In the context of Sofia and the South-Western region’s application for the title European Capital of Culture, Sofia Municipality, in cooperation with Sofia Development Association and Sofia University ‘St. Kliment Ohridski’ initiated a programme for the improvement of the knowledge and skills of managers in the cultural field. The programme will contribute for the accomplishment of the goals of the long-term Strategy for Development of Culture in Sofia 2013-2023 – Sofia Creative Capital.

The Regional Academy for Cultural Management seeks to improve the knowledge and skills in the field of cultural management, ensuring the existence of a varied and dynamic social environment in the context of globalization, digital technologies and the need for new skills for new jobs. The programme targets cultural managers from the municipal administrations in Sofia, Blagoevgrad, Kyustendil and Pernik, as well as independent cultural operators from the aforementioned municipalities. The aim is to enhance the cultural managers’ knowledge and skills, so that they correspond to the current policies for the development of the arts and culture as a dynamic sphere contributing to the economic development of the cities and regions and creating job opportunities.

Upon their successful completion of the training programme, the participants will earn a post-graduate qualification ‘Management in the Area of Culture’.

Twenty-five managers in the cultural field from the South-Western region will be enrolled in the first ever Academy for Cultural Management in Bulgaria.

In the course of four trainings which will take place in four different cities from the South-Western region, the cultural managers from municipal institutions and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) will increase their knowledge and skills in the management of culture. The training courses will deliver both theoretical knowledge and sharing of know-how; they will take place in an environment outside of the participants’ workplace. Upon conclusion of each course, the participants will be given an individual assignment which will allow them to explore in practice the acquired theoretical knowledge and practical skills in their professional field. The lecturers are practitioners and professors from universities in Bulgaria and abroad. During each course, the participants will have the opportunity to work on a case concerning the city in which the training takes place.

Training Centres

• First course: Blagoevgrad Municipality, 8-9 November 2013
• Second course: Pernik Municipality, 30-31 January 2014
• Third course: Kyustendil Municipality, 27-28 March 2014
• Fourth course: Sofia Municipality, 29-30 May 2014