Hi, I'M
Mishaka

Yordan Yovkov's war stories "Last Joy" and "Valkadin Speaks to God" come to life on stage and are sadly still painfully relevant today. The author takes us through the horror of war and its aftermath in the first person. Where beauty, love and normal human relationships give way to brutality. Hope and the answers to the big questions - we will search together...

- A woman, boy, is heaven, a woman is eternal torment. The woman is a herring bone. If it gets stuck in your throat, you will choke..

~ Yordan Yovkov

Recent years the world, that surrounds us, is hostile, limiting and unpredictable. The consequences are particularly severe, which this suffocating atmosphere inflicts on young people. They fall into an unbalanced mental state of angry helplessness and worthlessness – basis for various manifestations of risky behavior: uncontrollable irritation, uncritical overconfidence, apathetic passivity or an attempt to escape from reality. The main goal of our project is to stimulate the growth of the youth participants as conscious initiators of positive social changes among the youth, leading to the development of civil society in Bulgaria.

Specific project objectives:

• Creation of favorable conditions for social inclusion of young people from different geographical areas, demographic and ethnicity;
• Conducting informal training of participants on the Convention on Human Rights;
• Identification of important issues according to the participants;
• Alarming the negative consequences of the lack of commitment in solving the problems that affect them;
• Motivating participants for volunteer work in order to initiate youth activity in solving social problems;
• Conducting informal training of young people-trainers of their peers to prevent risky behavior in various social-problem situations through the means of theater;
• Support of voluntary youth cultural initiatives at the local and municipal level to increase the civic activity of young people;
• Informal training of youth workers in good European practices for working with young people in order to increase the effectiveness of their work;
• Building lasting connections between youth workers from different parts of the country to exchange ideas and interact.

Activities to achieve the goals:

• Project management and administration;
• Awareness and publicity measures for the program and the project;
• First camp – training on the Convention on Human Rights;
• Theater consultations;
• Second camp – forum theater and festival training;
• Finalizing events – youth performances and round tables by location.

- If I can't dance, I don't want to be part of your revolution.

~ Emma Goldman

SExpected results:

• Awareness and publicity about the Program and the project;
• Acquisition of new knowledge and skills by the participants;
• Trained 80 young people and 16 youth workers, created 8 FT performance and 8 round tables.

Community impact:

• Reduction of risky behavior among young people;
• Wider support of youth performances by the municipal government;
• An increase in the number of people willing to join the new venture.

Theatrical performance in two parts basen on Aleko Konstantinov`s stories for "Bay Ganyo" The first part, "Bai Ganyo went to Europe", is united around a common narrative thread - the hero's journey through different cities of Europe and the comparison between European and Bulgarian (influenced by the Orient) manners. The second part uses the already established character to satirize topical issues from the political life of Bulgaria at the end of the 19th century. Due to the great and unfading fame of the literary hero, the name "Bai Ganyo" became a byword for a Bulgarian with weakly or strongly expressed negative traits in folk art of the 20th century.

- Well, in a hurry, you forgot to pay for your beer, Mr. Gagno. I paid it.
- You had a lot of money - you paid it.

~ Aleko Konstantinov

In the second part, Bai Gagno no longer deals with the rose oil and is involved in big politics – he writes a petition to the prince, runs for deputy, publishes a newspaper. The individual actions of the first part have been replaced by group ones, and Gagno Balkanski is the leader and driver of the joint actions. The emphasis is on the negative character traits, the lowest passions serve as a piston upwards. The names of his partners also became household names, although not so well known - the lawyer Guna, Gochoolu, Dochoolu, Danko Harsuzina.

The show "Eye of an artist, soul of a poet" is built on stories "The harvest", "Asphyxiation", "Mowers" and "In the next world", included in the curriculum in literature in primary and secondary education. It is designed to increase students' interest in creativity Elin Pelin, as well as help those, who are about to graduate. It is built on a modular principle, as between the stories the actors enter into a discussion with the audience, helping with their questions to make sense of the author's message and means, through which he achieved this suggestion.

