In the Art Workshop “Music and Traditions” – the village of Mirkovo, children and youth from different ethnic groups (with a focus on Roma) are trained to play musical instruments. Within the framework of the 6-month training conducted so far, the participants have already acquired basic abilities to play musical instruments, mainly brass and percussion (trumpet, clarinet, flute, solo drum, etc.). The next level was the formation of an orchestra, which has already started participating in various cultural initiatives in the Municipality of Mirkovo.
Training in the Art Workshop follows the rules of the American school band training program – Essential Elements 2000. This is an innovative program for Bulgaria, which is organized in such a way that, in parallel with the individual training, the participants start building themselves as an orchestra right from the start of the classes. Another advantage of the program is that the training and formation of the orchestra can be led by one person who is a teacher of all instruments and a conductor at the same time. The program emphasizes the essence of training on a specific instrument, without unnecessary ballast of theoretical knowledge. The goal is for the novice performer to quickly get to know the possibilities of the new instrument, without worrying about the first low-quality sounds. This helps him to accelerate his way to the lively, beautiful sound, the reproduction of which captivates him and motivates him to continue learning and practicing alone at home.
Regular playing of a musical instrument changes the architecture of the brain and activates its activity, experts say. It can be used as a therapy to improve memory, language and cognitive skills. As a result, a person thinks faster, begins to skillfully plan his actions and becomes more sensitive to the emotions of others. Playing music increases the IQ of children and adults because it sharpens hearing and receptivity. When children learn to master a specific musical instrument, their character noticeably changes, they become more disciplined, careful and considerate. Music classes even make learning foreign languages easier.
In addition to the development of musical abilities, individual creativity and intelligence of the participants, the aim of the work in the Art Workshop “Music and Traditions” is to create team skills, i.e. cooperation skills, communication, loyalty, correctness, organization, respect for the opinion of others, discipline. Working in a common orchestra also means specific responsibilities for each one individually for the sake of the team’s success. In fact, it is interesting that despite the high demands, the participants feel comfortable when there are rules that apply to everyone and when everyone knows their duties and responsibilities. In the “orchestra” model, there are no stereotypes that divide, the participants are equal and significant – each individually and all together, because the importance of the individual exists on the one hand, as a performer, and on the other, as part of the innovative whole that produces events. The orchestra proved to be an instrument for a new type of social life, in which the abilities of the individual contribute to change the whole environment and the way of life of each individual participant, and also of the publics who share in the change.

Public performances play an important role in the behavioral motivation of the workshop members, expand the horizon of their social participation through the personalized interpretation of the music, the motivation for its performance and the stage presence of the performer, because music is a universal language understood by all. Music’s ability to bring together groups of people, even those opposed to each other, has long been recognized because it is the world’s most influential international language. Through her ability to influence different audiences, on their feelings, she essentially makes them “one team”.
In addition to their participation in the “Plenary of the Arts” in the village of Dazhdovnitsa and the “Festival of the Arts” in the town of Kardjali, the members of the Art Workshop “Music and Traditions” are now actively involved in local celebrations and holidays. Children and young people from the Art Workshop participated in the official ceremony at the unveiling of a bust-monument of the great revolutionary and leader of the April Uprising Georgi Benkovski in the village of Benkovski, Mirkovo municipality on the occasion of the 180th anniversary of his birth. They performed the marches “Vyatar Echi, Balkan Steene”, “Krai Bosphorus” and “Botev March”, bringing additional solemnity to the ceremony and inspiring the residents of the village with their performances. The event was attended by the mayor, deputy mayor and secretary of Mirkovo Municipality, the chairman of the Municipal Council, as well as the deputy mayor of the village of Benkovski, municipal councilors and citizens.
On the eve of November 1, the Day of the People’s Awakeners, “Georgi Benkovski” elementary school in the village of Mirkovo and “Cultural Uplift – 2020” organized a torchlight procession, which also included the “Music and Traditions” art workshop. Revival marches sounded in the streets of the village of Mirkovo, and a concert took place in the square, again with the participation of children and young people from the Art Workshop “Music and Traditions”. The event caused a wide response in the local media and social networks.
The upcoming appearances of the art workshop team will take place at the ceremonial lighting of the Christmas lights in the Mirkovo Municipality, as well as during the Christmas concert organized by the “Cultural Uplift – 2020” PN and the “Georgi Benkovski” Elementary School in the municipality.

