site.btaFestivals in Bulgaria Should Be Categorized Says Expert

Diana Andreeva-Popyordanova, Director of the Culture Economics Observatory, said that it is necessary to categorize the festivals in the country and to create a register in which they are listed. She was a speaker at a national conference organized by the Bulgarian Festivals Association and hosted by the Varna City Art Gallery on Friday under the title "Festival Calendar: Prospects. Is 100 Years Too Little?". Among the key topics discussed at the forum were Bulgaria’s festival policy for the coming decades and the role of festivals in the development of cities and the cultural sector.

Popyordanova noted that Bulgaria could host thousands of arts festivals and fairs a year, since every community centre across the country has its own festival or fair. She stated that events like these are essential for local communities, as they bring people together, unite them and enable them to share in cultural experiences. The expert was adamant that those festivals in the country which are of exceptional artistic and cultural value, which act as a driving force for artistic processes, provide a platform for artists’ development and create a robust ecosystem – including an economic one – must be identified.

Popyordanova highlighted the lack of a national strategy for culture as a problem. She said that attempts had been made over the years to draw up such a document, but they failed mainly because of the financial framework. Popyordanova said that the National Association of Municipalities in the Republic of Bulgaria should play a more significant role in the process. Her view was that local authorities should be the driving force behind processes that unfold at national level. Local authorities have a vested interest in the existence of a National Strategy so that they can align their own municipal strategies with it, she added. She emphasized that when processes are driven from the bottom up, they can prove to be much more sustainable.

Culture, among other things, also makes a significant economic contribution, Popyordanova noted. This stems primarily from the creative industries, which generate significant added value for the Bulgarian economy but are concentrated mainly in the capital.

The lack of genuine decentralisation in the country in terms of fiscal distribution is also a problem, the expert added. In her view, if more money were to remain in the local authorities, they would develop differently. This would lead to balanced regional development, and towns would be able to allocate more funds to culture and use it as a driver of sustainable economic development, Popyordanova said.

Vasil Dimitrov, Chair of the Bulgarian Festivals Association, added that there must be clarity and consensus on the country’s strategic festivals, of which, in his words, there are no more than 30 or 40. This does not in any way mean that new festivals should not be established, as new events are necessary. New events should be given the chance to demonstrate whether they have what it takes to develop strategically, Dimitrov added.

There are countless events in our country, but the very concept of a festival lacks a clear definition, Dimitrov said. He emphasized that the association he heads comprises arts festivals that make a cultural contribution. Those linked to agriculture and the production of fruit and vegetables are wonderful, but they are more tourist-oriented, relating not to the development of art and culture, but to entertainment and cuisine, the expert said.

Dimitrov said that it is appropriate for the State to identify which festivals are strategic and to lay down rules for them that will help them in the future. He said that the Bulgarian Festivals Association has drawn up proposals, but over the years it has never received a reply or a clear response from the Ministry of Culture. He said that most of the festivals in Bulgaria that have already proven their worth need predictability and a level playing field at European level, as they are a very important part of Bulgaria’s culture.