We live like worms in a tree, each gnawing and making his way according to his strength.

~ Elin Pelin

We are starting a project “Me, INSTEAD OF YOU“, received financial support from the National Program for the Implementation of Youth Activities under Art. 10and from the gambling law for 2022 year of Ministry of Youth and Sports. Young people from the village will be involved in it Bistrica, Municipality Dupnitsa, city Pillow case, Yambol, Zlatograd, Chepelare, Kardzhali, Zlataritsa and Gotse Delchev.

The project aims to prevent the use and distribution of narcotic substances. It will be implemented by 15.07 to 31.10.2022r.

Addiction is an adaptation. It’s not you – it’s the cage you live in. ~ Йохан Хари

Each of us knows from our own experience, that it is much easier to find a way out of a problematic situation, when you are not the victim in it. You look objectively at the details, you evaluate the possibilities and give advice: ” If I were you…”

And here it is, we are now initiating a project “Me, instead of you“, to enable young people to look at the serious problem from the side “drug addiction” and taking on the role of his victim, to look for a way out. We will present them with our forum theater performance “Colorful shadows“.

The emotional impact, what theater art does to the audience, provokes in them empathy for the victim of the presented situation and they enter into her role, to suggest a change in her behavior, which will solve the problem. Forum theatre /FT/ gives viewers the unique opportunity in a safe environment to test the effectiveness of their proposed strategy. The actions of the spectator-actor cause a reaction on the part of the other characters, and the intervening spectator suffers the consequences of his actions. It has been proven, that there is no more effective and long-lasting result than this, gained through experience.

Chronologically:

• 27.07.2022 - Pernik - round table and forum theatre performance
• 27.07.2022 - Pernik - online broadcasts
• 30.07. - 02.08.2022 - First training
• 02.08.2022 - Presentation to an audience
• 03-06.08.2022 - Second training
• 06.08.2022 Presentation to an audience
• august 2022 - october 2022 local presentation in Bistrica, Pernik, Yambol, Zlatograd, Chepelare, Kardzhali, Zlataritsa and Gotse Delchev.

By playing the victim, even with consciousness, that they are only participants in a theatrical play, young people will experience the great hopelessness of trying to get out of the drug trap. They will realize the need to fight to prevent new victims in it. Some of them will accept our invitation to get involved in drug prevention among their peers and become participants in our trainings. Viewers of the youth performances created during our joint work will become at least 100-120 their peers and 30 adults responsible for their growth, who in turn will be alerted to the unwavering attention, awareness and countermeasures, which the problem of drug use and distribution requires. Discussion of possibilities for carrying out such measures will be held on The round tables in the included cities, with which our project will end.

"Voices of Sofia" is a project of street playback theater action, which presents every month an action in a different area - Center, "Lyulin", "Hristo Botev" district, Students' Town, Lion's Bridge. The last performance was at Vitosha Mountain on the Golden Bridges on May 29th

"The theater is so endlessly fascinating because it's so accidental. It's so much like life."

~ Arthur Miller

We played your personal stories on the street, at the bus stop, in the park, in the mountains, between traffic, between laughter and tears. It was a pleasure for us.

"Art Laboratory for Clean Air" is a five-day workshop in which several teams of artists from different fields of art come together to learn more about and work creatively on one of the most pressing environmental topics today: air, which we breathe - a problem with great social charge, but also with enviable creative potential. "Art Laboratory for Clean Air" will be the experimental space and the free zone for creativity of multi-genre teams with focus: the air without which we can not. opportunity for five consecutive days (from August 30 to September 3, 2021) to create all day and finally to show the local audience the result of their teamwork on the topic of clean air.

Because no matter who we are or where we come from, we're all entitled to the basic human rights of clean air to breathe, clean water to drink, and healthy land to call home.

