New European Bauhaus Prizes 2023

Initiative category

Identify the award category for which this initiative is being submitted
Regaining a sense of belonging

Email user
marina.evgenieva@gmail.com

Basic information
Initiative title
HELIOS

Full initiative Title
Choreographic Experimental Laboratory and Innovative Educational Stage "HELIOS"

Please provide a short, catchy description of your initiative to be used in communication towards the public.
First creative laboratory for contemporary dance for young choreographers in Bulgaria. The goal of the innovative educational process is to support young talents in the field of dance and give them the opportunity to join international performative networks. Participants are supported in developing their ideas and creating their own short works to present to an audience. The process is extremely important for Bulgaria, where there is still no tradition in the field of contemporary choreography.

What was the geographical scope of your intiative?
National

Where was your intiative implemented?
Member State(s) and Western Balkans
Bulgaria

If relevant, insert names of region(s)/municipality(ies) involved
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Does your initiative address mainly urban or rural issues?
Mainly urban

Does your initiative refer to a physical transformation of the built environment or other types of transformations (hard or soft investments)?
It refers to other types of transformations (soft investment)

Has your initiative benefited from EU programmes and/or funds?
No

Has your initiative won an EU prize with a monetary value awarded?
No

Does your initiative has a minimum level of maturity? The minimum level of maturity is exemplified by stakeholder/ initiative promoter commitment to implement the initiative in practice and a clear methodology /approach.
Yes

On whose behalf are you submitting the application?
As an individual
Please provide the contact details for the intiative promoter (the individual or representative of the organisation authorised to represent the intiative).
- First name: Svetlana
  Last name: Lomeva
  Gender: Female
  Nationality: Bulgaria
  Address (country of permanent residence for individuals or address of the organisation)<br/>Street and number: 1, Serdika Str., 3rd fl.
  Town: Sofia
  Postal code: 1000
  Country: Bulgaria
  Direct Tel: +359 888 374 040
  E-mail: s.lomeva@sofia-da.eu
  Website: https://sofia-da.eu/en/
Social Media accounts (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, etc.)
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In case my initiative is selected as a finalist of the NEB Prizes 2023, I agree to share the name (individual and/or organisation’s), email address, website and social media accounts indicated above with other NEB Prizes finalists. I also agree to publish the name (individual and/or organisation’s), website and social media accounts indicated above next to the public description of my initiative in the channels of the European Commission.
Yes

How did you hear about the New European Bauhaus Prizes?
Social Media

Description of the initiative
Please provide a summary of your initiative
HELIOS is the first creative laboratory for contemporary dance for young choreographers in Bulgaria. The initiative is of the Association for the Development of Sofia and Sofia Municipality with the support of the Ministry of Culture of Bulgaria and the international organization Dance ICONS. The goal of the innovative educational process is to support young talents in the field of dance and give them the opportunity to join international performative networks. The innovative program includes lectures on contemporary choreography as well as exercises in improvisation, experimentation and dance composition. The purpose of this experimental educational process is to support each of the choreographers to create enough material to be organized into a new short work to be presented to an audience, on stage, on the last day of the creative laboratory. Participation in Helios is free for choreographers. The performance is also free to the public. Choreographers have the opportunity to invite dancers to participate in their newly created works. The process is extremely important for Bulgaria, where there is still no tradition in the field of contemporary choreography. Art director and lecturer at HELIOS is Vladimir Angelov - choreographer, educator and CEO of Dance ICONS – Washington DC.

Please indicate the main themes of your initiative with 5 key words.
Knowledge

Please indicate the main themes of your initiative with key words
Culture

Please indicate the main themes of your initiative with key words
Development

Please indicate the main themes of your initiative with key words
Accessibility

Please indicate the main themes of your initiative with key words
Inclusion

Please give information about the key objectives of your initiative in terms of sustainability and how these have been/will be met. Please highlight how the initiative can be exemplary in this context.
In the preparation of Helios, it was important to choose the most suitable place for the choreographic laboratory. The new cultural space "Toplocentrala" was chosen - a joint initiative of artists from the independent scene and the Sofia Municipality. The project, which started in 2014, transformed the old heating plant of the National Palace of Culture from 1981 into a Center for Contemporary Arts with a modern European look. The "Toplocentrala" is located in a park and the participants of HELIOS were encouraged to use in the process of work and creativity not only the entire physical space with its specific characteristics, but also the surrounding green spaces.

