"Trakart 2000" Foundation is an organization with public interest for realization of socially useful activity. It is registered in 1999 with head-office the city of Plovdiv.

The main subject of activity is in the sphere of culture, science, education. The aim is revival of the Bulgarian art traditions; the restoration of monuments of culture and buildings with national significance, ecology, urban development and planning.

The Foundation objects are:

  • the development of socially useful activity in popularization and development of the visual arts, revival of the Bulgarian traditions and their adaptation with new, modern devices in the present day and XXI century;
  • restoration of monuments of culture and buildings with national significance;
  • training of new authors and talents, ecology and urban planning and development.

Means for achieving the aims:

  • programmes subsidization for young authors' training;
  • popularization of the Foundation activity, by means of articles, publications, notes, letters to physical and juridical persons in the country and abroad who are interested in;
  • working out of a system and methodology for selection of people with high interests and potential possibilities in the sphere of culture;
  • building up and maintenance of informational system, regarding problems related to the national cultural and historical values preservation;
  • organizing visits and travels with educational purpose to different historical sites in the country and abroad;
  • uniting talented students, architects, engineers and teachers, writers, psychologists, sociologists and other majors and assisting their scientific and professional development, as well as co-operation for their participation in international forums concerning the problems that appear to be objects of the Foundation;
  • assisting the social integration and personal realization of disabled persons and socially poor creators.


Performed activities for the project “To Touch or Not to Touch”

Cultural Center “Trakart” and “Trakart 2000” Foundation, Bulgaria started their participation in the European project “To Touch or not to Touch” in September 2006. By presenting the project in regional and national media stations and working with the National Rehabilitation Center for Blind People in Plovdiv, “Trakart 2000” Foundation achieved many positive results for the project.
With the help of the National Rehabilitation Center for Blind People we made a focus group of young people with visual handicaps suitable for the project. The selection was made on the basis of the health condition and the interest of the participants in the Roman culture and heritage. The physical condition of the young people was also kept in mind when working with different kind of technical stuff.
The technical meeting in Lisbon, Portugal was much useful for us, as well as the fact that this meeting was held during the World Congress of Prehistory, which is an event of great importance.
In Cultural Center Trakart, Plovdiv we held a theoretical course of lectures for the youngsters with visual handicaps for getting into the Roman culture and traditions in general, in order to provoke a stronger interest in history, lifestyle and artworks in the Roman times.

We also introduced the history and the significance of Cultural Center Trakart to the participants in the project and they had a few courses of lectures with museum professionals in Roman heritage in the ancient Philipopol and Augusta Trayana.
There were practical training and working with the participants in the project and our art professionals give knowledge to the young people for the cultural heritage of Philipopol in the Roman times.

               
Art Center – Plovdiv was one of the effective partners of Trakart for the project. In its studios the art professionals made copies of mosaic fragments of the ancient peristyle building “Eirene”. All the repliques were made according to the physical possibilities of the young people with visual handicaps.
Young people expected the meetings and working days eagerly. Trakart had a special approach to them and made a helpful handbook for people with visual handicaps. This “Manual” was created to give knowledge about the cultural heritage and it has high standard and quality. The handbook is useful for all the people with visual handicaps and it includes some copies of original mosaics and explanatory texts in Braille language. The reason Trakart chose this approach was the different point of view between people who can see and the ones who can’t. Imagine that you are in a museum with no electricity in it and it will be your base for analysis. That was our working base too when we worked on the project issues.
Due to the young people we could increase the levels of the different colors by indicating them with different factors, which gave an opportunity for defining the decorative elements of the children with visual handicaps.
The young people made ceramic copies, which we baked and kept for the exhibition. Some of the best repliques we sent to the museum in Ostelato, Italy. The rest copies we gave to the National Rehabilitation Center for Blind People in Plovdiv. Working with the children, gave us an idea to create the handbook for the project “To Touch or not to Touch” and we made the first manuals for the project.
Our idea is to include in this manual some copies of our cultural heritage, which will be useful for all the people with visual handicaps. All handbooks will be written in native language and in Braille. A special printed photo with stronger colors will also be included in the manual for the people who can see partially. Every element has historical explanation and can be explored with fingers.
At the technical meeting in Cultural Center Trakart, Plovdiv all the participants presented their work on the project and the results from the rest technical meetings. Working with the partners from Italy, France and Portugal was a very useful and interesting process for us. When the partners visited Plovdiv we organized a trip to Stara Zagora and visited museums with Roman mosaics and remains, as well as the Prehistory museum there, dated back to 6000 B.C. The young people with visual handicaps were happy to learn that some of the exponents were made especially for them.
We were pleased to be present at the final exhibition “To touch or not to Touch” in Ostelato, Italy. There we were able to see the final results of our work, as well as our partners’ work. Many positive opinions were said to us, including the statements of the Mayor of Ostelato – Paolo Calvano and the president of the Emilia-Romagna Regional Council of the Italian Union of blind people - Srefano Tortini. They were amazed by the results we achieved and insured us that our work will be much useful to all the blind people in Europe.

