T.R.A.P. Creative Room for Bulgarian Youth at Risk

We have rooms in the center of Sofia with total area of 320 m2 (90 m2 are already renovated and actively used), which we would like to turn into a junior center (under the name T.R.A.P) where kids and teachers would be able to meet, communicate, make art and educate absolutely free. We frequently organize different events, concerts, photo competitions, festivals, etc.

Our target group:

Young and teenage people in high-school age with interest in art, computers, gaming, sports, etc.

We need help with the renovation of the room for rehearsals and the studio. The work is kind of rough, construction based and includes the following activities:

PLASTERING

MASONRY

STIRRING OF CEMENT

USING A DEMOLITION HAMMER

CUTTING WITH AN ANGLE GRINGER

DRILLING IN BRICKS AND CONCRETE

MORE SPECIFIC CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITIES
PLACEMENT OF THE ELECTRICAL INSTALLATION

PLACEMENT OF OUTSIDE THERMAL INSULATION

Location: T.R.A.P – 26 “Bratya Miladinovi” Str, Sofia

It is not necessary for you to know how to do all of the mentioned activities – even just a few of them would be enough.

In all activities there will be 5 to 10 neat-handed young volunteers that will help with what they can.

We need at least 20-40 man-days which could be worked during any day of the week.

We have all the needed tools, gloves, masks and materials.

These are two reportages on BTV about T.R.A.P and our last big event. And two more on BNT.

http://news.bnt.bg/bg/a/fondatsiya-trotoara-razviva-mladezhki-tsentr-v-sofiya

http://btvnovinite.bg/article/bulgaria/obshtestvo/balgari-i-chuzhdenci-izgrazhdat-nova-sreda-za-mladite-v-sofija.html

http://btvnovinite.bg/video/videos/tazi-sutrin/dve-matematicheski-gimnazii-v-sofija-se-sajuzjavat-za-blagorodna-kauza.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nttO-oNmJ_I

You can learn more about Trotoara here:

https://www.trotoara.com (around 200-300 visits per day)

https://facebook.com/trotoaracom (8400+ likes)

https://youtube.com/c/trotoara

Getting together is a beginning.
Staying together is a progress.
Working together is a success

The students from Sofia High School of Mathematics (SHSM) and the National High School of Natural Science and Mathematics (NSSM) united under this motto, along with NGOs and IT companies to create the event on 9 December 2017. To realize the project, “Trotoara” Foundation cooperated with companies such as Bulwork, DaisSoftware, InspireSoft, ScaleFocus, Mentor Mate Bulgaria, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, 60K International Contact Centres, IBM and PlayTech.

Accepting the cause that gave a start to the adventure was only one step of the way – by the end of the event we succeeded on multiple levels.

As a result of our joined effort, we put up a mini-festival and a concert in UACEG. Various talents came together on stage – singers, dancers, actors, entertainers and everything in between. The show that we created was not only able to connect to different audiences, but also set an example that showed how amateurs and professionals work together and learn from one another.

The collaboration between the high schools came as the highest award for the participants. In the lead role we saw students from the highest profile mathematics high schools in Sofia. They had an insight into the full process of organizing an event of this kind. Despite the two schools often seen as a competition, their students made the collaboration possible.

Together they started from just an idea for a joined concert and made it a reality following all the steps. This involved coming up with a title and a tagline, creating a marketing campaign with the appropriate design, spreading the idea by flyers and online advertising in the social media and through radio and television. The organisers selected the talents in an audition that followed a few stages. They also created their own event programme. The “Trotoara” Foundation team gave directions to the students the whole time – from the rehearsals until the actual show. Dynacord Audio technicians gave their professional advise in the lighting and sound for stage at the actual event.

In the show we saw the dance formations of: Veda Junior, Street Dance School The Center, REWOW, Dance studio New eX,  “ ” (Irish Dance Club “Celtic Phoenix”), “” (“Samodivite”) and “” (“The Lighenings”) from SHSM, Stefanova’s olklore dancing schools from NSSM, rock and roll acrobatics duo Stasi and Luchko from “Cosmos” Club, Plami from SHSM.

We heard the singing voices of: Aleksandria, Kalina, Nevena, Teodora and Rumi from SHSM, Yana, Delyana and Vyara from NSSM, Niki from NSSM and Scalefocus; Iliya from 51st high school, the rock bands “VITS” and “58 Degrees” from SHSM, and the “Elitsa” Choit from National high school for ancient languages and cultures “Konstantin-Cyril Philosopher”-Sofia.

A special act performed: Anton Hasan street show (Anton-Hassan Street Show), the freerunners Boyko, Kaloyan and Yoan; Green Riders Squad; Yulian and Alexander on BMX bikes.

We also saw the professional performances of: “The Voice of Bulgaria” singers Simona Zagorova Official, Kristian Grancharov – Kris Gran  The Voice of Bulgaria, Radko Petkov and the hip-hop crews Roof Rhymez Studio and So Called Crew.

The hosts were Bozhidar, Delyan, Evelina, Ida and Patricia.

