Culture Title — presentations by Ruska Boyadzhieva, Executive Director of Burgas 2032 Foundation, and a Representative of the Gabrovo Municipality
14:15 Reflections on the presentations heard and expectations for a future Bulgarian European Capital of Culture. With Piet Forger, adjunct expert to the ENCC Board and directors and Director of Culture for the City of Leuven, currently leading Leuven's designation as European Capital of Culture 2030; Tzveta Nenova, expert, Ruse; Orlin Denkov, Chairman of Narodno Chitalishte "Ivan Vazov – 2014," Sofia; and a Member of the European Parliament
15:15 Open dialogue with the audience
15:30 Coffee break
PANEL 3: Culture as a Factor for Local and Regional Development
15:45 Introductory remarks by Piotr Michałowski, ENCC Board member, coordinator of ENCC's Community Group on Culture and Creativity in Rural Areas, expert on territorial development and urban-rural cooperation
16:00 A new model of investment in local cultural ecosystems: the "Chitalishte Dream" Fund.
16:10 Panel discussion with Danail Rusev, Deputy Minister for Labour and Social Policy; Krasimir Chakarov, Deputy Minister for Agriculture and Food; Elena Ivanova, Director of the Rural Development Directorate, Ministry of Agriculture and Food; Tsvetelina Penkova, Member of the European Parliament, Vice-Chair, Committee on Industry, Research and Energy; and Ilia Godev, Secretary of Narodno Chitalishte "Prof. Dr Asen Zlatarov – 1927", village of Smilyan, Smolyan Region
17:00 Commentary on the discussion and remarks on the topic with Anton Kutev, Chair of the Committee on Culture and Media, National Assembly of the Republic of Bulgaria
17:15 Discussion with the audience
17:45 Conclusions and recommendations
Saturday, September 19th
Programme for speakers and guests only
09:00 Travel to the Murgash 1929 Community Center
09:40 Visit of the Murgash 1929 Community Center
10:40 Travel to the Nikolay Haitov 1936 Community Center
11:15 Visit of the Nikolay Haitov 1936" Community Center