A discussion was held at the National Palace of Culture on how to make the spaces around it more livable with the help of innovative interactive methods. Creating a digital realm may prove to be the way to trigger young people’s interest in programming cultural products, in design and technologies.

The event was organized with the participation of Miroslav Borshosh, Director of the National Palace of Culture, Oscar Barda, expert at la Gaîté lyrique cultural centre in Paris, France and Guillaume Robert, Director of the French Cultural Institute in Sofia.

“It is a story that began in Paris and as most stories that take place there – it is wonderful”, says the National Palace of Culture Director:

“All of a sudden we were in an old building with a history going back 150 years, a building emblematic for Paris - administered by Offenbach, frequented by people like Victor Hugo who valued it greatly. Since 2011 it has been one of the most innovative and modern cultural venues in Paris.We met Oscar Barda and his team who had developed an idea that is superb – venues for targeted audiences,” Mr Borshosh says. “Our guests from France came to localize the best spaces so that the palace could develop as a special place for the young generation of Bulgaria.”

In Miroslav Borshosh’s words young people live in a reality that is alien to classical culture and ideas, a world that is very particular and innovative. Their idea of good and bad has nothing to do with the widespread stick-in-the-mud concepts – they want to have fun and are inquisitive.

“If we are able to find the inroads that would help focus this energy in one place, that would make me really happy because this is something that would suit the palace to a T”, Miroslav Borshosh says.

Mr. Guillaume Robert goes back to how this cooperation with the National Palace of Culture began two months ago, expressing his appreciation of the vision, the approach and the style in which culture is created at the palace. He added that he hoped this first mission by la Gaîté lyrique would be followed by others, laying the foundations of a successful cooperation in future.

Here is more from Mr. Oscar Barda:

“I work at a fascinating and inspiring cultural centre, called la Gaîté lyrique where thousands of interesting things happen. We are a laboratory where with the help of visitors, we test new art-making ideas. A place dedicated to digital culture in all of its avant-garde forms. Video games, workshops, concerts, unorthodox expositions. We initially targeted a public aged 15 to 35. We had in mind young people, but as time went by the centre developed into a venue for all age groups (of the grandfather-grandchild kind) where a dialogue was initiated spanning three generations. Our idea is not to recreate existing things but to create something new, interactive, something that would benefit the public. I welcome the idea of the French Cultural Centre in Sofia of sharing French culture and innovative ideas with the rest of the world, but this goes both ways – other cultures influence us. The National Palace of Culture is a really intriguing place, each and every square meter, believe me! I am an architect by training and I immediately spotted the first spaces where the digital centre could be created. So many exciting things could take place here”, says in conclusion Mr. Barda.

English version: Milena Daynova