The American Research Center in Sofia Hosts a Photo Exhibition "Empower the Change"

Wednesday, 13 February 2013

On February 12th, 2013 at 7 pm in the building of the American Research Center in Sofia (ARCS) a photo exhibition "Empower the Change" of Platform AGORA Association was opened. The same day, ARCS started their Spring 2013 Lecture Series that are open to the public. The first lecture "Reception of Classical Art in Ottoman Constantinople" by Prof. Liliana Simeonova (Institute for Balkan Studies / Center of Thracology, BAS) was followed by the inauguration of the exhibition. ARCS's fellows and scholars, library customers as well as the participants in the Lecture Series would have the opportunity for a month to view photos from all over Bulgaria. The hosting of the exhibition at ARCS is a result of the efforts of both organizations to establish new partnerships and cooperate for more efficient achievement of their goals.

The official opening of the exhibition was on November 29th, 2012 in "Alexander" Hall, Radisson Blu Grand Hotel within the Forum "Empower the Change" . The photo exhibition shows situations, emotions and peoples' moods captured in 34 settlements in Bulgaria. Each photo illustrates how the change happened through stories, events and people, who got involved in the numerous civic initiatives implemented within Platform AGORA's project "Activating Communities through the Chitalishtes in Bulgaria".

The shots were taken in the period 2010 – 2012. They reflect the long process of identifying and solving specific local issues with community involvement, voluntary labor and in kind contribution but mostly show the satisfaction of the achievements.

The exhibition is a result of the cooperation between Platform AGORA and Mihail Georgiev, a student of photography at the National Academy for Film and Theatre Arts (NATFA) in Sofia, who is the author of some of the photos.

The photo exhibition "Empower the Change" is an activity within Platform AGORA's project "Activating Communities through the Chitalishtes in Bulgaria: second phase", supported by America for Bulgaria Foundation.