Open Call

Kapana Creative District is an initiative that aims to activate the potential of the Kapana’s area in Plovdiv by using integrative activities to develop the zone as the first district area of the creative industries in the country.

Kapana creative district is a long-standing project which intends to attract brains and talents that will represent the creative industries in one of the central, but quiet parts of the city, from all over the country and abroad, by providing supportive and stimulating environment for their development.

Considering the specific history, architecture and the peculiar character of Kapana district, the activities of this project will have a desire to prevent, to renovate and to explore this symbolical for the history of our city-Plovdiv, venue.

The purpose of the project is to transform Kapana’s area into international laboratory and place for exploration, for innovations and experiment in the field of the creative industries and cultural management. With its activities, Kapana Creative district settles as an attractive place for artists, curators, cultural managers, artisans, architects, software specialists, urbanists, writers and musicians from the whole country and will become a recognizable international center.

In long- term perspective the project aims to transform Kapana district into popular and desired brand in national and international context, which will draw the attention and the interest of tourists and of different representatives of the creative industries from all around the world.

Kapana Creative District Project Phase II

In April 2015 Plovdiv 2019 Foundation implemented the second open call for projects devoted to Kapana. This one, after the one in 2014 which was specially for establishment of businesses in the area, was divided in two concepts- “Establishment in Kapana” /providing the rent for a period of one year of a creative atelier/ and “Projects and events in Kapana” /supporting events implemented in the neighbourhood or devoted to its development/.

Here is a list of the projects and the new locations, which were selected in the open call for a period till July 2016:

Establishment in Kapana
  1. Galleria-art shop. “P.A.R.K Galleria” Ltd 7 “Hristo Dyukmedjiev” Str.;
  2. Recording “Studio 4″”- recording studio, demonstrations and workshops. “Univermag” Ltd.- 14 A “Hristo Dyukmedjiev”, fl. 2 and 3;
  3. Armenian cultural information center. Foundation “Araks” 12 “Hristo Dyukmedjiev” Str.;
  4. Italian language and cultural center. “Vadiram” Ltd.- 44 “Georgi Bnkovski” Str;
  5. Craftsman Kitchen “Fermata”. Social innovation, which combines small kitchen, shop, counter for prepared traditional meals and space for training.- Association “Stable Society”- 1 “Magura” Str.;
  6. Center for fine and applied arts, performances and sale of art and hobby materials. “BUM ART” Ltd.;
Projects and events in Kapana
  1. Concert of the group The Coathangers (Atlanta, USA) with participation of the audio- visual artist Robotko (Germany) and the painter and designer Andonasty (Plovdiv) /June 2015/- NGO “Common Fututre”;
  2. “Cultural Embassies in Kapana”- Belgium Embassy Exhibition; Polish Institute- Exhibition oftheatrical poster of professor Lech Majevski; Exhibition of Czech Cultural center /July, August, November/- Foundation ONE for culture and arts;
  3. “Ambassadors. Kapana””- brainstorming session and discussion with young people for the future development of Kapana. /October 2015/ Association “Associated artists of Plovdiv”;
  4. Two- day forum “The art to lead with our ideas” is an event, which aims to reveal the applicability of the methods of participation and dialogue in support of young entrepreneurs and artists to attract more people to their ideas and by this, to transform the societies. Except for the training part, the two-day forum will also have practical aspect- after every theoretical part will follow the opportunity to apply the newly learned on practice within the group. Also, in another day they will be able to participate in the organization of big open event by the methods of “Open Space”. /October 2015/;
  5. Festival of the Bulgarian handmade beer. /September, October 2015/ “Pod Tepeto” Ltd.;
  6. “Cheese in the trap”- theatrical performances in Kapana /June, July 2015/- Key Turn Foundation (Hand Theatre);
  7. “Heard and Seen in Kapana”- Project for photography, calligraphy, printing and distribution of cards with quotes, inquired after a consultation with the residents form Kapana. /May- June 2016/ “Lastici” Ltd.;
  8. TEB.E.SHIR /Chalk/- exhibition, presentations and discussions for the educational environment, carried out jointly with Creative Complex “Incubator” /September- October/. Association “Transformatori”;
  9. Craftsmen shop for T- shirt printing through cyanotype “Dress the moment” “What a Monster” Ltd. /September- October 2015/;
  10. Graffiti in Kapana- Graffiti in Kapana. /May, June, September 2015/ Dimitar Mehandjiyski;
  11. Bazaar for vinyls- Skill Stefan Kolev /May, June, September 2015/;
  12. “Workshops in Rakodelnicata”- studio for copyright products and applied experiments. Children’sworkshops andexhibitions oftraditionalcraft’stechniques. /July 2015- June 2016/ “Farmodont” Ltd. fl. 2 and 3;
  13. Photographic project Streetbook. Lyubomir Atanasov;

In October 2016  we launched an open call for the third phase of the competition for funding proposals under the project of “Plovdiv 2019”- “Kapana Creative District”, direction “Kapana: Events and Interventions in Public Spaces” and received 27 proposals. The jury chose to support nine projects, among which to allocate the grant of 20 000lv. and offer two reserves. Conceptual proposals of the candidates covered all levels set out in the terms of the invitation- interventions in a public environment, urban gardening, active interaction of participants, educational initiatives, artistic interventions in urban environments, workshops and demonstrations. The favorites of the jury of this competition brought several essential features that neighborhood Kapana carries as a potential or displayed as necessary, namely: cultural revival of physical objects that gives life to the neighborhood; Lack of “green” elements on the specifics of the neighborhood give particular focus on performances of urban gardening; Temporary artistic interventions in the public space, which give active impulse for the time given slot; Active educational initiatives that poses interest, provoke knowledge and gradually saturate the lack of knowledge and awareness. The jury selects:

  1. The “5 for 4” foundation for their project “Kapana is”. Allocation of 3500BGN;
  2. Association “Theatre of fire and shadows- Fireter” project LICA/FACES/CARAS. Allocation- 5000BGN;
  3. NGO Association BioNetwork “Plant Kapana” gets 3400BGN;
  4. “Trendy KAPANA” on Alenia Ltd. receives support of 2,000BGN;
  5. NGO “School Board of art schools” for “Celebration in a Box” received 1,300BGN;
  6. 1000 BGN received the project of “Dirya”- “Urban composting”;
  7. Workshop and demonstration of Chiprovo carpets ET “CHUSHKARCHETO” supported by 1,000BGN;
  8. The interactive educational project “Eco School PLOVEDIV” of “Kontrabranda” Ltd. receives 1,800BGN;
  9. Workshops for carving candles “Ethno Style”” Ltd. with support from 1000BGN;

The jury selected reserve projects of the “Plovdiv Photography Centre” for a series of photographic exhibitions and outdoor Association “Key- Turn” for performances for children and adults.

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