CONFERENCE
Museums of the future. The future of museums
October 9, 2024
Conference hall, 2nd floor
14.00 – 16.00
With the participation of Bulgarian and foreign museum specialists, representatives of municipalities, universities, architects, designers, museum and IT specialists, connoisseurs and connoisseurs of museums.
Moderator: Prof. Irena Bokova
Bulgarian museums – between legal restrictions and the requirements of the time
Dr. Ivan Tsrov
Director of RHM Veliko Tarnovo and member of the Board of Directors of the Association “Bulgarian Museums”
Prof. Nikolay Nenov
Director of RHM Ruse and lecturer at NBU, chairman of the 47th session of the UNESCO Cultural Heritage Committee
Dr. Irena Todorova
Executive Director of the Regional Center for the Protection of Intangible Cultural Heritage in South-Eastern Europe under the auspices of UNESCO
Rosen Marinov
Director, Culture and Cultural Heritage Directorate, Svishtov Municipality
The hidden treasure of the Bulgarian museums
“America for Bulgaria” Foundation in support of Bulgarian museums and municipalities – the lessons of experience.
Nadia Zaharieva
Program Director of the “America for Bulgaria” Foundation
Cristina Feruerda
Designer, content builder, writer and project manager. Guest lecturer at Academy “Muse”
Bulgarian museums – a chance to recharge
Martina Deneva – Venkova
Designer and museum researcher with experience in Bulgaria and abroad
Andrey Lilov
Manager of URBO STUDIO, Creator of the 681 Reasons Campaign
Alexander Ivanov
Business Development Manager – Bulgaria EPSON
The directors of all museums in the country and experts in the field of culture from municipal administrations are invited to participate.
LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR SPEAKERS
Assoc. Dr. Irena Bokova
Associate professor of cultural anthropology, lecturer in the Department of Anthropology of the New Bulgarian University, leads courses in cultural anthropology, anthropology of tourism, visual anthropology, research methods and approaches, etc. He teaches in programs in anthropology, political science, tourism, film and television. Explores the problems of the city, cultural heritage, cultural policies, mobility, collective identities, society and nature relations in a contemporary context, tourism and cultural resources.
Dr. Ivan Tsarov
Director of RHM Veliko Tarnovo and member of the Board of Directors of the Association “Bulgarian Museums”
In 1981, he graduated “History” with “Archaeology” at VTU “St. St. Cyril and Methodius”. From 1985 to 2005, he participated in the Bulgarian-British archaeological expedition exploring the Roman city of Nicopolis ad Istrum near the village of Nikup. The object of his scientific interests are the Thracian and Roman cultures in today’s Bulgarian lands. He has conducted archaeological excavations at numerous significant historical sites. He is the author of the monographs “The Thracians near Atreus”, which includes his studies of the Thracian burial in the village of Golemani and “Aqueducts on the Bulgarian lands II-IV centuries” – a serious study of the water supply of Roman cities. He has more than 80 scientific publications in Bulgarian and foreign publications. Honored with the scientific degree “doctor”. Director of RIM – Veliko Tarnovo since 2007. Winner of the “Golden Age” award of the Ministry of Culture in 2017 and the “Veliko Tarnovo” Award in 2021.
Prof. Dr. Nikolay Nenov
Director of the Regional History Museum in Ruse.
Graduate of Veliko Tarnovo University “St. St. Cyril and Methodius” (1992). Doctor of Ethnology. Professor of Museology. Since 1996, he has been working in the Historical Museum – Ruse, and since 2001 he has been its director. Lecturer in ethnology, folkloristics and linguistic didactics, creator of educational programs and projects in the field of cultural heritage, museum work and tour guiding. Founder of the Association for Anthropology, Ethnology and Folklore.
He was elected chairman of the 47th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee in 2025, which will be held in Bulgaria in the summer of 2025.
Dr. Irena Todorova
Executive Director of the Regional Center for the Protection of Intangible Cultural Heritage in South-Eastern Europe under the auspices of UNESCO
Bachelor in Political Science and Master in Diplomacy and International Relations. In 2012, she defended her doctoral dissertation before the “Political Sciences” department of the New Bulgarian University, dedicated to the political culture of the new generations. Since 2012, she has been a chief assistant in the same department. She is an advisor in the political cabinet of the ministers of education and science (2014–2016) and of foreign affairs (2016–2017) of the Republic of Bulgaria. Lecturer from the Department of Political Science and Executive Director of the Regional Center for the Protection of Intangible Cultural Heritage in South-Eastern Europe under the auspices of UNESCO
Dr. Gencho Genchev
Mayor of Svishtov municipality, chairman of the Standing Committee on Culture of the NSORB
Third term mayor of Svishtov municipality. From 2007 to 2015 – mayor of the village of Tsarevets. He graduated in “Business Administration” at the Neophyt Rilski State University of Applied Sciences, and later “Economic Management” at the same university. In 2019, he graduated with a master’s degree in “Cultural Tourism” at VTU “St. St. Cyril and Methodius” and in 2021 he defends the educational and scientific degree “doctor” in ethnology” at the Center for Ethnology and Cultural Anthropology at VTU “St. St. Cyril and Methodius”. Representative of NSORB in the Advisory Council on Intangible Cultural Heritage to the Minister of Culture. Winner of numerous awards for contribution to the development of culture, library information technologies, contribution to Bulgarian folklore and culture and others.
Nadia Zaharieva
Program Director, “Business, Entrepreneurship and Technologies” at the America for Bulgaria Foundation
She has 18 years of experience in investment and banking. Since 2009, she has been part of the team of the “America for Bulgaria” Foundation. She has been the program director of the “Arts and Culture” program for over 10 years. Author of stories, articles and travelogues published on the WhyBulgaria website, in the magazines “Granta Bulgaria” and “Vagabond” He is the author of the book Chat@stories (2005).
Cristina Feruerda
Experienced designer, expert content builder, writer and project manager.
Christina Feruerda is part of the mentoring team of the Academy “Muse” – a series of training seminars for experts who work or are interested in the development of museums and galleries, which conducts its sessions in Bulgaria with the support of the “America for Bulgaria” Foundation. Museums in Blagoevgrad, Dryanovo and Pleven have been the hosts of the “Muse” Academy, and this year – Vratsa.
Martina Deneva – Venkova
Exhibition designer and museum researcher
She gained her professional experience in design studios in Italy and Bulgaria, worked as a designer at the Museum of Humor and Satire and the ETAR Museum in Gabrovo. In 2018, she started a solo practice with a focus on the design of permanent exhibitions, temporary and mobile exhibitions, as well as souvenir shops. In 2020, she started her doctoral studies at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, in which she studied the role of exhibition design in the construction of museum narratives. Her broader interests are related to the activation of communities in small towns and the preservation of public and cultural spaces in Bulgaria.
Andrey Lilov
Manager of URBO STUDIO
Creator of the “681 Reasons” campaign. The initiative that provokes local residents and tourists to discover the cultural and historical wealth of Bulgaria, presented in a modern way through modern technologies.
The URBO Vibe platform provides access to an online platform where everyone can browse, choose and buy tickets for cultural and historical sites throughout the country, combine visits to various sites, events, concerts and festivals.
The “681 Reasons” campaign has already been supported by more than 10 municipalities that have included their museums and tourist attractions in the list of locations. Among the cities where sites can now be visited are Sofia, Stara Zagora, Burgas, Plovdiv and Gabrovo.
The URBO Vibe platform will serve as the main channel for selecting museums and experiences, and the initiative is realized with the support of sponsors such as Solvex, RE/MAX, Ticketstation and Evia Spa & Wellness.