The team of the Art Workshop “Applied Arts: Wood Carving” organized three events in November dedicated to one of the most ancient crafts in the history of mankind – wood carving. The 10 participants in the Art Workshop started the month with an open lesson on the secrets of carpentry or wood carving, which is an applied art but also a craft for making objects and carvings from wood. Wood carving has a long way to go, which, like many of our crafts, at the same time as its pure functionality, goes beyond practical needs and is distinguished as an artistic craft.
“In every Bulgarian home there is at least one wooden pan, but if today they are just an accent in the kitchen or a souvenir, then centuries ago the majority of household utensils were made of wood,” says the head of the art workshop, Ivan Ludjov. Housewares and utensils made of wood in the traditional home are distinguished by exceptional strength, warmth and comfort. Men made all the wooden objects – from the eating spoon and the bowls, to the tables and chairs. The most characteristic of the craft is the manual processing of the wood. Cups, ladles, spindles and mantelpieces, bread kneaders and troughs for the primary processing of grapes, made by coopers, are extremely diverse. Specialists find in them preserved elements of primitive art and an incredibly good sense of form and practicality.
As the craftsmanship has been passed down from father to son, the 10 art workshop participants open a 1-day Kopanicraft Museum in tribute to the long history of the craft to present their already completed works created through the stages of training, following local traditions in the area of Dolna Banya.

The potters worked primarily to satisfy their own needs for crude but strong and functional vessels. This craft did not require special training or extensive training, nor did it require complex tools. It is directly related to the favorable, mostly mountainous conditions, where the local forests abound in a variety of timber. The most commonly used wood species preferred by coopers are walnut, ash, sycamore, pear, apple and plum. These are also the predominant types of wood from which the student works were made for the one-day museum of the art workshop in Dolna Banya.
The works are made according to the traditional model of the craft with only a few hand tools: a simple straight knife or kustur (a folding knife with a heel), a chisel, a compass, a chisel and an adze. Centuries ago, with the help of such tools, coppersmiths made many items for personal and domestic use: spoons, gages, kuteli (large cups with a handle for water and milk), salt shakers, kopankas, etc. Some of them were decorated with relief carving, sometimes with sculpted three-dimensional figures of animals and birds. Such decorative details also decorate the works of the young kopanicari artists from the “Applied Arts: Wood Carving” art workshop, which were installed outdoors in the park in Dolna Banya on November 24, as the end of the kopanicari month.

The Stavanger International Piano Festival founded by Kiril Kutin, renowned pianist and Music Director of the Concert Association Kutin Konsertforening. The Festival welcomes piano players and pedagogues, experts and enthusiasts to some of Rogaland’s most historic venues, such as St.Petri church, the Stavanger Konserthus, Kuppellhallen and Sandnes Church. 

The Festival takes place in the third weekend of March 2024 in five concert arenas.The Opening concert with Arcadi Volodos -(currently one of the best pianists in the world, considered a genius for his unique ability to combine an exceptional virtuosity with a deep and expressive musicality. He has become a worldwide reference in classical music over the last two decades due to his talent and creativity as a performer). 

The opening concert will be arranged ar the Fartein Valen concert hall- Stavanger Konserthus the 22th of March which seats 1500 people, located in the heart of  Stavanger .The other concerts will be arranged in St.Petri church, BGE Contemporary Art Gallery, Sandnes church and Ålgård church. 

The Stavanger Piano Festival’s objective is simple: to inspire, support and encourage music-making at the piano of the highest quality. Welcoming world-renowned soloists and teachers, the Festival provides gifted young players with a rare opportunity to work alongside and learn from some of the world’s finest pianists and teachers, to perform and to learn new repertoire, as part of a dedicated community of artists which encourages exchange over competition. 

