Year of creation: 2002
Domain(s):

- oral traditions and expressions
- performing arts
- social practices, rituals and festive events
- other
- Folklore dancing, music and singing

Safeguarding measures:

- promotion, enhancement
- transmission, (non-)formal education
- revitalization
- Cultural exchange

Main countries where active:

Bulgaria

Objectives:
National section of CIOFF Bulgaria works for the safeguarding and dissemination of traditional culture. Through its activities the organization aims for the following main objectives:
- Development of the cultural exchange between the nations and popularization of the Bulgarian folklore in our country and abroad
- Co-operation in organizing international folklore festivals in our country and abroad
- support the activities of its members and those of non-governmental organizations, working in the areas of folklore and cultural heritage
- promote the intangible heritage from all over the world, through forms of expression such as dance, music, games, rituals, customs and other arts
- enrich the knowledge of the nations for the folklore wealth
- support and create conditions for active cultural exchange
- serve the cause of peace and non-violence through the implementation of the above objectives
- serve the objectives of UNESCO
Activities:
The enumerated in point 5 objectives of the organization are realized by:
- Placing invitations for participating in International Folklore Festivals to different Bulgarian folklore ensembles. The invitations are on CIOFF’s side or from other organizations;
- Investigation of possibilities for Bulgarian ensembles to visit countries preferred by them;
- Insurance of possibilities for mutual visiting of Bulgarian collectives and foreign groups;
- Regular organization of national reviews where the presentation and the artistic qualities of the ensembles from the country are evaluated. In the reviews participate more than 200 ensembles, the best of which are specified as “Representative ensembles of the National section of CIOFF”;
- Popularization of the Bulgarian folklore art by all legally permitted forms and resources;
- Providing of information about organized festivals of CIOFF, symposiums, conferences, seminars and other activities related with folklore and traditional arts;
- Formation of own informational data base concerning the professional and unprofessional folklore formations in Bulgaria;
- Realization of partnership, organizational and methodical co-operation to the Folklore festivals in Bulgaria. NS CIOFF Bulgaria organizes the International Folklore Festivals in Veliko Tarnovo and Sofia, co-operates in the organizing of the CIOFF festivals in Varna, Plovdiv, Dorkovo
- Maintenance of a web page on Internet
- Organization of annual meetings of the choreographers in Bulgaria. At those meetings the award “Golden yoke” is bestowed for entire contribution to the development of Bulgarian folklore and its popularization;
- Participating in the celebrations of national feast with different projects.
Cooperation:
All our work is related with different folklore ensembles, choreographers, musicologists and people who make efforts to revive Bulgarian traditions and folklore which nowadays are put aside.
At the National reviews our jury of specialists meets more than 200 collectives, evaluates their qualities and their art. The Section communicates with those groups as to organize participation for them in different Festivals and Folklore events all over the world. We assist concerts and presentations of those ensembles.
For better communication with all those collectives from different parts in Bulgaria the section collaborates with 24 choreographers who are responsible for particular regions of the country. Meetings with those coordinators are organized frequently and any needed and important information is given to them.
More than 150 choreographers from the country take part in the annually organized seminars of the choreographers in Bulgaria. At those events are discussed different problems related with the folklore and its popularization.
In many of our activities we co-operate with the Ministry of Culture, with the Union of the cultural clubs in Bulgaria, and with different organizations working in the cultural domain. During the organization of the Festivals in Sofia and Veliko Tarnovo we co-operate with a lot of people who have experience in the folklore sphere in order to choose groups of a great quality fot the Festivals and to present them our traditions in best way.

Year of creation: 2007
Domain(s):

- oral traditions and expressions
- performing arts
- social practices, rituals and festive events
- knowledge and practices concerning nature and the universe
- traditional craftsmanship
- other
- All forms of authentic folklore arts.

Safeguarding measures:

- preservation, protection
- promotion, enhancement
- revitalization
- other
- Popularization of the traditional folk arts through the modern channels of information - television and internet.

Main countries where active:

Armenia, Austria, Bulgaria, China, Croatia, Czechia, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Jordan, North Macedonia, Poland, Russian Federation, Slovakia, Spain, Türkiye, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

Objectives:
The aim of the EAFF is the safeguarding and spreading of the traditional folk arts of the European nations through festivals and modern Information Technologies.
This aim is achieved by organization of festivals, seminars, forums and other public events; publishing of printed materials; production and distribution of television products. All these - presenting the traditional folklore arts.
Also by creating and maintaining contacts and collaborating with organizations and groups with similar goals in the country and abroad; broadcasting on air and online of audio and television products of the traditional folklore arts.
All of the above is done inline with the values, aims and objectives of UNESCO and with the hope that the we will find the right way to preserve and build on the wisdom of our ancestors, brought to us by the folklore arts.