~ Martin Luther King III

At the end of the creative process the artists invite the audience to see "their miniatures" in different styles - puppet theater, playback theater, cinema, dance, drama - in the yard of 94 SU Dimitar Strashimirov in Sofia. "It is not known in the joint work process which of the formed teams will go how far, but the most important thing in this case is to have search, dialogue, research on the topic and inspiration. The presentation of the final will show only a stage of the creative process and if there is will and potential, one of the groups can continue and finish what has been created so far, "says Manuela Sargsyan - one of the two art directors of the event - the other in tandem is Georgi Tenev. "Clean Air Art Laboratory" is organized by the association "For the Earth" under a project funded by the Clean Air Fund.

They went on stage, took a deep breath, exhaled, played, sang, laughed, cried, danced, improvised, immersed themselves, read, bowed ... these were the artists from the team "Puppet Theater", "Dance", "Playback Theater" , “Cinema”, “Dramatic text” in our Art Laboratory for fresh air.

Dozens of residents from the Hristo Botev neighborhood gathered in front of the stage, many of them watching us from afar, scattered in the yard, commenting, laughing, applauding us, participating in the game. Thanks to everyone who was with us tonight!

Project "Prevention of violence through art techniques Open your eyes", NPIMD № H3-T3-010 / 2021, with the financial support of the Ministry of Youth and Sports. The project is implemented by the Roma Health Foundation.

The participants in the training were students from Zlatograd, Pernik, Sliven, Sofia and Chepelare, and the focus of the project is violence in its various forms, as well as the theater as a tool for research and prevention. Six theatrical miniatures were performed, in which the audience was involved as an arbiter, advisor, as well as actors who played their proposals on stage.

If an egg breaks with external force, it is the end of a life. If it breaks with force from within, it is the beginning of a life. Great things always start from within.

As a result of the trainings, which we conduct within the framework of this project, we expect the participants:

• to recognize the types of violence
• to act to prevent violence in every form
• to hold public discussions of problems in the classroom or school, caused by violence

How we achieved this objectives?

The training "Through participation" represents a new paradigm in education. Various methods and techniques derive from it. Our program focuses on the art method Forum theatre (FT).

Role-playing games are a method of recreating the real, a familiar or imaginary situation. When creating it, the participants must achieve a clear description of the current situation / problem and indicate how each participant in the acting scene (victim, bully, observer, etc.) would react.

Group work in a large / small group. Different configurations are set in order to develop habits and skills for self-assessment and assessment of the behavior of others.; conflict resolution; analyzing situations and problems from the other's point of view; assertive self-expression.

Born Humans,each of us has equal rights and responsibilities to protect them, regardless of its origin and features. The aim of the project is to convince 60-100 students aged between 13 and 17 years from Zlatograd, Zlataritsa, Plovdiv, Sliven and Chepelare, how important it is for all of us to teach them THEY THEMSELVES to be active, to be able to mediate in conflict situations, to hold public discussions of problems in the classroom or school, caused by intolerance,misunderstanding and violation of the rights of others. Participants will be trained on 2 programs, based on an innovative methodology, involving learners in a creative process, which is personally meaningful, which makes the training desirable and effective.

They will base in 5 youth club, each of which, under our leadership, will prepare a Forum-Theater performance. The performances will be presented at a festival “My opinion matters” Each club will export 6 interactive presentation in front of about 300 young people in the area of ​​their birthplace (total for the project 1500) on issues of concern to them, to look for solutions together.

If someone needs to express their gender in a way that is different, that is okay. They don’t deserve to be victims of violence. If you are uncomfortable with it, then you need to look at yourself.

~ Laverne Cox

The point of HUMAN RIGHTS TRAINING is not so much the achievement of knowledge, as much as building attitudes, beliefs, values, rules and norms of conduct respecting the equality of human dignity.

As a result of the trainings, which we will conduct within the framework of this project, we expect the participants:

• to be able to mediate in conflict situations
• to hold public discussions of problems in the classroom or school, caused by intolerance, misunderstanding and violation of the rights of others
• to be involved in campaigns for informal peer education by human rights peers.

How we achieved this objectives?

The training "Through participation" represents a new paradigm in education. Various methods and techniques derive from it. Our program focuses on the art method Forum theatre (FT).