At the heart of the Festival lies the recognition of the pianist as a multifaceted musician. The various roles of the pianist – as virtuoso, chamber musician, accompanist, conductor, academic and teacher – are all examined. As part of this holistic approach, the various international schools of piano playing are considered.  

Stavanger Piano Festival is the offspring of Patrons of Exceptional Artists. It is dedicated to the discovery, promotion, nurture, and support of extraordinary artists and the long-term goal of ensuring continuity with the great traditions of the past. 

Recognized as one of the most exciting recital series in Rogaland today, the Festival presents artists, both emerging and established, who have distinct voices, who challenge convention by demonstrating that there are important things still to be said in both mainstream and rare repertoire, and who clearly deserve extensive careers.

 Stavanger International Piano Festival will be a sustainable festival. We understand the importance of preserving our planet for future generations, and we are committed to making this event as environmentally friendly as possible. 

First, we have partnered with local organizations that will be responsible for collecting and recycling all the waste generated during the festival. This includes items such as plastic bottles, food containers, and paper products. We will also have recycling stations placed throughout the festival grounds to make it easy for attendees to recycle their waste. We will also be encouraging attendees to carpool or take public transportation to reduce the carbon footprint of the event. 

We are also proud to support local farmers and vendors by showcasing their products at the festival. This not only supports the local economy but also reduces the environmental impact of transporting goods from faraway places. 

We are excited to show you the positive impact a sustainable music festival can have on our planet and our community. We hope you will join us in taking steps towards a greener future.

On October 19 /Thursday/ at the invitation of local activists from the Roma neighborhood in Botevgrad, part of the team of the “Inspiring Dances” art workshop led by Yordanka Marinova took part in a festive event in the “hamlet”, where they performed traditional Roma dances on the occasion of the Day of St. Ivan Rilski – the modest hermit from Rila mountain, who was called an earthly angel and heavenly inhabitant even during his lifetime. Young people know many stories about the fate of the saint, who performed many miracles during his life: he fed shepherds, healed with prayers, healed pious people from diseases, but lived in complete solitude, prayers, fasting and deprivation, even returned the gold that the then Tsar Peter I sent him as a gift for his works. The saint is considered by Bulgarians and Roma to be a heavenly patron. The young people received clothes from the local community center for the performance of the beautiful dances prepared under the project “Scenes for Young Art Talents”, implemented with the financial support of the RA14 Program “Cultural Entrepreneurship, Heritage and Cooperation”.

under the project “Scenes for young art talents”, Contract No. BGCULTURE-3.001-0004-С01/20.04.2023 under Program РА14 “Cultural entrepreneurship, heritage and cooperation”, financed by the Financial Mechanism of the European Economic Area 2014-2021,

On October 7 /Saturday/ in the City Garden in Kardzhali, the “Youth Center Circle-Art Movement Circle” Foundation held an Arts Festival with the participation of the famous Norwegian pianist of Bulgarian origin Kiril Kutin, who is the founder and managing director of the partner organization of the Concert Association project Kutin Konsert Forening from Stavanger, Norway, and Vladimir Todea, a young Norwegian cellist with a number of international performances, who is also a member of the team of the partner organization Concert Association Kutin Konsert Forening from Stavanger, Norway.
Young talents from different ethnic groups who are looking for their public appearance in the world of performing arts took part in the festival program. They were supported and encouraged by the two professional guest musicians from the partner organization Concert Association Kutin Konsert Forening, and the festival performance became a strong motivational factor for their future creative performances in front of audiences.
The event was attended by 21 young performers of classical instruments, 3 youth duets, the “Mirkov Eagles” orchestra, created within the framework of the Art Workshop “Music and Tradition” from the village of Mirkovo, Sofia Region under the “Stages for Young Art Talents” project. A special author’s street art exhibition of the members of the Visual Arts and Street Art Workshop with 30 panels on easels caused the excitement of many citizens. Visual materials from the work of the 4 art workshops on the project from Kardzhali, Dolna Banya, Botevgrad and the village of Mirkovo were also presented.
A part of the history and symbolism of the popular regional holiday /Festival of Terlika from the village of Dazhdovnica/ was integrated into the concept of the event and the celebration of its 18th edition was also included in the program of the Art Fest. The Terlika festival was organized for the first time on September 1, 2006 by Art movement Krug and during all its editions it became an invariable part of the National cultural calendar and of the cultural map of Kardzhali, a symbol of the thread that connects generations and ethnicities in ” a patchwork’ of partnerships of international artists and performers with local communities. As a unique local phenomenon of intercultural cooperation, the holiday was presented at forums in Barcelona /2008/, at the “Festival della creativati” /2009/ in Florence, during an initiative of the Municipality of Palermo /2011/, at the Institute for Foreign Students in Ghent / 2018/, in the consulates in Chicago and Doha /2019/, and from then until today, artists from 33 countries from all over the world have been included in the program visiting the Art House in Dazhdovnitsa, incl. from Palestine, Israel, Canada, USA, Japan, Brazil, etc. In honor of its 18th edition, the two Norwegian artists thrilled the audience with the decision to perform their final works on terlics, which a local knitter had given them. Thus, the Art Fest became a real model for creating new audiences from the city and villages of the municipality, integrating diverse ethno-cultural practices and symbols.
The event was attended by members of the Project Organization and Management Team, coordinators and artmentors.

