At the end of 2021 we would have liked to say that the renovation of the building of KDK – the Club of Cultural Figures has been completed, the bar is open and we organize our favorite discussions, film screenings, exhibitions, parties. However the reality is that we still have a lot of work to do!
The great news is that together we did a great job and we are getting ahead each passing day to reach the cherished moment of official ribbon cutting and champagne pouring! This is happening thanks to all of us who believe in the community initiative Future for KDK in giving time, money and energy to achieve a common goal! We are grateful to be part of this beautiful process!
Now let us tell you what we have achieved so far.
Donations collected from the #FutureForKDK campaign
BGN 18,373.70 was raised since the start of the donation campaign on July 12th until December 20th, 2021.
More than half (BGN 9,668.30) has been received as regular donations our Patreon page! The rest are donated by bank transfer, Pay Pal or during events in support of the cause.
A total of 86 people choseto support us through Patreon, PayPal or by bank transfer, and the number of people involved in events supporting the cause exceeds 200! Here’s how you can help:
- Bank transfer (account in BGN)
- VT Events Association
- IBAN: BG15BPBI79311028842301
- BIC/SWIFT: BPBIBGSF
- PayPal: http://www.paypal.com/paypalme/futureforKDK.
- Become our Patreon – www.patreon.com/tamvelikotarnovo.
- Organize a charity event.
Renovation costs
BGN 13,796.12 is the amount spent until December 20th, 2021 in the renovation of the building of KDK – the Club of Cultural Figures.
And here are some details – lighting and electricity (BGN 2,438.87), plumbing (BGN 662.11), construction and instalments (BGN 2,071.33), clearing works and removal of trash (BGN 577.22), construction materials (BGN 577.43), iron door and window frames (BGN 5,869.20), repair works of the building’s roof (BGN 1,600).
What have we repaired so far?
We started clearing and disposing of trash in May of 2021. Dozens of volunteers took part in the activities.
We went on with removing the plaster off the walls and ceilings to uncover the underlying bricks. And under a dirty and moldy red carpet we found beautiful marble tiles.
The plumbing and electrical works have started. We installed the lights in the entry hall.
A good-hearted guy and a professional named Milen Djanovski voluntarily helped the cause and gratuitously repaired the stairs on Velcho Dzhamdzhiyata Str and replaced some of the gutters. We carried out repairment of the roof of the building. The main goal was stopping the leaks.
The making of door and window frames made of iron began, and the spot of the future restroom was cleared out.
All renovation works are part of a design project done free of charge by the architectural studio Atelier AI as part of the #FutureForKDK Campaign.
The construction works can’t stop us!
While the repair works are going on, the KDK back yard served as a place for numerous events since May. We got together to watch shorts and documentary films, open air exhibitions, soundscaping and music making. We talked about design, community art and culture, and there was also a puppet show and a Halloween party for the children! We read new fiction literature, collected the stories of the neighborhood and read “living books”.
In the meantime, we acquired a striking and new visual identity. It is the work of the talented designer Paul Voggenreiter, who got so inspired by the atmosphere in Tarnovo that he chose to stay and work in the city.
TAM from October till October
With the support of the National Fund “Culture” we achieved a long-standing dream of producing contemporary cultural production, made in Veliko Tarnovo.
5 young artists created a joint exhibition with the help of curator Martina Yordanova during a creative residency at No Point Atelier. The mobile exhibition „Occupying Your Home“ was exhibited in the homes of 30 people in Veliko Tarnovo, Gabrovo and Sofia. „Occupying Your Home“ Artworks by Andrea Popyordanova, Vyara Boyadzhieva, Petar Chinovski, Todor Genov or Hristiana Yordanova can be purchased.
The neighborhood of Varusha South housed four concerts total involving the bands Ropotamo CO, Osnovno Vetrove and DeviRa, trohi and KAKE? And we released vinyl recordings of the live performances thanks to the Pressure Mastering studio in the village of Stefan Stambolovo. Check out how to get a vinyl.
Varusha South is the location of another significant work of art, created by the Vox Populi Documentary Theater Studio. Value-added tourist tour or theater tour along the streets of Tarnovo’s Old Town – this is TAM TOUR Varusha South. It is a showcase that collects and tells the stories of houses and people in the neighborhood.
What’s to come?
We go on with the repair works in KDK and in the year 2022. Besides the material side of the building, we will also take a look at its history, in discovering and telling stories of the past of people of Tarnovo connected with KDK, and examining its architectural significance and functions. In other words, we will create a KDK archive, which will serve as an inspiration for the artistic works of ten new or established artists. Stay tuned for our new web page, which will bear the new TAM identity.
All of this will happen with the support of the National Fund „Culture“, and with their help again the KDK building will see new air conditioning and sound system.
We are very excited about what is to come and we can’t wait!
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