Role-playing games are a method of recreating the real, a familiar or imaginary situation. When creating it, the participants must achieve a clear description of the current situation / problem and indicate how each participant in the acting scene (victim, bully, observer, etc.) would react.

Group work in a large / small group. Different configurations are set in order to develop habits and skills for self-assessment and assessment of the behavior of others.; conflict resolution; analyzing situations and problems from the other's point of view; assertive self-expression.

The training will be outsourced to the participants, to break away from the usual activities and to stimulate communication between themselves. In this way we will have the opportunity to apply the necessary techniques to turn the group of young people into a team.

Project "WE PLAY YOUR STORY" offers testing of the idea of ​​building a proactive civil society by involving viewers of different ages and social status in search of strategies for solving shared real youth problems. The project provides periodically online presentation of 6 forum theatrical performances, 4 of which conflict situations shared by young viewers will be created. The initiative will draw public attention to the priority need to urgently address issues of concern to young people, while at the same time providing non-formal civic education for young people between 12 and 18 years in tolerance, cooperation and mutual assistance in resolving problematic situations concerning them.

"COLORFUL SHADOWS" - A story of shattered dreams. Aims to prevent drug use

It means a great deal to those who are oppressed to know that they are not alone. Never let anyone tell you that what you are doing is insignificant.

~ Desmond Tutu

"THE THIEF" - The mother of Ani is a drug addict. She sold everything, which she could and stole something small, to feed. Classmates of Ani they also witness this when one of their phones disappears, they blame Ani in theft.

Theatre Tsvete the realization of a project begins "Digital War on Violence" with the financial support of the National Fund "Culture", program "Public". The project plans to prepare a digital version of four forum theatrical performances from our repertoire and their online distribution. Our goal is to study the interest of stakeholders in different populations to such online events, to provide a way to the youth audience in the conditions of COVID19 and forum the theater in the digital space to establish itself as a successful art technique for prevention and protection from violence and addictions. After the screenings there will be an online discussion with the audience and their suggestions will be performed live by the actors in the studio..

It only takes one click to ruin a kid’s life.

A team of actresses Violina Vasileva - Alexandrova and Nevena Dencheva, the actor Mikhail Petrov and the operator Ivan Donchev filmed a forum theatrical performance "Me and you".

Three forum theatrical miniatures with titles: "Bitter", "Girl in the Mirror" and "Broken Dreams". Project of "Art Chaos Neda", with the support of Socially Engaged Arts at the "National Culture Fund" and addresses the problems of early marriages. With participation of young actors from the newly created theater troupe at the "Roma Health Foundation".

Feminist, whatever the definition, whatever you call yourself - I am, I'm not - none of us want little girls being forced into early marriage before they're 12.

~ Natalie Dormer

The project includes: formation of a Roma youth theater troupe in Sliven, training at the Forum Theater and creation of three performances on the topic: Prevention of early marriages and dropping out of school, which will be played by young people in front of the community. The Forum Theater will be filmed, uploaded to an online distribution platform and donated to the "Roma Health Foundation" to use the funds raised for social performances and causes.

Improving the quality of life, social inclusion and poverty reduction, as well as the sustainable integration of the most marginalized communities, including the Roma, through the implementation of comprehensive measures and the implementation of an integrated approach. The project is implemented on the territory of Sliven municipality.

It is impossible to imagine a more complete fusion with nature than that of the Gypsy.

~ Franz Liszt

Social inclusion of students and parents from the Roma community in the municipality of Sliven by applying an integrated approach to overcoming negative public attitudes. Strengthening, development and affirmation of Roma culture, way of life and identity .: The aim of the activity is through a set of activities to overcome negative stereotypes, to improve the social inclusion of the Roma community in Sliven municipality, to establish the true face of Roma culture, life. and identity. Overcoming negative stereotypes about the Roma community; - Social inclusion of marginalized people from the Roma community from Sliven and the villages; - Attracting young Roma to actively participate in the implementation of the activities; - Promotion of the true face of Roma culture; - Positive change of public attitudes and overcoming negative stereotypes in the municipality of Sliven. - Overcoming negative public attitudes by implementing activities with a focus on mutual knowledge of cultural diversity by jointly celebrating the holidays of different ethnic groups (presentation of folklore rituals, traditions, songs, dances, concerts, exhibitions, etc.)

