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1. Reducing obstacles to young people's access to culture

2. Disseminating information on cultural opportunities

3. Knowledge of cultural heritage amongst young people

Reducing obstacles to young people's access to culture

In March 2019 the Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Education and Science signed an Agreement for Cooperation between Schools and Preschools and State Cultural Institutes (Споразумение за сътрудничество между училища и детски градини и държавните културни институти) in the country. This agreement provides for that preschools and schools will organise visits to state cultural institutes in the country, and they will develop and propose drafts educational programs, performances, concerts and other stage arts. The aim is to enhance children’s and students’ interest in Bulgarian identity, traditions, history, and modern forms in the field of theater, music and dancing art. At the beginning of every school year, cultural institutes will announce the forthcoming events on their websites and will receive orders for visits from schools and preschools.

Disseminating information on cultural opportunities

In accordance with the Youth Act (Закон за младежта) (effective from 20.04.2012, last amendment 13 March 2020), the Ministry of Youth and Sports develops and maintains a National Youth Information System (Национална информационна система за младежта) for the purposes of ensuring updated information for the needs of youth in the country. Among other things, the National Youth Information System provides information about the youth organisations in the country, researches, analysis and assessment for the implementation of youth policies at national, regional and municipal level, updated information for the opportunities for funding of youth activities.

There are four youth centers operating in the country Youth Center Dobrich (Младежки център Добрич), Youth Center Vratsa (Младежки център Враца), Youth Center Plovdiv (Младежки център Пловдив) and Youth Center Stara Zagora (Младежки център Стара Загора). The work of the youth centers is funded by the Norway Grants and with subsidies from the budget of the respective municipality. 

The main purpose of the youth centers is to improve the wellbeing of young people and to provide youth services. Their tasks comprise ensuring equal access to education, training and employment, organization of different initiatives in various fields young people are interested in, dissemination of information among young people, etc. Youth workers and external specialists work with young people, their parents, youth organisations.

Knowledge of cultural heritage amongst young people

National Culture Fund (Национален фонд „Култура“) implements a number of programs, one of which is the Cultural Heritage Program (програма „Културно наследство“).

The program is implemented in two modules.

Cultural Industries and Cultural Tourism Module supports projects for promotion of Bulgarian cultural heritage through cultural tourism and development of cultural organisations’ capacity via establishment of cross-sectoral partnerships, sustainable practices and development of business models for successful cultural industries at local level. 

Some of the objectives of this module are:

• to support the preservation of crafts and to stimulate industries being developed on the basis of cultural heritage and values
• to stimulate cultural organisations to use cultural tourism as an entrepreneurship tool;
• to establish multisectoral partnerships and exchange of experience and good practices;
• to stimulate innovative and ethnical practices in the development of cultural tourism, etc.

The priority projects funded under this module are as follows:

• • projects that actively involve educational institutions through children, school and student audiences in the process and ensure their engagement through communication of new knowledge about the value of cultural heritage.
  • projects establishing cross-sectoral partnerships between organisations in the field of culture and tourist industry, local organisations and institutions and/or representatives of local community, voluntary civil associations, private sector, and media, etc.

Available funding for this module is up to BGN 10 000 (about EUR 5000) per project.

Preservation and Promotion of Cultural Heritage Module supports projects for preservation, research and promotion of intangible cultural heritage of Bulgaria and development of means for improved access to cultural heritage through digital technologies and delivery of cultural content. This module is aimed at highlighting the contribution of cultural heritage to cultural diversity, identity and significant historic processes in Bulgaria and Europe.

Some of the objectives of this module are:

• • to create innovative projects (including researches) presenting cultural values in an accessible way;
  • to encourage better understanding of vivid cultural heritage and the specificity of its transfer between generations, etc.  

The priority projects funded under this module are as follows:

• • projects for development of means for improved access and promotion of cultural heritage through digital technologies;
  • projects that study and promote local cultural heritage, etc.

Available funding for this module is up to BGN 20 000 (about EUR 10 000) per project.

The program is annual and the annual budget of the whole program is BGN 180 000 (about EUR 90 000).

To promote and support culture clubs (читалища) as centers of information, non-formal education, cultural performance and civic education, the Ministry of Culture implements a program for development of amateur creativity and protection of intangible cultural heritage. The program provides financial support to creative projects of culture clubs (читалища), which are implemented jointly with other nongovernmental organisations and municipalities. One of the priorities of the Ministry of Culture is to support events aimed at children and young people, including festivals, summons, celebrations, contests and other forms for development of creative potential, for manifestation of talents, for promotion of the achievements of children and youth schools of art, for preservation and promotion of traditional knowledge and skills (intangible cultural heritage), as well as for exchange of effective practices to attract children and youth audiences in the activities of culture clubs (читалища) and other cultural institutions.

55 projects of municipalities, culture clubs (читалища) and other nongovernmental organisations in total amount of BGN 140 000 (about EUR 70 000) have been supported in 2019. Some of the financially supported projects are: national contests for bagpipe players (“Magic Rhythms”),  for accordion players (“Dancing Keys”) and classical guitar players (“Academic Marin Goleminov”), National Folklore Festival of Two-Voice Singing – municipality of Nedelino, International Festival of Masquerade Games “Surva 2019” – municipality of Pernik, National School Folklore Feast “It was Born, It was Reborn” („Родило се, преродило”) – city of Yambol, Days of National Revival and Patriotic Song “The Gun Shot” („Топчето пукна”) – town of Klisura, Week of Arts – municipality of Samokov, etc.

The governmental subsidy for the culture clubs (читалища) was increased by 10% in the 2020 budget. The funds are allocated to 174 culture clubs (читалища) in 58 municipalities in all administrative districts across the country. They are intended for artistic and creative, organizational, library and information activity and research in the area of cultural heritage. The purpose is to support the culture clubs’ libraries, art and foreign language schools, building-up and establishment of new learning forms, maintenance and creation of drama groups, creation and maintenance of collection of cultural values. The aim of the governmental subsidy is to engage more children and young people from all groups within the community in various activities of the culture clubs (читалища).