Students, Class 2020-2021
Students, Class 2019-2020
1. WHAT ARE OUR GOALS AND MOTIVATION TO DEVELOP AND OFFER THIS PROGRAM?
The dynamic current trends in the management of cultural and creative organizations and projects require qualified professionals who are adaptable and resourceful in the constantly changing environment in which performing arts operate in the 21st century. The emphasis on cultural and creative industries and the interdisciplinarity in art management education are important trend in the development of the European and national cultural policies in many countries around the world.
In the Master Program “Management in Performing Arts and Industries” we aim to prepare managers and leaders of performing organizations, projects and teams, as well as independent entrepreneurs and producers in the performing arts in Bulgaria to implement modern management methods and financial mechanisms and to use online technologies and digitalization of creative products. We help them to establish a successful professional career in various types of cultural and creative organizations, as well as to be able to export the Bulgarian performing arts at the European and international market.
2. OUR TEACHING TEAM AND KEY DISCIPLINES
Our program focuses on key branches of the cultural and creative industries, such as: performing arts / dramatic, musical-dramatic, pantomime, choreographic – theater, opera, ballet, dance, etc./, music industry, festivals and cultural events industry. The program does not cover: cultural heritage, fine arts, film industry, publishing industry, software industry and architecture.
Our priorities in the one-year training are on the fundamental disciplines and their specifics in the performing arts organisations and projects: cultural economics, financing, strategic management, cultural diplomacy and international cooperation, European cultural policies, entrepreneurship and innovations, marketing, advertising, public relations, management of creative teams, contracts and copyright, and others. The main disciplines are supplemented by elective courses in various fields, such as: management in the music industries, entrepreneurship in interior design and applied arts, management of fashion industry, social aspects of theatre management, and others.
Our teaching team includes leading specialists in the theory and practice of management of the performing arts and creative industries. The Head of the program is Prof. Dr. Lidia Varbanova, who has a long standing international experience in establishment and management of academic and training programs and modules in the field of management in the arts, culture and creative industries. The program was created and led by Prof. Snezhina Tankovska / 2005-2019 / and has been operating successfully for 15 years at the Faculty of Performing Arts of NATFA.
3. WHAT IS THE DURATION OF THE PROGRAM AND FOR WHOM?
We offer the program in two semesters, one academic year, in an offline form, in Bulgarian language. Some classes could be held online, at the discretion of the respective professor and the team of the program. The program is also open to students, graduated from other universities in Bulgaria and abroad. In such cases, they need to take more elective courses, recommended by the team of the program to meet the credit requirements. The educational process ends up with a public defense of a master thesis in according to the requirements of the program and the Academy.
4. WHAT COULD BE YOUR PROFESSIONAL CAREER AFTER GRADUATION?
After graduating “Management of performing arts and industries”, students acquire educational qualification degree “Master”, with professional qualification “Manager of performing arts and industries”. They have the opportunity to work in the following areas:
- in all state or private institutions, which mainly or partially aim at creation and distribution of stage and creative works;
- experts at institutions in the performing arts field and in some cultural and creative industries branches;
- specialists in the field of distribution of performing arts, festival events, cultural events;
- specialists in the management and legal regulation of state, collective and private institutions in the field of the performing arts;
- as independent entrepreneurs and producers of stage and creative projects, as well as managers of business organizations in the creative industries.
5. TESTIMONIALS OF GRADUATED STUDENTS
“If anyone is hesitant to enroll ito a master program, I do recommend the program “Management of Performing Arts and Industry”: believe me, it makes sense! My goal to apply for this program was to acquire knowledge in the field of performing arts management and to be able to successfully implement them in practice. In fact, I got much more than that: I improved my communication and presentation skills, I had the opportunity to get acquainted with effective international practices in the arts. In my opinion, some of the very important and useful disciplines in the program were: art management, strategic management, theater production, financing and marketing in the arts. Because of my Master degree, I was able to hold the position “Team Manager” at NATFA Theater. I have established new contacts and friendships with famous experts and managers in the field of performing and screen arts in Bulgaria and around the world. This master degree program perfectly combines the theory with Bulgarian and international practice and expanded my competencies as a theater manager and professional.
Ekaterina Tsvetkova
Master degree, “Management of Performing Arts” – NATFA “Kr. Sarafov” – / class 2018-2019 /. Master’s thesis topic: “Marketing strategies and methods for attracting and developing the generation Millennium as a theatre audience”
“The Master program “Management of the Performing Arts and Industries” developed and enriched further my experience in the field of cultural management, especially in areas such as: innovation in the creative industries, strategic management, European cultural policies and marketing in the performing arts. During my studies in the program, there were a lot of events where I had the opportunity to implement my knowledge. Some of them were: participation in the innovative, large-scale and high-tech project CONGLOMERATE as a project manager; presentation at the meeting of Consuls of the Ministries of Culture from Southeast Europe on “Increasing the role of culture for sustainable development”; participation in two international theater festivals – in Ljubljana (Slovenia) and Nitra (Slovakia); member of the jury of the Bulgarian selection for the ninth edition of the ACT Free Theater Festival. The most important for me were the meetings with my wonderful teachers – professionals in various fields, with whom I hope to be able to work together one day. I should also menion my colleagues from the screen faculty of NATFA, who enriched my knowledge and viewpoiints in the field of teamwork and professional ethics in the creative organizations. “
Svetlomira Stoyanova
Master degree, “Management of Performing Arts” – NATFA “Kr. Sarafov” – / class 2018-2019 /. Master’s thesis topic: “Strategies for innovative planning and development of the free theater scene in Bulgaria”
- HOW TO APPLY?
The application package consists of: an author’s project in the field of management of the performing arts and/or industries / up to 10 pages /, a short motivation letter /up to one page/ and a CV /up to 2 pages/. The knowledge of one of the official languages of the countries of the European Union is an advantage in the application process.
We accept students for the academic year 2020-2021 in two rounds:
- First round: By documents.
- Second round: Discussion of the candidate’s project and conversation with the candidate, focused on the management of the performing arts and/or creative industries, as well as on issues in the field of theory and practice of the arts, management, economics and humanities.
Objective: To check the abilities of the candidates for a systematic, situational, managerial and marketing approach to organizations and projects in the field of performing arts and creative industries.