In conclusion, we can say that we are content with all the positive work we did for the project in general and we are glad for the useful cooperation with every partner we worked with.

Looking forward to our next challenge,
Trakart 2000 Foundation, Plovdiv, Bulgaria

 


The official reception of Bulgaria in the European Union was designated with a unique sculpture, symbolizing the joining of our country to the European family. It is the first monument of its type and it was made on the initiative of Dr. Ivan Chomakov – mayor of Plovdiv city.

The project’s idea belongs to Mr. George Trak, and it was released by Art Center – Plovdiv.
The impressive sculpture is a synthesis of metal, water and light, united in the spatially diversity of the three infinite geometrical forms – spiral, circle and square, symbolizing the endless progress and looking for their completeness.

GEORGE TRAK


Releasing the project “Visions of Rome” – September 2005 – May 2006. The project revealed new horizons in the imagination of twenty young people between 17 and 25 years old, who participated in the project. “Visions of Rome” gave these young people knowledge about the centuries-old history of the ancient Philipopol and its significance in the first Pan European form of cultural and social unification - Rome.

Cultural Center Trakart kept the young people’s attention with a course of lectures about the cultural heritage of Thrakia and performed some practical activities, workshops and researches on the authentic Antique clothes. The young people participated in building the website of the project under the direction of the artist Ivan Ivanov.

www.visionsofrome.org


The "Trakart 2000" Foundation and "Sveti Luka" Foundation work in the field of saving the cultural heritage, protection and revival of applied arts and traditional artistic crafts, teaching children and young people who have the wish, possibilities and talent in the sphere of plastic arts.

The Foundation pays special attention to teaching talented children from socially poor and marginalized groups and their affiliation to creative and production groups.

The town of Plovdiv has many-sided cultural tradition, which is enriched and influenced by Tracian, Greek, Roman, Byzantine and Bulgarian arts. This rich artistic tradition is a good base and guarantee for the necessary future development and beneficial results that come from the exerted efforts of the Foundations and the "Art Centre", together with the highly qualified specialists who work there.
 
 
Project “Regain” – started in April 2003. In this project TrakArt2000 Foundation is a partner within the “Equal” programme. The aim of that programme is to renew the resources and master skills of craftsmen from Normandy establishing close contacts and using the capacities of the art traditions maintained in Bulgaria where the old crafts with their high artistic value are still preserved.

Goals:
Today it is of extreme importance for our region to systematize the resources and master skills of craftsmen and industrialists from Normandy not only in order to keep the memory of them, but most of all in order to be able to respond to one real necessity of our contemporary society, that is creating possibilities for young people to master new, appropriate for them profession. The old crafts with their high artistic value are still preserved in Bulgaria due to highly quality training, similar to the training that existed in France before.

The experiments that are developed within the “Regain” project are concentrated around 4 axes:

Axis 1 – Conducting work on systematization in Upper Normandy and in Bulgaria, including description of the craft techniques, as well as the used tool and materials. This also comprises study on the methods of training of crafts and their possible improvement with the efforts of contemporary experts, teachers practising those crafts, and future crafts (resource centres).

Axis 2 – Improving the image of those professions and the access to them in such a way that can attract those men and women who are not employed, or who have problems with integration in the economic and social environment (work in factory, in office, etc.), or who already work as craftsmen, but do not have sufficient knowledge about the traditional techniques.

Axis 3 – Development of reference books by experts and authorized institutions in cooperation with the Bulgarian partners who have gained rich experience due to the fact that the old crafts are still alive in Bulgaria. These reference books are necessary for the introduction of the new specific educational courses, as well as for regaining the master crafts from the past.