The idea for a concert evolved into a mini festival in the process. Other NGOs and volunteers from the IT companies came to help. Together they put up a large number of activities for the guests – seminars, workshops and various games that added up to the “Adventure”. The attendees varied from all ages – children to adults, all showing excitement on the selected topics.

The core of the festival was focused at technology and more specifically, the IT, but didn’t end with that. The festival-goers had a chance to learn more about software and hardware decisions in their work with the industry leading companies’ ongoing projects. They could also get a hands on experience of building computer systems and servers.

The gaming area, led by Better Gaming attracted the most attention throughout the day. The students had a chance to compete at the organized tournaments but also learn more about safe use of the Internet, setting up online video channels and video editing.

The students showed a special interest in today’s most sought after profession “vlogger”. The Bulgarian vlogging duo “AydeBG” attracted the largest crowd for the day. The attendees also enjoyed the photography presentation and the arts workshops.

Other than technology, the participants in the “Adventure” joined Visionary’s and SAT Gallery’s graffiti and street art workshop. They also danced Irish dance with “Celtic Phoenix”.

As a highlight of the event, HPE’s team provided a prize draw following a treasure hunt game. At the end of an emotionally driven day, Elena Biserova from 145th High School won a brand new drone.

Fundraising for the building of „T.R.A.P. – a place for inspiration and creativity” was one of the main aims of the event. And so was spreading the word about the place. The funds raised through concert tickets and merchandising contributed to some of the most urgent needs of the community centre. The majority of the funds was used to cover the expenses for the actual event – venue hire, advertising, professional lighting and sound and technical support.

The event helped the most by expanding our friends’ circle and building up our partnerships. A large portion of them is already involved with the rising number of event at the first part of T.R.A.P. – Elements that opened doors in October. The place is now thriving with a variety of activities, as we could tell in the winter season – students’ exhibitions, vloggers’ fen-meetings, seminars and a gaming festival, to just name a few.

You can keep updated to all that’s new on our Facebook page for all that’s coming up.

“Trotoara” Foundation backed up a Bulgarian pianist to continue her professional training in a top-level Music Academy – Conservatori del Liceu, Barcelona

Ivana is a classical pianist from Bulgaria who was supported by “Trotoara” Foundation to continue her professional music training in one of Europe’s top-level music academies – Conservatori del Liceu, Barcelona, Spain. They did this through setting up her fundraising campaign to cover her tuition fees.

Ivana plays the piano since she was 6 years old. Becoming an artist and performing around the world has always been her dream. Her story goes back to 1993 when she was born in Sofia, Bulgaria into a family of musicians. Her grandfather was one of the most renowned choir conductors in the country.

In 2012 she graduated the National School of Music, Sofia and then the National Music Academy in the piano class of the famous Bulgarian pianist Prof. Ivan Drenikov. Her tutor has not only been a student of the great Italian pianist Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli, but also one of his closest friends whom the Maestro spent his time with. As Ivana believes herself, this fact will always have an impact on her career as a musician. After gaining bachelor’s degree she was accepted in Conservatori del Liceu in Barcelona, Spain, where she graduated with excellence in the piano class of Prof. Stanislav Pochekin.

Her first success came as early as 2007 when she won First Prize at the XII International Festival “Hopes, Talents, Masters”, Dobrich, Bulgaria. In 2010 she also won the First Prize at the XI International Young Pianists Competition, Nis, Serbia, and later that year she became the Third Prize winner at the International Competition “Prof. Josef Dichler”, Vienna, Austria. Many prizes followed at national and international level. Ivana impressed with her talent the juries in Spain, France and Minnesota, USA.  In August 2017 she participated for the second time in the “Festival de Piano and Master Classes de Saint Savin”, France as a scholarship student. She became one of the 4 laureates from 18 participants from 7 countries.

You can find more about her at: https://www.facebook.com/ivanagovedarskapiano/

Following all this success, she was chosen to participate in a Master Music Training in Conservatori del Liceu, Barcelona to continue her studies with Prof. Stanislav Pochekin.

Master Music Training studies are courses for musicians wishing to broaden their musical experience by participating in many concerts, lectures, master classes given by guest professors and other activities organized by the Conservatory. This opportunity could help Ivana deepen her instrumental and theoretical training and give her the chance to exchange and share various artistic experiences with musicians from different countries.

Conservatori del Liceu hosts every year some of the finest musicians of our days. Moreover, the Conservatory offers their students a concert hall with brilliant acoustics and more than 100 “Steinway” and “Yamaha” grand pianos, which is extremely important for their further education. Studying there meant the chance to pursue her dream – to prepare herself for high-level competitions, to participate in a lot of festivals, concerts and master classes.

This great opportunity comes at a price. The tuition fee for one year is EUR 3700 with nearly a thousand Euros more to cover accommodation, living and travel costs. Before launching the fundraiser Ivana had already saved up money for accommodation and travel to Barcelona. The campaign, which was supported by “Trotoara” helped her raise just over EUR 2500, which helped for most of her tuition fee. With the plan to get a job whilst in Spain to cater for the rest of her needs, the Bulgarian pianist came closer to making her dream come true.