Activities:
The European Association of Folklore Festivals (EAFF) has been established in year 2007 in the ancient capital of Bulgaria – Veliko Tarnovo.
Its main purpose is to preserve, develop and make popular the folklore of the European nations by organizing festivals and using the modern television, computer and other information technologies.
The European Association of Folklore Festivals achieves its activities mainly through the festivals of the Musical Feasts “Euro Folk” and through the worldwide Internet Television “Euro FolkTV”.
The basic feature of the festivals from the Musical Feasts “Euro Folk” is the complete filming with professional TV equipment of all the performances together with making different audio and TV products.
At the Musical Feasts “Euro Folk” festivals that have been held so far 6,000 groups with more than 120 000 participants from 17 European countries have taken part.
The European Association of Folklore Festivals operates in cooperation with televisions from Bulgaria and Europe, with folklore ensembles, groups, municipalities, community centres, schools and other organizations of cultural activities.
As a result of these activities the EAFF has generated significand video and audio libraries, containing priceless records of traditional arts. The Association also supports an online television, trasmitting costantly authentic folklore performances.
Additionally the EAFF serves as a contact point for its members - different folklore event organizators and arts performers and provides them a single point of contact through its website.

Cooperation:
Since its establishment, the EAFF activities for preserving and spreading the folklore arts have constantly increased. Thousands of folklore groups from different municipalities, community centers, cultural clubs, amateur art groups from all around Europe have been given the opportunity to present their performances and to be seen by the live audience at the festivals and to be recorded and broadcasted via television and Internet.
Significant part of the presented performances are unique authentic songs, dances and rituals, that have been kept unchanged for centuries and are exposing the values and the believes of our ancestors.
The EAFF have organized and participated as an official patron in a number of events – festivals with participants from different municipalities, supported by the Chairman of the Parliament, by Mayors and municipal councils, by NGO’s and the relevant groups from the community.

Year of creation: 2002
Domain(s):

- oral traditions and expressions
- social practices, rituals and festive events
- knowledge and practices concerning nature and the universe
- traditional craftsmanship

Safeguarding measures:

- preservation, protection
- promotion, enhancement
- transmission, (non-)formal education
- revitalization
- other
- Implementation of the necessary-inherent, specific, well positioned and identifiable, economically proven, efficient and effective measures to promote the elements of intangible cultural heritage through the development of multimedia works and publication of the messages, information in specialized media outlets

Objectives:
Sozopol Foundation is a nonprofit organisation that exists for 14 /fourteen/ years. It was founded and functions to operate in public benefit. Through the implementation of its activities, the organisation aims to achieve the following objectives:
Making efforts for preservation and promotion of intangible and tangible cultural heritage.
Promote awareness of society to protect the tangible and intangible cultural heritage. Introduction of best practices and innovative methods in pursuit of these objectives in line with the already established ones over the years.
Promotion of national values - material and spiritual with the mechanisms of international cooperation, supporting cross-border cooperation for the benefit of the people and the development.
Cooperation with similar organisations in carrying out activities to respect to the socio-cultural authenticity of communities, protection of their material and spiritual heritage, preserving traditions and values and support intercultural understanding and cultural interaction.
Establishment of constructive partnerships with organisations from neighboring countries in order to promote cross-border cooperation in the field of preservation and promotion of intangible and tangible cultural heritage and promoting cultural exchange and sustainable development.
Cooperation with the competent international governmental and non-governmental organisations active in the field of cultural heritage, conservation of nature and ensuring an accessible environment for people with disabilities.
Supporting social integration and personal development of people with specific abilities.
Achieve educational and educative effect through information systems for environment and cultural heritage for the benefit of people and nature.
Assistance for the preservation and promotion of national traditions.
Socialization of cultural and historical sites for their positioning in leading tourist destinations and discover opportunities for spiritual and material enrichment of the population.
Among the priorities of the Foundation is to promote active cooperation and coordination of NGOs from Eastern Europe /part of the defined fourth region of UNESCO - Europe and North America/.
As an NGO, official partner of UNESCO and a member of the NGO-UNESCO Liaison Committee in two consecutive two-year terms, from 2012 to 2014 and from 2014 to 2016, Sozopol Foundation is actively working to implement the objectives and priorities of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO).