Please give information about the key objectives of your initiative in terms of aesthetics and quality of experience for people (through design, positive emotions and cultural benefits) and how these have been met. Please highlight how the initiative can be exemplary in this context.
As can be seen from the five key words that describe the project, HELIOS is aimed of supporting creativity and creating cultural content that will enrich professionals in the field of contemporary dance and attract the public. Because of the historical specificity of Bulgaria, choreography in the country is underdeveloped and projects like HELIOS give Bulgarian talents the opportunity to catch up on what was missed during the years of totalitarian regime. Participants in the first edition of the creative lab were helped to create their own short works of art, which were very well received by the audience. The project gave new knowledge and skills to the artists, as well as new confidence to continue creating in the field of contemporary choreography.

Please give information about the key objectives of your initiative in terms of inclusion (ranging from accessibility and affordability for all to inclusive governing systems, design for all principles or new societal models) and how these have been met. Please highlight how the initiative can be exemplary in this context.
The first edition of HELIOS was completely free for all participants and the public. The financing was provided by the Sofia Municipality and the Ministry of Culture of Bulgaria. In this way, accessibility was ensured for those who wanted to get involved. 8 young choreographers and over 20 ballet dancers participated in the project in 2022. The development plans of HELIOS include the creation of a festival that will give the audience even more access to contemporary Bulgarian choreography. This will surely contribute to the development of the dance scene in the country.

Please explain the way citizens benefiting from or affected by the initiative and civil society have been/will be involved in the initiative and what has been/will be the impact of this involvement on the initiative
One of the most important moments for the first edition of HELIOS was the public presentation of the newly created short works of the choreographers during the project. It was important that the performance was free to the public and this allowed access to as many people as possible. The most valuable and interesting thing for the audience was that each of the young choreographers presented their work and told how it was created. It was not an ordinary ballet performance, but helped the audience to enter into the creative process and learn new things about modern dance.

Please explain how different stakeholders at various levels (local, regional, national, European) were engaged in the design and implementation of the initiative.
One of the special things about HELIOS is that the project includes representatives from both the institutional and independent dance scenes. Choreographers and ballet dancers working in the National and city operas and music theaters, as well as those from independent ballet formations, participated in the creative laboratory. The project is also unique for Bulgaria in that its organization was supported by local and national authorities - Sofia Municipality and the Ministry of Culture.

Please explain which disciplines and/ or knowledge fields were reflected in the design and implementation of your initiative. Please explain how representatives of these different fields interacted with each other, and what the added value of this process was
The project is dedicated to contemporary choreography, but the participants are from different ballet schools, institutions and independent companies, which gives an opportunity to exchange experience and knowledge. An extremely important part of the work process itself is the feedback that each of the choreographers receives from the lecturer and colleagues at the end of each day of the creative laboratory. In this way, the talents interact in the construction of the works and receive ideas from others in the project.

Please highlight the innovative character of the initiative, when compared to mainstream actions in the field of the initiative
As a country without traditions in the field of contemporary dance, Bulgaria is faced with the challenge of creating a new generation of choreographers. There are several troupes dedicated to contemporary ballet, various teachers periodically visit the country to hold master classes, but HELIOS offers a completely new approach. First of all, in the educational part of the creative laboratory contributes not only the teacher, but also all the choreographers who participated in the project. By exchanging ideas and opinions among everyone, the process is not one-way anymore - from lecturer to participant, but helps to form a kind of a community that contributes to the creativity of each member. The presentation of the results of the laboratory in front of the public contributes even more to the achievement of the goal - supporting modern Bulgarian choreographers.

Please describe which elements of your initiative could be replicated or transferred to other places, groups of beneficiaries and contexts. This may involve, for example, aspects of the methodology, technology, processes, products, learnings, etc.
The innovative approach in the educational part of the HELIOS project can be applied in similar creative laboratories that are also related to other arts. This can lead to the enrichment of the educational system in the field of culture.