The project "I want to understand you, I want you to understand me" will present a theater of the senses "Labyrinth". In the form of this unique theatrical method of training in nonviolent communication and prevention of violence, young people aged 17 to 19 will be able to enrich their life experience and expand their worldview on the current topic of violence.

The project "I want to understand you, I want you to understand me", implemented by the "Roma Health Foundation" and funded by the "Ministry of Youth and Sports", is two-component. On the one hand, he offered interactive training to young people in recognizing types of aggression, forms of violence, protection and prevention. On the other hand, it involved them in a simulation environment in which they experienced deep experiences related to the topic of "aggression" and gave the opportunity for unadulterated and spontaneous sharing and exchange of views. The project is aimed at changing the stereotypes of thinking and behavior of young people, according to which the "strong" succeeds, who does not respect the rights and feelings of others and achieves dominance by causing pain and humiliation.

Help me to do it by myself.

~ A child

The sensory theater "Labyrinth" has proven its deep and lasting impact when working with different target groups. It has a particularly strong effect on young people. The project "I want to understand you, I want you to understand me" was held in Zlatograd with groups of young people from the cities of Sliven, Sofia and Zlatograd. The trained young men and women gained the ability to organize and conduct theatrical labyrinths against violence in various formats and contexts / seminars, school classrooms, camps, etc./.

As a product of the project "I want to understand you, I want you to understand me" a video was created, which followed the development of the process in Zlatograd and served as promotional material on the Internet and at the presentation of the "NATIONAL PROGRAM FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF YOUTH ACTIVITIES" in the birthplaces of the participants.

The project is implemented by "Art Chaos Neda" and is funded by the "Ministry of Youth and Sports". It was initiated to change attitudes and limit the speech and action of aggression, hatred, intolerance among young people at school. The increase in the number of young people who have undergone a certain type of experiential training / practice, which has made them aware of the negative impact and possible consequences of this type of behavior and have made a change, will make the process of socially responsible behavior in society more and more irreversible.

After the creation of the program under the project "Respect instead of violence - it depends on us", in the camp in Chepelare gathered children from four settlements - the towns of Chepelare, Zlatograd, Sofia and Pernik. After a demonstration by the experts of the Forum-Theater performance "No to Violence", the participants were trained to build their own performances on specific situations proposed by them. The project is implemented by "Art Chaos Neda" and is funded by the "Ministry of Youth and Sports".

I miss you people terribly. I love you! I want to experience that emotion again!

~ Magi Martinova

As a result of the trainings, which we conduct within the framework of this project, we expect the participants:

As a result of the trainings, we expect the participants:

• to recognize the types of violence
• to act to prevent violence in every form
• to hold public discussions of problems in the classroom or school, caused by violence
• to build their own performances on specific situations proposed by them

Final of the final series of forum-theater performances of the participants from Sofia, Pernik, Chepelare and Zlatograd in the project "Respect instead of violence - it depends on us", implemented by "Art Chaos Neda" and funded by the "Ministry of Youth and Sports", presented in the community center "Rodopska iskra 1880" in the town of Chepelare, region Smolyan. The event is held with the active participation of the audience and subject to safeguards in the context of COVID-19. With the kind assistance of the Mayor of the Municipality - Chepelare, Mr. Boran Hadjiev.

Project "It depends on us - digital forum theater for young people", implemented with the financial support of the "National Fund Culture"

Do you want to be actively involved in a real story with real preconditions and consequences and to solve it together, because it depends on us?

Want to ask questions and comment on issues that concern you?

While the digital age has done so much to improve our world, it has dramatically changed our social structure, often further isolating us from each other.

~ Dean Ornish

It is up to us to be active and engaged and to live informed and with an adequate social position. It is up to us every day to choose to be healthy and to help each other in the difficult choices, changing situations and challenges of the world in which we live now.

