Please, confirm your attendance by 25 June 2014 at the latest

The Day of the Free Spirit

June 2014, 07 p.m., MFA’s garden, Sofia

In its capacity of an institution which contributes to promoting the foreign policy and the image of Bulgaria, The Diplomatic Institute to the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Bulgaria has initiated a project in 2013 on British-Bulgarian relations, which was launched by a round table on “BG-GB: Changing images in the mirror”. The aim of the project is to help the two countries and their societies get to know each other better and cast away inaccurate perceptions of each other for the purpose of a more efficient cooperation, especially in the context of the Bulgarian and British co-presidency of the EU Council in 2018.

Taking into account the contribution of culture for boosting interaction and understanding between nations, the Institute will organise a consecutive event within the project, entitled “The Day of the Free Spirit”, with the participation of the renowned musician Ken Hensley, the author of the British song “July Morning” that has become symbolic to the eponymous Bulgarian tradition which has existed only in Bulgaria for over 35 years – the welcoming of the sunrise on the Black Sea coast on the first day of July. Mr Hensley will speak on the role of cultural traditions and cooperation in the context of public diplomacy, and his talk will be followed by his musical performance together with the Bulgarian band SUNRISE, and a short cocktail. The event will also contribute to a campaign started by the Bulgarian musician Mr. George Marholev and supported by Ken Hensley, which aims to achieve the official recognition of 1 July as the “Day of the Free Spirit” on a national and European level.

The event will help promote to the world a unique Bulgarian tradition, on the one hand, and British-Bulgarian ties, on the other, since the tradition was born out of a British song. Among the invited guests are the newly elected Bulgarian representatives in the European Parliament, Bulgarian and foreign diplomats, the British community in Bulgaria, artists, the general public.

The event is organised in co-operation with the production company “Hollyrock ART” and theDomestic Diplomatic Properties Agency (ADIS EOOD), with the support of Kiril Zhelyazkov, Nelly Beshirova, Bulgarian Business Club-London. Media partners are the Bulgarian National Television, the Bulgarian National Radio, the Bulgarian Telegraph Agency, DARIK Radio and BG MEDIA London.

Please, confirm your attendance by 25 June 2014 at the latest

by email: [email protected], or at phone number: (+359) (2) 948 2147

ENTRY ONLY WITH INVITATION

(please, present a printed copy of the attached invitation)