The Forgotten Magic of Bulgaria
Part of Thistles and Sunflowers Festival 2022
What is a bogel? What does an ustrel look like and how can you spot one on a Saturday? What are the stories and sorrows of The Bonnie Banks of Loch Lomond and Wee White Cloud (Облаче ле бяло) – two of the most emblematic folk songs for Scotland and Bulgaria?
Bulgarian magical creatures come alive alongside their Scottish and international counterparts through stories, music and puppetry. Take this introduction to the rich yet vastly unknown world of the Bulgarian magical folklore. Enjoy this one-woman storytelling show by Yana Aleksandrova – a performance artist, Yana is a published writer, scientist, musician and theatre maker. Born in Sofia, Bulgaria in 1987 and Edinburgh-based since 2008, throughout her residency at the Bulgarian Cultural and Education Centre Scotland from January to May 2022 Yana worked towards devising The Forgotten Magic of Bulgaria and released a series of behind the scenes videos. Go behind the scenes here.
Intrigued? Take one of Yana’s FREE drop-in puppet-making workshops at 4pm on 28 or 29 May 2022. No need to book in advance. All materials will be provided. Practise at home in advance with this this special video tutorial by our resident storyteller and puppeteer Yana and make yourself a fairy puppet. What name would you give her? Tag us and tell us her story.
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The Forgotten Magic of Bulgaria is commissioned by the Bulgarian Cultural and Educational Centre Scotland and curated by Illiyana Nedkova and Daniela Dimova-Yaneva in partnership with the Scottish Storytelling Centre.
Part of Year of Stories 2022, Thistles and Sunflowers Festival is running 18 May - 5 June 2022 at Scottish Storytelling Centre – a spotlight on stories and artists from the lands of thistles and sunflowers. An initiative of Bulgarian Cultural and Educational Centre Scotland, Thistles and Sunflowers is curated by Iliyana Nedkova and Daniela Dimova-Yaneva and supported by the City of Edinburgh Council Flexible Fund, as well as Tasgadh Fund for Traditional Arts devolved from Creative Scotland and managed by Fèisean nan Gàidheal.
A booking fee of £1.25 is charged per transaction for online and phone bookings. This event is being sold at full capacity without social distancing. Audiences are kindly requested to wear masks at all times, unless exempt.
