WHAT IS “THE NIGHT”:

“The Night of Museums” was initiated and held for the first time in Berlin in 1997. Since then the “Night of Museums” format have been acquiring popularity and its realization started all over the world under different names. Today more than 120 cities in Europe organize their local “Night”, an event which has turned into one of the most attended cultural events. 

THE PLOVDIV ‘NIGHT’:

“The Night of Museums” in Bulgaria was held for the first time on a large scale on the 30th of September 2005 in the town of Plovdiv. From then on “The Night of Museums and Galleries – Plovdiv” became an emblematic event on a national level offering a program with various events, high attendance, attracting of young audience, positive energy and organization.

THE TIME: 

The date chosen for the event is complied with the cultural calendar of Plovdiv, in the framework of the Autumn Saloon of Arts and during the Autumn Technical Fair. Till year 2010 “The Night of Museums and Galleries” has been held on a date between the end of September and the beginning of October.

Due to the long list of events in the program and high attendance at the event from year 2010 “The Night” will be held in two fixed days – the last Friday and Saturday of September. The dates for 2010 are 24th – 25th of September.

PARTICIPANTS:  

Participants in the main program of the Night of Museums and Galleries include all the currently active state and private museums and galleries. Participants in the concomitant program are cultural institutions, theatres, clubs, book-stores, informal art-spaces, lively urban spots. Events in the projects in the open program will be produced by cultural organizations or independent artists and curators. 45 is the total number of locations which participate each year.  

ART:

Each participant organizes a special program for the event. Visitors will be able to observe: art from the cultural heritage, modern and contemporary art from different media, works by local and foreign authors. A big part of the art-events are often highly evaluated by the art-critics. “The Night” around the world as well as in Bulgaria is specific mostly with: projections, concerts, performances, demonstrations, discussions with artists. There is also a program for children – their cultural enrichment and introduction to art.

AUDIENCE:

Number: For the five editions the number of attendants increased from the record-breaking number of 3000 at the first edition in 2005 to 25 000 at the third in 2007, 15 000 in 2008 and more than 25 000 in 2009.

Ages: a wide range of ages – from 18 to 55. The event contributes with the attracting of students, university students and families, who become regular attendants at the event.

Social status: young people, artists, business representatives.

About 35% of the visitors are guests.

COMMUNICATION:

“The Night of Museums and Galleries” has a developed communication policy in Bulgarian and English.  Each year the advertisement campaign starts in the beginning of September.

Basic advertising materials: a guide-book with the complete program, a map with locations and participants, a website, information centers.

ORGANIZATION:

The first “Night” was initiated by Sariev Gallery and Vesselina Sarieva in 2005 and realized with the organizational support of the civil committee “Night of Museums and Galleries – Plovdiv” – Vesselina Sarieva (Sariev Gallery, Open Arts Foundation), Vania Atanasova (The Union of Plovdiv Gallery Managers), Maria Kapon, Krassimir Linkov (City Art Gallery – Plovdiv).

From 2007 Open Arts Foundation is the basic organizer of the event and Plovdiv Municipality the basic co-organizer.

PARTNERS:

“Plovdiv Municipality” is co-organizer of the event. Permanent media partners: Programata Plovdiv info, BNT, Nova TV, Radio Plovdiv, BG radio, Radio 1, Dnevnik weekly, Capital magazine, LIK magazine, Manager magazine, 1 magazine. Partners for concomitant initiatives are: KCM 2000 (non-ferrous metal works), Cantek.

SPONSORS:

Funds for the advertisement campaign are raised through sponsorships and donations. Sponsors of the event in previous editions have been: Mobiltel, VivaCom, America for Bulgaria Foundation, International Plovdiv Fair, Interlease Auto, City Gas. 

The Night of Museums and Galleries-Plovdiv is classified in Art-Inquiry- 2005, 2006, 2007 by the art-critics as one of the major events out of the capital. It is enlisted as an event on focus in the research made by the British Council called ‘Mapping of Creative Industries of Plovdiv’. In 2006 it was given the cultural journalist award- ‘Art-Fact of the Year’.