Activities:
Sozopol Foundation achieves its objectives by carrying out activities related to protection of cultural heritage. Some of the activities are: protection of tangible and intangible cultural heritage; organization of cultural events; carrying out activities to promote spiritual values of the civil society and the achievements of culture and art; participation in projects with Bulgarian and foreign organisations; organizing congresses, festivals, publications and other materials with similar organisations in the country and abroad, etc.
Some of the developed and implemented by the Foundation projects for the preservation and promotion of intangible cultural heritage are:
- Protection and promotion of cultural and linguistic diversity in Europe – celebrating the 1150th anniversary of the Great Moravian mission of Cyril and Methodius
The project aims to increase awareness of the population to Bulgarian language and cultural heritage by marking the 1150 anniversary of the mission of the brothers Cyril and Methodius in Great Moravia.
The project was approved for funding under the UNESCO Participation Programme 2012–2013:
Training seminar for students regarding the mission of St. St. Cyril and Methodius, apostles of the Slavs and co-patrons of Europe.
Promotion of the activities by publications in mass media and relevant materials;
A closing conference at the National Palace of Culture, Sofia.
- Fire Rituals and Symbols – United in Diversity
In 2009, the ritual is included in the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of UNESCO. The implementation of the project is funded under the UNESCO Participation Programme 2014–2015.
The aim of the project is to acquaint the general public with traditions in honoring the fire cult associated with the history of all peoples and with its rituals and symbolism in Bulgarian folk beliefs and ritual practices, with an emphasis on the cultural phenomenon nestinarstvo.
- Creation of centre for art, local crafts and traditions in the Old Sozopol
The main objective of the project is to create conditions for sustainable socio-economic and cultural development. Among the headline objectives can be highlighted also: presentation of cultural, historical and natural heritage, as well as training people of all ages and ethnicity for the importance of conservation of heritage. The project was funded by the European Union under the European Fisheries Fund.
- Sozopol – preserved cultural heritage and cultural identity through the ages
As a result of the project implementation in Sozopol was created Ethnographic museum with exhibitions both indoors and outdoors. In the museum, through revitalization of exhibition spaces and usage of interactive technologies, are exhibited objects of high cultural value. The project was funded by the EEA Financial Mechanism with leading financial contribution of the Kingdom of Norway.
Currently Sozopol Foundation is implementing project “Kukeri ritual in Bulgaria and Serbia – Cultural tradition of two neighbouring nations”. The project implementation is of great importance to preservation of the traditions in Southeast Europe, since on December 2, 2015, within the 10th session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, the folk festival "Surva" was inscribed in the Representative List the Intangible Cultural Heritage of UNESCO. For the importance of inclusion of this element in the Representative List of UNESCO speaks that it consists of all expressions that bear witness to the diversity of intangible cultural heritage. The project is funded by the UNESCO Participation Programme 2016-2017.

Cooperation:
As an official partner of UNESCO, Sozopol Foundation is in contact with several international organisations to establish partnership and cooperation. The NGO has signed memorandums and agreements on cooperation with international organizations, few of which are CFPA, CIOFF BG, etc. The Foundation works with the National Commission for UNESCO - Bulgaria and the Regional Centre for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage under the auspices of UNESCO. The Foundation organized jointly with the Secretariat of UNESCO and the NGO-UNESCO Liaison Committee in 2014, in Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria and in Sozopol, the oldest city on the Bulgarian Black Sea coast, UNESCO World forum on the topic: „Role of youth for the safeguarding of cultural tangible and intangible heritage”. Representatives from more than 50 Member States of the Organization discussed educational opportunities of youth for and through cultural heritage, as well the use of cultural heritage for sustainable development.
Sozopol Foundation works together with Spiritual Mirror Association. Both organisations have built constructive partnership in the development, implementation and maintenance of the stability of a number of projects:
- Exhibition of the exposition "Let be light", presented at the headquarters of UNESCO, "Segyur" Hall, in June 2013. The exhibition was opened by Ms. Irina Bokova, Director General of UNESCO.
- Exhibition of exposition "Let be light" and "The symbols of Bulgarian identity", presented at the International Forum of NGOs to UNESCO: “Role of youth for the safeguarding of cultural tangible and intangible heritage”, 2014.
In the 2017 the organisations have developed project “The cultural heritage of Bulgaria - possession of the generations”. The project aims to contribute to raising awareness both among the Bulgarian population and among foreign guests with activities for promotion of the rich intangible cultural heritage of Bulgaria.
In carrying out its activity the Bulgarian NGO is working with experts in the field of intangible cultural heritage as prof. Lozanka Peycheva, Institute of Ethnology and Folklore Studies with Ethnographic Museum at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, docent Nikolai Vukov, Institute of Ethnology and Folklore Studies with Ethnographic Museum at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences and other experts.