Open Call – Residency Mini Art Center 2022
Sofia, BULGARIA
Mini Art Center Residency program
is providing an opportunity for socially engaged artists who
value exchange between artists and all groups of society both for their artistic development and for
encouraging social change in Bulgaria.
At the end of the residency, artists are asked to present towards the public a work in progress presentation,
exhibition or an artist talk to share the results of your stay.
The residency is open for
practitioners coming from the following fields – circus, dance, theatre,
pedagogy, performance art, social workers, painters, photography, video/film.
The residency is ideal for couples and
Ideal for people who
• want to meet and network with colleagues from other European Circus spaces
• want to get inspired by new ideas and shared best practices
• want to discover new contexts, cities and perspectives
• want to interact with the (youth) groups through circus training, social circus workshops, pop-up
performances, informal meetings…
Residency Conditions
Deadline: Applications are accepted on an ongoing basis
Residency Duration: 1-3 month
50% covering travel costs to and from Sofia
Accommodation
Honorary
Language: English or Bulgarian
How to Apply:
Documents you need to prepare in advance for submittal are:
Please ensure documents are saved as PDF format.
○ MOTIVATION LETTER: Info about your artistic/social interest (less than 1000 words)
○ Curriculum Vitae and contact information (no more than 2 pages)
○ Examples of past work (e.g. videos, photos, reviews with max. 8MB)
○ A statement about what you propose to develop during the residency
○ Methods you will use to engage in your proposal?
○ Do you master circus skills, if so, which ones
○ Outcomes you hope to arrive by the end of your residency
○ Any funding support already secured?
○ Desired dates of residency
Please submit application documents to: miniartfest@gmail.com
About Mini Art Center
Mini Art Center is a circus community place where people of all ages get good healthy values and find
that they can do much more than they previously believed.
Circus is an activity that requires the same dedication, discipline and hard work as any other sport, only
it stresses collaboration rather than competition.
In our classes the focus is on: Teamwork, establishing connections and group bonding – leading,
following, developing a sense of belonging to a group. Developing a greater sense of personal
responsibility and independent learning – setting personal goals.
Learning techniques and developing skills are the main areas of circus fostering skills of comfortable
performance in front of an audience.
Mini Art Center is a newly opened space for contemporary circus training and cultural events in Sofia.
The Center is located in the neighbourhood Orlandovtsi 2km from the city center.
OUR FACILITIES
250 square meters on the 4th floor with stunning views of Sofia city.
Two training halls: 60 square meters each with the ceiling is 3 meters in height.
Hall1: Floor is covered with professional MMA-mats. In this hall the following classes are provided:
Handstand and Acrobatics, Juggling, Trapeze and Slack-line, the hall has fitness equipment such as
rings, tumbling air mat, Swedish wall, resistance bands.
Hall2: Floor is perfect for roller skates, Sofia Unicycle Club has its home here – lots of unicycles in all
sizes, ideal for contemporary dance. Large windows bring great light in during the day, the room is
perfect for public events such as forums, cinema and performances.
A community kitchen with all you need for cooking a meal for up to 25 people.
Office room hosts the staff of Mini Art flipping their papers, an office desk with a spot and seat for you as well.
The Guestroom is your space, 24 square meters with windows, a large sofa bed which can easily be
pulled out to a double bed. Clothes rack, shelves, tables and chairs, towels, pillows and duvets, bed
linen and air conditioning. (ideal room for couples or close friends.)
Guestroom2 you are not going to live alone in the Mini Art Center, core staff is living here as well.
About the Residency
Our open calls have a specific focus: Exchange of knowledge
Mini Art Center Residency program is providing an opportunity for socially engaged artists who
value exchange between artists and all groups of society both for their artistic development and for
encouraging social change in Bulgaria. At the end of the residency, artists are asked to present
towards the public a work in progress presentation, exhibition or an artist talk to share the results of
your stay. You are encouraged to give a public sharing on social media of your residency, this may
be through images, video or text.
Working conditions: The Residency is expected to be developed within the Mini Art Center, but
through events such as workshops and performances there will be opportunities to travel to other
towns and villages in Bulgaria.
The language used in the Mini Art Center is Bulgarian. The artists-in-residence, however, are not
expected to be able to communicate in Bulgarian. The residency team can use English as their
working language. There will be a staff coordinator at the spot during the whole residency period
and in each training, who will assist in the communication and other daily practicalities.
Who can apply for the residency?
Circus artists, Pedagogues, Performance artists, Social workers, anyone with the desire to support
the development of contemporary and social circus in Bulgaria.
The residency is open for practitioners coming from the following fields – circus, dance, alternative sports, theater,
pedagogy, performance art, social workers, painters, photography, video/film.
The residency is ideal for couples and
Ideal for people who
• want to meet and network with colleagues from other Circus spaces
• want to get inspired by new ideas and shared best practices
• want to discover new contexts, cities and perspectives
• want to interact with the (youth) groups through circus training, social circus workshops, pop-up
performances, informal meetings…
*Candidates who are in the interest of the Mini Art Center will be asked to join an online
video meeting as the last before receiving answers on applications.
Mini Art Center will provide the following:
• Accommodation (Mini Art Center)
• Honorary
• Covering 50% of travel costs (roundtrip from/Sofia) (submission of receipts required)
• 24 hours’ access to Mini Art Center facilities
• Use of Mini Art Center equipment resources
• Support for creative work, coordinating the performance and cost of material for the public presentation
• Promotional support such as listing on our website and social media
We expect you to have a collective sense.
Involving everyday cleaning and maintenance tasks.
That you are ready to grab some work gloves and help maintain the Mini Art Center when needed.
Bring casual, simple layers of clothing for a range of weather conditions and not to forget
sportswear.
Bulgaria has 4 seasons, winter is cold -15 with lots of snow, spring is starting in April with +15
degrees, the hot summer season is from end June to September with an average heat of 30
degrees, October and autumn is known as warm, but November comes fast with both rain and
snow.
Artists/Residents should arrange his/her own insurance to cover any possible accident, loss or
damage (including but not limited to health insurance and general liability insurance)
Artists are responsible for materials, entertainment, travel and food costs outside of the residency.
Mini Art Center terms and conditions:
-artists-in-residence remain present in the Mini Art Center the whole time of the residency, a
normal working day of 8 hours, with two days off in the week.
-at the end of the residency artists-in-residence are required to show the residency results to public
in a form of the project presentation, the work-in-progress or an exhibition,
-artists-in-residence must credit #Mini Art Center / Mini Art Fest / #Mini Art Foundation as a
residency partner in all marketing and communications relating to the residency as well as the
production developed during the residency.
FIND US ON
Mini Art Foundation implements projects for 2022 in partnership with
#MiniArtCenter #OpenCall #miniartfoundation #SofiaContemporaryCircus