After a series of concerts, exhibitions and meetings with artists in September, the Bulgarian Cultural Institute in Rome has started its new initiative. It is called Saturday Cultural Calendar and is organized in cooperation with the "Parallel 43" cultural association and the Bulgarian school "Assen and Ilia Peikov" in Rome and Florence.

The program started on October 1, when Rashko Mladenov's autobiographical show "Do posleden duh" was presented to the audience in the Italian capital. In the play, Mladenov talks about his life adventures and recreates on stage stories from his childhood and many curious incidents that deserve to be shared with the audience.

The "Bulgaria" Gallery in Rome is the main host of the free events of the Saturday Cultural Calendar. The program for the month of October also includes a cultural and educational walking tour in Rome (October 8), a screening of a Bulgarian feature film (October 15), a course in Bulgarian folk dances (October 22). Two books will be presented on October 29. One of them describes the power of voice and how its change can even change our destiny, while the other examines an innovative method of communication for bilingual children and adults.

The starting date for the series of cultural events was not chosen by accident. 16 years ago on October 1, the Bulgarian Cultural Institute was established in Rome as successor of the Boris Hristov Academy of Art and Culture. The center is housed in a building acquired by the Bulgarian state through a donation from the world-famous Bulgarian opera singer Boris Hristov. The donation has obliged the state to take care of the property and to send gifted artists to the Academy for specialization, giving priority to the art of singing. In order to respect the will of the donor, the Academy continues its activities within the framework of the Bulgarian Cultural Institute and future stars of the opera stage receive training there every year.

• How the language of art brings Italy and Bulgaria together

Compiled by: Gergana Mancheva

English: Alexander Markov