In the beginning

Dugout

Have you heard about  “Dugout”  ?

The first Bulgarian grassroots civic online radio is already a fact and the Ideas Factory was happy to help it start! We stepped in with trainings and seminars which the Dugout team affectionately called “Journalistic workshop”. Our aim was to prepare the team of the radio for the quality and the technical specifics of the radio transmission because civic journalists have opinions, but often lack radio experience.

You can hear us too on the radio in the Ideas Factory’s radio slot – every Thursday from 4pm

HUB

2012 began with a glorious achievement for the Ideas Factory – we opened our Ideas HUB to host civic groups, active and creative people, and grassroots communities, seeking and creating changes for a more sympathetic world. Since then “the nest” was extended to allow for the alighting of more public events, screenings, presentations, performances, meetings and other active formal and non-formal organizations. This is the place where we work and the place which we are happy to share – contact us to find out how! All this was made possible thanks to our invaluable friends from АСЕМ (Association for Building With Natural Materials) and their inspiration for natural materials – the walls in the Ideas HUB are made of clay and corncobs, sand and flour.

TEAM: Evgeni Monov, a pack of friends and 15 pairs of hands smeared with clay

WHEN: the beginning of 2012 and ongoing

WHERE: 1142 Sofia, 12 Professor Nikola Mihailov Street, La Casa Azzurra!

DONOR: Charles Stewartt Mott Foundation

RE:think

Is a new project from the Ideas Factory, which will focus on the research of possible economic and social alternatives. Over the time you will notice different Re:think tags such as: Re:think city. Re:think education, Re:think economy. Any other suggestions for reconsideration?

RE:move

Our idea was to stimulate a thought process in the urban environment about nature conservation and other stories through performances in the public space. It can be called “invisible theater”, theater of improvisation … a strongly Balkan project, which ended with a fest by the Ariana Lake and was the first publicity for “Let’s Save Irakli”The photo is from the action called “fishing”, in which 10 folks in yellow raincoats, with coolers and fishing chairs, sat down to fish at Eagles’ Bridge. Yeah … yeah … in that same channel that some boldly call Perlovska River. Boldly indeed!

OBJECTIVE: To some extent the goal was … to provoke, to shock and to evoke interest, without being afraid of the public space which we used as a stage.

TEAM: The Balkan style authors of this event were: Agnes Asodi (Novi Sad), Oana Munteanu (Timisoara), Katherine Neuman (Nuremberg) and me – Yanina Taneva from Sofia.

WHEN: 1 – 5 May 2006

WHERE: Sofia

SamBanda: All in Rhythm

The founding of the Bulgarian samba band was made possible by a youth exchange in 2008, it was conceived by a group of music enthusiasts and activists, and it was supported/carried out by Ideas Factory. SamBanda became part of an international network of similar percussion street bands calledRhythms of Resistance = RoR . What all activist’s RoR bands have in common is their frivolous and creative way to stand up musically-laud against any form of exploitation, discrimination or oppression, but also to declare an inspiring presence at festivals and festivities with the same force. Youth Exchange allowed us to invite samba-maestro from a foreign RoR-band to train the numerous participants in the techniques of playing and coordination of the samba-battery, and also to buy the samba instruments needed for the full-blown samba sound of the Bulgarian band. The training was followed by an exuberant samba carnival in Borisova Gradina on 26.07.2008.SamBanda continues to inspire and sambify bodies and souls at marches, protests and festivals. If you feel the rhythm in you, contact us  and come play with us!

OBJECTIVE: Formation and training of a Bulgarian samba group, part of the international movement Rhythms of Resistance. By using music and samba-rhythm to stimulate people to be more active in the social life around them, to provide support for various public events and to add energy and emotions to our surroundings and our life.

WHEN: July 2008

WHERE: Sofia and not solely

The Tree

The Tree of Ideas and the accompanying events are home-production of the Ideas Factory whose sole purpose is to provoke other people’s dreams for changes in the city and then to offer the ideas to the municipalities through which the tree has passed.

In 2012 the tree set down roots and spread crown in Sofia, Burgas, Vidin and Ruse! In each of the cities we have carefully gathered its fruits – more than 1000 proposals for change. Our favorites are the sixth graders from Vidin!

Soon civic creativity will live on its own separate sub-site from which municipalities can draw inspiration and where they can press the “reality check” button.

Childish

Първата ко-продукция на Фабриката съвместно с артисти от Цирк “Кумбо”: акробатите Бенита Примо и Еми Велкова, заедно с Давид Романело. Представление – игриво и свободно по детски. Играхме го цели два пъти.

ЕКИП: От Цирк “Кумбо”: Бенита Примо, Еми Велкова, Давид Романело; от Фабриката: Янина Танева

КОГА: 2009 г.

КЪДЕ: София, Дом на културата “Средец” (бивш “Лиляна Димитрова”)

О-о!

O-o! is a new kind of initiative, which captures free or vacated due to the economic crisis urban spaces and premises through blitz-cultural events – exhibitions, installations and discussions, thus connecting people with ideas with people who have access to free spaces!

The project creates a favorable environment for the development of creative and critical thinking society by stimulating dialogue and it seeks to build communities. The initiative is made possible by three interrelated factors: Kalina Terzieva, Ideas Factory and Yavlena Real Estate. More information can be found on the project’s website :

PURPOSE: The purpose of “O-o!” is to create an independent cultural infrastructure from atypical for the purpose places and a community of seekers who will find their urban environment for spontaneity.

TEAM: O-o! is an idea by scenographer Kalina Terzieva and “Ideas Factory ” in partnership with Yavlena Real Estate.

WHEN: March 20, 2012

WEB: www.ooact.org

Hamalogic

“HAMALOGIC 0 “Hidden Opportunities”: the Factory is visiting!

What is the relationship between a clown nose and the innovative approaches to urban development, who owns the six hats for lateral thinking and how do you plant a tree of ideas – with the typical for the fabricators large scale use of various methods for creative thinking and for changing the urban environment, the team from the traveling Ideas Factory provoked the guests at the Hamalogic.

The Factory is sentimental towards Burgas, where in May 2012 the “Academy of Social Change” (www.changemakersacademy.net) was launched for the first time in Bulgaria. The Academy had a little something to do with that casual meeting in the Sea Garden!

WHEN: 01.09.2012

WHERE: Burgas , Sea Garden

Ideas Factory in School

We are very happy and pleased to share with you that Ideas Factory has finally launched its Fabricators program in a network of Bulgarian schools! The idea is simple – through the methods of non-formal education, civic engagement and social entrepreneurship to provoke the children from the high school classes to realize their ideas in one of these areas and to help them with a team of great trainers! If you want to include your school in the Factory’s network, please contact us!

We started in 2011, and in 2012 we began developing our program „Ideas Factory in School”, because our educational system has a chance to motivate and inspire rather than alienate. We started with Sofia: 13th School near the Women’s Market, 22nd High School and went on with 97th High School in Lulin and classes around the country. All that we want to tell them is that they can actively shape up the reality in which they live. Through games and approaches adapted for the age group 13 to 18, we stimulated them to learn how many liters of water are required for the production of a pair of jeans and how many precious metals are there in a mobile phone. What is best about the Ideas Factory in School is that the participating students will be able to apply with an initiative of their own that aims to improve their neighborhood or their school, or to refresh their community. The plan is to create 10 school clubs “Ideas Factory” by the end of 2014. Do you want to invite us to a school anywhere in Bulgaria?

Contact us via ideasfactory.bg at gmail.com

WHERE: Sofia, for now< ,div>