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Exquisite combination of Roma and Bulgarian folk dances, modern choreographies, showboating of tales, singing performances, demonstrations of different crafts from home and abroad - this is how we can determine the program of the festival “Open heart”2016 !

For the thirteenth consecutive year, students from different ethnic groups in Bulgaria and foreign groups from Macedonia, China, Romania, Albania and Germany involved in the festival” Open heart”, showed the creative forces of their "open hearts". With each new year the team of Center Amalipe becomes witness to choreographies and better interpretations of selected with taste stage outfits, of excellent crafted objects in creative workshops by the children and their teachers. All this makes the festival “Open heart”  a bright holiday in the heart of Bulgaria – Veliko Tarnovo!

 A quality indicator for the level of organization of the “Open heart” are the official quests, who honoured the event.  In the three festival days we were visited by the VicePresident Ms Margarita Popova, the entire political leadership of the Ministry ot labour and social policy Minister Roussinova, Deputy Minister Denitsa Saceva, Deputy  Minister Ivailo Ivanov,  Deputy Education Minister Krasimir Kiriakov, VicePresident of the National Assembly Ivan Ivanov, Mayor of Veliko Tarnovo Daniel Panov, the District Governer Pencho Penchev, Georgi Krastev – Adviser  to the political office of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Bulgaria, Nikola Petkov representative of NCEII, municipal councilors,  representatives of many other institutions.

The children festival attended also Ms Vanessa Calvert – Ambassador of the Republic of South Africa, Her Excellency Gûru Catarina Vikor - Ambassador of the Kingdom of Norway, representatives of the Embassy of the United States, the Netherlands, Austria, Norway’s Embassy in Bucharest. With us were the partners of many Roma NGOs, Foundation Konrad Adenauer, the Trust for social achievement.

The Festival began with a performance of “Dzelem dzelem” from Bulgaria’s talent Thomas called the “Roma Pavarotti”. First on the scene stood the pupils from the Primary school Anton Strashimirov, Bohot with their Russian-Gypsy romance, and participants from the Centre for community development Strazhitsa with attractive fan dance. After them during the three festival dayson the stages at park “Marno pole” and dramatic - musical theatre “Konstantin Kisimov”went over 90 schools from across the country, youth volunteer groups and community development centres, National  Roma Centre in Kumanovo – Macedonia, Romania and Albania groups. Romani, Bulgarian, Turkish as well as modern dances and songs reenactments of traditional festivals, showboating tales filled Veliko Tarnovo. The city glowed with rhythm and child calls for tolerance and friendship, and the thick clouds hanging over it and make space for the clear sun. More information and many pictures of the feast see at http://romaeducation.com/bg/ .

In parallel with school programs, park Marno pole was also filled with different workshops. Crafts - copanaries made wooden spoons, other showed how to make baskets, kids painted on water (“ebru” technique) and Madame Cassandra prophesied the future of everyone who asked for.  

The exhibition “The face of Roma – now and then” gathered  pictures from the beginning ot the 20th century (such as those sent from “Tsanko Tserkovski” Primary school) to the present day, including the most attractive faces of the previous twelve festival “Open heart”.

For the third year the participants marched along the main street of Veliko Tarnovo with colorful costumes. This year the parade passed under the motto “We are equal”, through which participants expressed their solidarity to Mitko from Ovchepoltsi.  They were welcomed by the Minister of labour and social policy, Ms  Zornitsa Rusinova, Vice President of the National Assembly, Mr Ivan Ivanov, and the Mayor of the municipality of Veliko Tarnovo Mr. Daniel Panov. Then, despite the rain, we all performed the Bulgarian dance! More about the march see here

Our Thirteenth tale “Open heart ” went to an end. For the third consecutive year Ms Margarita Popova, Vice president of Bulgaria awarded the best participants. She presented the award for “Best workshop” to Primary school  St. st. Cyril and Methodius,  village of Cheshnegirovo. The regional Governor of Veliko Tarnovo district PhD Pencho Penchev presented the award for “Best group” to  St. Kliment Ohridski Primary school, Pavlikeni.  Grand Prix of Veliko Tarnovo municipality, which went to the Group of Primary school “Nicola Yonkov Vaptsarov”,village of Selanovci, was received by the Deputy Mayor Georgi Kamarashev.

The team of Center  Amalipe decided to give the special awards “Best newcomer” to the students of Hristo Botev Primary school, Kardam and the “Most original choreography” award went to Hristo Botev Primary school,  Stamboliyski.

We express our gratitude to all the students and their teachers, to youth groups for tolerance and community development centres for their efforts to participate in the festival. Once again you turned this event into a celebration of tolerance and opened your hearts to one another. Bulgaria is guaranteed a bright future, because you make the presence a better place!

We would like to express our gratitude to more than 60 volunteers who made the festival possible! Having you we definitely have a guaranteed future!