Burgas Seeks Ideas for European Capital of Culture 2032

Creators, cultural organizations and creative communities from Bulgaria and abroad can apply with ideas within the initiative "Magaziya'32 - a storehouse of ideas", part of the preparation of Burgas's candidacy for European Capital of Culture 2032. The procedure is the first open call for participation in the preparation of the city's application book.

The aim of the initiative is to collect, structure and develop diverse, innovative and sustainable project ideas that reflect Burgas's vision as a modern European cultural center and engage the creative community as widely as possible.

The Deputy Mayor for Culture and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the "Burgas 2032" Foundation, Diana Savateva, emphasized that the process is built on the principles of transparency, openness and active participation of citizens.

"Burgas's candidacy for European Capital of Culture is not an ambition of the administration. It can only be successful if it is a cause of the community. That is why today we are entering a new stage - a stage in which the main role is played by creators, creators of cultural content and everyone who wants to be aware participants in this process," added Savateva.

According to her, if the preparation has so far gone through a research stage with many meetings and analyzes, now the focus is shifting to intensive dialogue and encouragement of proactivity on the part of cultural circles, with the ultimate goal of creating a "full storehouse of ideas" for the transformation of the city.

The Executive Director of the "Burgas 2032" Foundation, Ruska Boyadzhieva, emphasized the open and democratic nature of the invitation:

"With 'Magaziya'32' we want to democratize the process of applying and participating, to include the creative potential of as many people as possible and to mobilize ideas from different points of view. This is a box for progressive solutions and new approaches, without restrictions for the participants."

The initiative is structured in five thematic areas:

• "No one is left behind"
• "From nature to culture, from culture to nature"
• "Floating borders"
• "Places - spaces - insights"
• "Guardians of the soul"

They outline the project's ambition to become not only a cultural program, but also a tool for long-term development of Burgas, economic growth and improvement of the quality of life.

The application process is fully digitized - project ideas are submitted online via a form published on the website of the "Burgas 2032" Foundation - directly in the system or by e-mail, and questions and answers are also processed electronically. The evaluation will be carried out by a 5-member working group according to criteria such as long-term contribution, creativity, European dimension, inclusion and sustainability of the projects. It will include independent experts, representatives of the foundation and of the municipality.

The deadline for submitting project ideas is May 5, and the results of the evaluation will be announced by June 15. An information campaign with workshops, meetings and online discussions in dialogue with the creative communities is also planned.