The project is developing an adapted, digital version of Forum Theater. The goal is for it to reach the youth audience in the conditions of COVID19 and to establish itself in the digital space as a successful art technique for prevention and protection from violence and addictions.

Project "PREVENTION OF VIOLENCE THROUGH THEATER" by "Art Chaos NEDA", which is realized thanks to funding from the "Ministry of Youth and Sports", between June 30 and July 5 in Sozopol was held training of young trainers of their peers for the prevention of violence through the Forum Theater.

The aim of the project is training in which young people are stimulated to seek and find solutions that are important to themselves, close to their interests and working to change society.

Violence is the last refuge of the incompetent.

~ Isaac Asimov

Form theater is an art model based on the experiences of the participants, stimulated by their involvement in various socially and educationally oriented drama activities. Such training stimulates the activity and creativity of young people and activates their desire to express themselves in the environment in which they live.

The training includes young volunteers with a pronounced socially active position from youth clubs from Zlatograd, Pernik, Sliven and Sofia. between the ages of 14 and 29, along with their club leaders.

Exercises were conducted to build teamwork skills; basic theatrical skills; building a Forum theatrical performance based on a real case and leading a theatrical discussion (joker). Within the framework of this training, various forum theatrical performances were started, which the young people had to complete in places, with the help of their leaders.

The project continued with field work. The actors from Art Chaos Neda facilitated the work process of the youth teams from Sliven, Zlatograd, Pernik and Sofia. The premieres were successful in September!

Developed by Brazilian director Augusto Boal in the 1970s, Forum theater serves as a means of promoting social and personal change. In this interactive theatrical play, the audience is both an audience and actors. They actively explore, show, analyze and transform the presented reality into discussions and participate in the action.

The project "Prevention of school violence" is presented through 3 forum theatrical performances, through which we introduce students to the painful problem called - violence at school

Nothing good ever comes of violence.

~ Martin Luther

Maypole There is a boy in the class who is mentally abused by a classmate. His patience runs out and in a fit of rage the boy hurts the girl he likes. The story concerns the question of the limits of tolerance and where this leads us. How important it is to share our feelings and appreciate ourselves. Suitable for students in grades 4-6

Like a game Forum theater on the relationship between girls and boys. The story is based on an actual case. A first grader likes his classmate. He starts teasing the girl more and more insistently. Until finally, when she tries to leave, the boy squeezes her hard and refuses to let her go. This leads to a meeting of the parents' council and more serious measures. Suitable for grades 1-4.

To love stubbornly Sasho is 12th grade. He has a girlfriend who is in 9th grade. The girl is under constant harassment because of her friend's jealousy. A new student arrives at the school and witnesses their scandals. He was severely beaten in an attempt to intervene. Suitable for students 9 -12 grade

The project "Prevention of drug addiction - Colorful shadows” proposes innovative non-formal civic training to prevent drug use and the associated risk of HIV of young people, mostly between 13 and 18 years, students in the capital's high schools. The training consists of 45 minute interactive training of a group of young people, led by two psychologists from Foundation “Health Initiative” and 60 minute Forum-theatrical performance, covering 80-100 audience.

Color Shadows is a show, part of the project "Prevention of drug addiction", in which the actors recreate a modern story about drug addiction. The cheerful and naive Albena, who has dreams, meets Joro, who manages to enchant her with charm, wit and attention, but also to weave it into the snare of designer drugs. Little by little the young heroine he sinks into problems, lies, deceptions, dramas, neglects friends, loses dreams and becomes infected with HIV.

Drugs are a waste of time. They destroy your memory and your self-respect and everything that goes along with your self esteem.

~ Kurt Cobain

The interest in the project and the problems raised in it among young people was huge and this was seen during the discussion of how the heroine Albena should act in order to oppose Joro and not become a drug addict. In the second part, when the audience participates in rewriting scenes from the play, two of the girls who were afraid to incarnate in the role of Albena were Radina and Theodora.