Please describe the methodology or approach used in your initiative.
The approach of HELIOS is very well described by the lecturer and artistic director of the project, Vladimir Angelov: We don't tell the choreographers what to do, we let them act. We do not impose, we guide. It's a very open, creative process. Every choreographer, regardless of the phase of their career, has different approaches to movement and to concept. There is no wrong, there is no right, there is different!

Please explain what kind of global challenges the initiative addresses by providing local solutions
Project HELIOS is focused on culture, creativity, community building and inclusion. It works to ensure quality education and advancement in the field of art. With its work, the project supports the development of contemporary dance in Bulgaria, makes the talents in the country competitive and supports their participation in international networks that will give them access to world stages. At the same time, it educates and attracts new audiences.

Please detail the scope of progress in the implementation of the initiative. This can include already demonstrated results/outputs related to the chosen Prizes category, and the already achieved benefits from the initiative for direct and indirect beneficiaries. This can also include a development plan of the initiative, with a particular attention to the steps envisaged in the year following the application, and including envisaged results and benefits from the initiative
So far HELIOS has only one release. The second is being prepared. The plans for the project include: creating an annual festival in which choreographers who have passed through the creative laboratory will participate, attracting participants from other European countries, as well as presenting the choreographers and their works abroad. This will contribute to attracting new young talents to the initiative, reaching a larger audience and creating a network of professionals in contemporary dance choreography.

Please provide documents that demonstrate the maturity level of the initiative and commitment to implement the initiative in practice (e.g.: evaluation report, final or mid-term initiative report, certification, publications, building permit, grant agreement, letter of support, partnership agreement, etc.)
Web link
Web link
If relevant, please describe how your initiative contributes to developing new competences, especially in the context of the European competence framework on sustainability.
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Please attach at least 6 high resolution images or visual representations of your initiative to your application.
If you would like to upload additional documentation, please upload or write below.
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By submitting your application you confirm that you are the copyright owner of the images provided and that they can be used by the European Commission for the purposes of promoting the New European Bauhaus on all platforms (websites, print, social media and other).
Yes

By ticking this box, you declare that you are not in in one or more of the exclusion situations foreseen under Article 136 of the Financial Regulation.
Yes

By submitting this application, I declare that I am not related to the entities subject to EU restricted measures under Article 29 of the Treaty on the European Union (TEU) and subject to Article 215 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU (TFEU)1, and entities covered by Commission Guidelines No 2013/C 205/05), which are not eligible to participate in any capacity.
Yes

By ticking this box, you declare that all the information provided in this form is factually correct, that you assume sole liability in the event of a claim relating to the activities carried out in the framework of the contest, that the proposed initiative has not been proposed for the New European Bauhaus Prizes in any other category or strand and that it has not been subject to any type of investigation, which could lead to a financial correction because of irregularities or fraud.
Yes

By submitting your application, you guarantee that you are the author or have the rights to proceed with the application and to authorise the use of the initiative and that you have obtained any necessary consents, licenses or assignments from third parties and included copyright notices when necessary
Yes

By submitting your application, you understand that all the applications that meet the eligibility requirements will be shared for the purposes of the selection processes, and notably published on the secured platform prizes.new-european-bauhaus.eu and for the purposes of the promotion of these on the New European Bauhaus website and/or other European Commission communication channels. In this sense, the applications would be widely available. Applicants should ensure that they present their initiatives, initiative, in such a way that they could be shared without giving rise to intellectual property related concerns. If your submission is selected as one of the finalists, it will additionally be shared for the purpose of the public vote that will take place. The European Union is granted a licence to use and share your application with the general public and the official external experts for the purposes of the selection process, including the voting. The European Union has the right to use the images and visual materials and the description provided in the application for communication purposes related to the contest and beyond. Rights granted comprise the right to store, reproduce, display, publish and communicate or distribute copies in electronic or digital format, including, but not only, through the internet. Unless you have disclosed your name, the European Commission has no obligation to share your name when using or disseminating your contribution to the public. The European Union cannot be held responsible in case any submitted initiative, initiative is found to infringe third party’s rights. The European Union shall be neither responsible for the use that third parties may do of the applications or related content.
Yes

By submitting your application, you acknowledge that you read and understand that the ‘Guide to Applicants’ of the NEB Prizes 2023, available online in the website of the NEB Prizes 2023, is an integral part of this application form and that it must therefore be observed when completing and submitting your application.
Yes