site.btaBTA, Cultural Perspectives Foundation Sign Partnership Agreement

The Bulgarian News Agency (BTA) and the Cultural Perspectives Foundation signed a partnership agreement on Wednesday, with BTA Director General Kiril Valchev and opera singer Ina Kancheva, who chairs the foundation, signing the document at BTA's National Press Club in Sofia.

"The foundation organizes Culturama Fest and awards the national scholarships titled 'With Effort towards the Stars'," Valchev said. BTA has more than 150 partnership agreements in the fields of culture, education and science, 80 of which were signed with theatres, opera houses, music centres, libraries, chitalishte community centres, art galleries, museums and musical performers and ensembles. "We have signed 14 agreements with municipalities to support their cultural programmes, as well as initiatives with NGOs - cultural foundations and associations - and state cultural organizations," he added. BTA is the media partner of 26 festivals, with Culturama becoming the 27th.

Valchev said that until 2021, when BTA established its  LIK Directorate for Knowledge and Culture, named after BTA's iconic LIK magazine, there had been just one news item per year on the Cultural Perspectives Foundation. He suggested that this was most likely linked to the launch of Culturama Fest. After that, the number of news items increased: six in 2022, eight in 2023, and 11 last year, including reports in English. Valchev noted that, under the new agreement, copyright-cleared materials will be published weekly, enabling BTA to distribute them for use by all Bulgarian media. He added that the partnership between BTA and the Cultural Perspectives Foundation will be acknowledged in all festival materials, as well as at events related to the foundation's scholarships.

"Many thanks for this partnership. The 8th Culturama Fest will take place next year. It is part of Sofia Municipality's cultural calendar and one of the city's key events," said Ina Kancheva. She explained that the festival is primarily concentrated in June and then continues as Culturama Fest in the Museum, with events held in various museums until the year's end. Kancheva also recalled that events have frequently been organized at the Episcopal Basilica in Plovdiv, the Sofia City Art Gallery and the National Gallery.

She noted that Culturama Fest is multi-genre. "We are very pleased to be able to offer a kind of laboratory, because festivals around the world usually provide an opportunity for such experimental spaces - something that gives artists a platform to try out new projects for the first time and engage in special collaborations. This sets it apart from a regular concert programme," Kancheva added.

The festival began in 2018 with the aim of giving young artists, who are not yet widely known, a chance to showcase their work. "Beyond the financial support provided through our national scholarships, what I find most interesting is that we offer mentoring over the course of a year," Kancheva said.

She explained that Culturama Fest in the Museum is still ongoing. The last two concerts will take place in December. One concert is scheduled for December 11, International Tango Day, when Stoyan Karaivanov's Seleccion de Tangos debut album will be launched at BIAD in Sofia. On the same day, Vivacom Art Hall will host an evening dedicated to the milonga, featuring two exceptional foreign tango dancers.

The Sofia edition of the festival will close on December 12 with a performance by the Oberon Trio. Next year, the festival in Sofia will run from June 12 to 28, opening with a semi-staged opera production, followed by performances by French jazz musicians.

"I believe it is crucial for young Bulgarian artists to stay in step with global trends and to do everything possible to ensure that the bright talent in Bulgaria is properly channelled, guided and managed, just like artists worldwide," commented Kancheva. She added that the foundation's scholarship application process opens online on November 1. "We have a standalone, integrated application form. It will close on December 25. Applicants can apply with projects in music, the visual arts, literature, dance, and theatre," Kancheva said. The scholarship amounts to up to BGN 5,000 for the year. "It is intended to support growth and development. Importantly, applicants must submit a project, but the project is just a tool," Kancheva added.

She talked about her upcoming engagements: "Next, I will perform with the Vratsa Philharmonic Orchestra, followed by a short tour in China with the Stuttgart Symphony Orchestra." Then she will return briefly to Bulgaria to perform a programme with pianist Ludmil Angelov.

At BTA's National Press Club, Director General Kiril Valchev presented Kancheva with a commemorative coin and a postage stamp marking the news agency's 125th anniversary in 2023.