For specific folklore resources, see the Bulgarian Myth & Folklore Resources page

Bulgarian Arts in the UK
 

Balkanplus - an informal friendly central London gathering for circle and line dancing from the Balkans, Bulgaria and beyond.

Bulgarian Creative Arts - promotes occasional artistic events in Britain featuring Bulgarian contemporary artistes.

Cultural Co-operation - not a Bulgarian organisation, but it brings together world musicians and performers living in Britain. It includes profiles online of both A Spell In Time and Dessislava Stefanova, A Spell In Time's singer. For A Spell In Time, click the 'Find an Artist' menu, then the 'Search Artist Profiles' menu, enter 'A Spell In Time' in the 'Keyword Search' box and click 'Submit'.

Dunav Balkan Group – the UK’s longest-running Balkan music group/dance band with a wide Bulgarian repertoire.

London Bulgarian Choir - founded and led by Dessislava Stefanova, this dynamic choir attracts people of all nationalities and is the only choir of its kind in the UK.

Mukka – great energetic band playing Balkan and Arabic music with some Bulgarian tunes.

Society for International Folk Dance - you'll find details here of SIFD associated groups and classes throughout the UK, some of which offer Bulgarian or Balkan and folk dance.

Society for Storytelling – an organisation for everyone interested in storytelling from all cultures. A Spell In Time is the only representative of Bulgarian storytelling.

Trio Art - organisation promoting contemporary Bulgarian fine art in Britain.

British Bulgarian Connections
 

British Bulgarian Friendship Society - a membership organisation that promotes cultural links between Britain and Bulgaria and organises social events. Unfortunately the website doesn't give much information about the activities of the BBFS apart from the Society's special interest tours, but it has made an invaluable contribution to British Bulgarian social and cultural relations for more than 50 years. Look under "Details" for membership and contact info.

Bulgarian City Club - a membership organisation that promotes personal and business contacts among business and professional people in London who are either Bulgarian by origin or interested in Bulgaria. Its activities include organising or participating in charitable and social events.

The Bulgarian Embassy in London – not just visa/travel info, but also some general and cultural information

Bulgarian Party London - information in Bulgarian on the London Bulgarian club scene and the now frequent party nights that take place in the capital.

Friends of Bulgaria - small UK-based charity that raises funds for humanitarian causes in Bulgaria, such as orphanages and children's hospitals. Funds are usually raised through a diverse range of social events organised by volunteers. The charity depends entirely on voluntary work and welcomes help from interested people.

ZOV UK  - a UK-registered charity in that works on small projects in Bulgaria to improve the welfare and education of children in institutions. They work in close co-operation with local people in the field.

Making Links with Bulgaria
 

If you want to discover more about Bulgaria's environment and culture, or are interested in finding ways of being more actively involved with the country, please visit our Bulgaria Extra page.
 

News from Bulgaria
 

BG Ben - website of the weekly Bulgarian language newspaper for Bulgarians and friends living in London. The site is not always well-maintained. It's best to get hold of a paper copy which has a strong community focus and an English language insert.

Bulgarian National Radio - online version in English with lots of good articles on all aspects of Bulgarian life, including many on Bulgarian folklore.

Novinite Sofia News Agency - Bulgarian news website in English. You can search the site for articles of particular interest, but best of all is the free subscription service. If you sign up, you will be notified of all breaking news on the particular topics that interest you (for example articles about folklore, history or Thracian archaeology)

Sofia Echo - online version of the English language newspaper for British ex-pats living in Bulgaria. As well as Bulgarian current affairs, the paper has interesting articles on Bulgarian culture and folklore. Search the archives for information. You'll also find an interview here with Moni and Ivor of A Spell In Time.

Other Information about Bulgaria
 

Discover Ancient Bulgaria - a treasure trove of information with lots of different very readable articles on ancient Bulgaria. Navigation can be a bit confusing but the site is well worth the visit.

BulgariaTravel.org - the official Bulgarian travel site and a useful starting point for all those interested in holidaying in Bulgaria. It provides an overview of tourism in Bulgaria together with background information on the country's history, geography, culture and folklore.

Green Balkans - Bulgaria's biggest non-governmental nature conservation organisation works to protect the country's nature, wildlife and habitats. It is doing a fantastic job to preserve rare and endangered bird species and has established the only Wildlife Rehabilitation and Breeding Centre in Bulgaria. Its other work includes campaigning against the large scale destruction of Bulgarian forests which, according to Green Balkans, is the country's most serious environmental problem.

CLICK HERE for Bulgaria Extra, The Insiders' Guide to Bulgaria's environment and culture