Axis 4 – Recognition of the acquired knowledge and skills of the trained people involved in the programme (workers trained for updating and upgrading of their knowledge and skills and unemployed people who are searching for an appropriate profession), as well as determining the ways through which the work of the craft shops can be continued or establishing new ones.


Bulgarian – Canadian Society of BC and Foundation “Trakart 2000” have joined their efforts to preserve and promote the Bulgarian culture and national heritage.

On September 22, 2003 – the Independence Day of the Republic of Bulgaria – “Trakart 2000” Foundation was accepted as a member of the Bulgarian – Canadian Society of BC. The official ceremony was performed at the Thracian Cult Shrine – an ancient historical site recently discovered nearby Starosel.
Jeliazko Andreev presents the Membership Certificate to the Founder of “Trakart 2000” Foundation – George Ivanov – Trak.

Beside the magnificent wall built by the Thracians – from left to right:

George Ivanov – Trak (Founder of “Trakart 2000” Foundation, President of the Artcentre, Member of the Association of the Bulgarian Artists, Member of the International Association of the Mosaists – Ravena, Italy; Member of the British Association of Modern Mosaic – London, England; Representing Bulgarian Art to many international forums like Kamakura – Japan, Ravena – Italy, Victoria & Rio de Janeiro – Brazil.)

Radost Ivanova, Manager Public Relations (Foundation “Trakart 2000”)

Ivan Ivanov (Director “Education and training” – Foundation “Trakart 2000” With international achievements in representing Bulgarian art to national and international exhibitions of wooden plastic art and sculpture.

Jeliazko Andreev (Director Finance, Strategic Planning and Business Development) Bulgarian – Canadian Society of BC.

Foundation “Trakart 2000” is devoted to the promotion, restoration and development of the Bulgarian historical cultural heritage, cultural tourism, traditional arts and crafts and development of new artists.

At the moment Foundation “Trakart 2000” is working o­n Conservation and restoration in situs of a peristyle building with mosaic floors dated 3rd century AD from Philippopolis (Plovdiv). The project is financed by a Grant from U.S. Department of State – Federal Assistance Award.

The Bulgarian-Canadian Society of British Columbia is devoted to the preservation and promotion of Bulgarian heritage and culture among individuals of Canadian and Bulgarian descent, and serves as a resource for the exchange of multicultural information.


In the summer of 2000 was discovered a splendid and majestic 500-400 BC Thracian shrine in Chetiniova Mogila tumulus near the village of Starossel (Hissaria region).

It consist of a 241 m long impressive wall (crepis) with preserved height up to 3 m, a central staircase and two lateral staircases, a dromos, a precisely elaborated facade and two domed roof rooms (round and rectangular). With respect to the diameter of the second room (5,30 m) it is the largest ever found in Bulgaria, while the shrine with its size, ground-and-space design is the most imposing within the Thracian lands.

A worshipped ruler, supposedly Sitalkes, has got buried in this shrine. The impressive structure, built with more than 4 000 big ashlars, could be constructed o­nly by a rich and powerful king.

The shrine is the key place of a large cult centre, comprising a lot of rock-cut sanctuaries and some dozens of tumuli. Smaller shrines, used also as tombs and mausoleums, have been found out in two tumuli. High Thracian aristocrats or chieftains or ruler had been buried in two of the tumuli.

The man buried in Peichova Mogila tumulus used to be a follower of Orpheus. In fifth century BC his dead body was dismembered in three parts and buried around an obviously sacred rock. A chamber was built near the rock. It has got a two-slope roof to resemble a shrine. There the chieftain’s properties were arranged – a full set weapons (greaves, breastplate, gilt collar, gilt helmet, shield, sword, spearheads, bow with a leather quiver, arrows), two full sets of silver horse trappings decorations (most of them with incised animal pictures), four silver and four bronze vessels, three amphorae, clay vessels (some of them with red-figure scenes and ornaments). It is worth mentioning among the finds a silver double axe, being a king’s insigne in ancient Thrace. Another double axe is incised o­n a silver applique together with a horseman, sticking through a wild boar with his spear.

The results from the so far investigations give grounds to state that the Starossel region, generously gifted with nature landmarks, used to be an important cult centre of the Thracian tribe Odrysai over the Late Iron Age.


The news coverage was provided by:

Diana Pantaleeva


Diana Pantaleeva is director finance and business development at Nanotechnology Holdings, Bulgaria and kindly offer to help us from Bulgaria. The Board of Directors of Bulgarian-Canadian Society of BC appreciates her help very much .