40 teenagers from Kardzhali, Botevgrad, Dolna Banya and the village of Mirkovo, Sofia region, started working in specialized art workshops in music and dance art, visual arts, street art and wood carving with famous art mentors from the 4 settlements under the project ” Stages for young talents”, which is implemented by the Foundation “Krug Youth Center – Art Movement Krug” with the support of the Financial Mechanism of the European Economic Area 2014-2020. The partner is the concert association KUTIN KONSERT FORENING from Norway. The long-standing cause of Krug, dedicated to supporting and developing the talents of young people, this time brings together organizations and artists from 4 municipalities and 2 regions in the country with the aim of increasing access to culture for representatives of ethnic and cultural minorities (with a focus on Roma). , carrying out a series of cultural and educational events, traveling tours to remote and hard-to-reach areas, summer art residencies and festival events in partnership with local community centers and schools. Within the framework of the project, a series of theoretical materials and methodologies will be developed using Norwegian experience for working with budding talents, applicable in the practices of the cultural and educational sector in our country.
On July 1, an introductory press conference on the project was held in the Art Center with Gallery “Krug” in Kardzhali with representatives of the Organization and Management Team (EOUP), with guests from schools and community centers in the city, and with the participation of the famous Norwegian pianist of Bulgarian origin Kiril Kutin from Norway, founder and managing director of the concert association KUTIN KONSERT FORENING.
During the workshop that followed the official part, a specially prepared and printed work entitled “We need a fair and open environment where all young people have equal access to development opportunities” was presented, which contained a frank conversation between Radost Nikolaeva, an expert on the project , with Kiril Kutin on how to increase the chances of young talents and what are the principles in the policies for working with them of the Norwegian organization Kutin Konsert Forening. The brochure presents the experience of the Norwegian partner organization in solving problems with social inequality, such as practices and forms of the so-called “anticipatory education” with differentiated curricula and programs by thematic areas, subjects and modules. These are different models through which the transformation of teaching methods is carried out: forms of additional education in class; specialized accelerated education with subject classes and modules; special classes for advanced, regardless of age group, to turn gifts into skills; differentiated curricula and “anticipatory education” programs by thematic areas, subjects and modules; individual study plans and programs; training in small groups on programs for creative development in a certain area, etc.
Within the framework of the workshop, the invited young pianists presented with great inspiration to the Norwegian musician their original performances, while at the same time others painted and/or finished on specially prepared panels their visual interpretations of the event. Kiril Kutin commented on each performance in the context of cultural entrepreneurship and the necessary skills of the artist to communicate with the audience, and finally performed his own compositions. Kiril Kutin is a famous Norwegian musician, he himself sat down at the piano when he was only 4 years old, and today he actively performs concerts in Europe, the Middle East, China and the Scandinavian countries. In Norway, in addition to being a concert pianist, he organizes and actively participates in festival programs, and works with young Norwegian musicians, preparing them for participation in concerts.