Festival of Urban, Tourist and Patriotic songs "Songs for the Soul"

Location: Veliko Tarnovo, Bulgaria (Wikipedia)

Organizers: 

Euro Folk Academy, Konstantin Kisimov Music and Drama Theater,

Municipality of Veliko Tarnovo, Event Vacation

Town host - Veliko Tarnovo, Bulgaria
Veliko Tarnovo (in Bulgarian: Велико Търново) is a town in the north central Bulgaria and the administrative centre of Veliko Tarnovo Province. Often referred to as the "City of the Tsars", Veliko Tarnovo is located on the Yantra River and is famous as the historical capital of the Second Bulgarian Empire, attracting many tourists with its unique architecture. The old town is situated on three hills, Tsarevets, Trapezitsa and Sveta Gora raising amidst the meanders of the Yantra river. Tsarevets housed the palaces of the Bulgarian Emperors and the Patriarchate with the Patriarchal Cathedral, as well as a number of administrative and residential edifices surrounded by thick walls. Trapezitsa was known for its many churches and as the main residence of the nobility. In the Middle Ages it was among the main European centres of culture and gave its name to the architecture of the Tarnovo Artistic School, painting of the Tarnovo Artistic School and literature.

Festival of Urban, Tourist and Patriotic songs "Songs for the soul" is held within the scope of Musical feasts "Euro folk" - Musical feasts are held in different European towns and countries in 2020 under the auspices of the European Association of Folklore Festivals - EAFF.

Main event of the Musical Feasts "Euro folk" is Festival of traditional folklore arts No.1 in Europe - Stara Planina Festival "Balkan Folk". It welcomes annually between 9 and 15 thousand musicians, singers and dancers. A characteristic feature of the Musical Feasts "Euro folk" is that all performances are recorded with professional audio and television equipment and the best of them are broadcast on more than 20 cable TVs in Bulgaria, on satellite and national TV channels "Travel TV" and "Rodina TV" as well as on Internet TV "EuroFolkTV". By these activities Musical feasts "Euro folk" implements their main objective - to promote traditional folklore arts though the enormous capabilities of mass medias.

Preliminary Program

Regulations

• Concerts of the Festival of Urban, Tourist and Patriotic songs "Songs for the soul" will be broadcast online on the Internet TV "EuroFolkTV".
• During the festival, there will be provided audio recordings and professional video recordings of the program of the groups who are awarded by the jury with an extra payment.
• Duration of the program should NOT exceed 10 minutes.
• We suggest stay of 3 days period.
• Recordings will be broadcast on 20 Bulgarian cable televisions as well as European satellite televisions, the Global Internet TV "EuroFolkTV" on the website tv.eurofolk.com
• Organizers may invite the participating groups to take part in common events like official opening and closing ceremonies, Parade of participants, Cocktail party and others. 
• Festival of Urban, Tourist and Patriotic songs "Songs for the soul" will be held in two competition days with two evening concerts. Main purpose of the organizers is to provide stage for performances of creative groups and awarding the best of them as well as popularization of the winners through the mass medias.
• The festival will be held in the town of Veliko Tarnovo, Bulgaria.

Conditions for participation:

Participants of the Festival and Competition are divided in the following categories:

• Old urban songs
• Tourist songs
• Patriotic songs
• Individual performers
• Adults and children up to 16 years old - in all the above mentioned categories.

In order to participate in the competition, the groups must comply with the conditions below:

• Groups that want to take part in the competition should submit an application for participation. This way the performers accept the terms and conditions stated in the regulation of the festival.
• It is advisable to send the last participant's (group's) recordings or demo records via e-mail, as well as brief information of the participant (groups) and few photos.
• If there are more applications than the required for the competition day, the jury shall make a preliminary selection of the participants and shall notify in writing all applicants when will they be included in the competition program.
• If the group's repertoire exceed the required time-limit, the jury has the right to chose the program of the group.

Participation fee:

Organizing committee provides participation package for the groups.

• Economy option -  2*/3* - 2 HB -   58 Euro
• Standard option -       3* - 2 HB -   72 Euro

Every 26st person in the group is free of charge (25 paying participants + 1 free)

Participation fee includes:

• 2 overnights in hotel cat. 2/3* on basis HB (buffet breakfast + dinner);
• Accommodation in TRPL and QDRPL rooms for participants;
• Double rooms are possible for Extra SUPPLEMENT / See Additional Payment;
• Walking guided sightseeing tour (only for group with more than 35 persons);
• Official letter of invitation and other documents;
• Performance in competitive and festival program;
• Diplomas and prizes.

Participation fee doesn't include:

• Fee for participation in the contest - 10 Euro per person
• SOLOISTS and DUETS pay extra for participation - 15 EURO per person;
• Extra overnight in hotel – 29/36 EURO per person a night;
• Lunches 7-10 EURO per person / 1 lunch;
• Extra payment for accommodation in DBL or TWIN room – 10 EURO per person to festival package price;
• Extra payment for accommodation in SNGL room – 30 EUR per person to festival package price;
• Transfers from Airport to hotel and back;
• TRAVEL EXPENSES (transportation  of participants to / from Veliko Tarnovo, transfers in Veliko Tarnovo, travel insurance, entrance visa to Bulgaria for participants from non-Schengen countries), lunches, entrance tickets to sightseeing objects, tickets to public traffic, optional excursions;
• On demand it is possible Extra Payment services connected to booking personal transportation from Airport to the hotel and back, meeting at the airport by the Festival Stuff, changing the offered hotel to higher class or booking  additional services  by contacting and sending official request to the Organizing Committee.

Awards

• The event has competition character.
• The jury uses the evaluation system that is preliminary defined and approved.
• Prizes -  First prizes and diplomas
• All the groups receive Diplomas according to the evaluation system. All the awards will be granted on the official closing ceremony.
• At the discretion of the jury and producers of Euro Folk Academy, distinguished artistic directors are awarded with the Diploma for the title of Maestro or Maestro Academician. These diplomas are sent to the Municipals' Mayors with the request to award it solemnly to the artistic leaders.
• Participants can order DVD discs with recordings of their performances as well as videos. 
• There are no salaries provided to the participants.

Unambiguous text: The groups and participants and the organizations behind them, give the rights to the organizer to record audio and video materials which will be included in a program to present the event and will be broadcast on TV channels or other ways, and a contract will be signed.

General Conditions

Submission of an application means that the performer accepts all the conditions stated in the regulation.

Registration of participants will be held in the Konstantin Kisimov Music and Drama Theater, Veliko Tarnovo, Bulgaria. Arrival and registration of the groups from 10:00 to 14:00 o’clock.