« Dreamed », or how young people created a new community center in Sofia in the 21st century
We want to modernize the idea of a community center. To show a new vision that is up -to -date in the 21st centuryS This is what Zarya Bozhkova, chairman of the board of trustees of the newest community center in the capital, Dreamed. She is one of his founders, and together with her other adherents, she wants to create a place in Sofia that hosts events with current topics and to offer services and activities for the benefit to society in today’s digital time.
The unusual name comes on the idea of another lady from the founders and immediately wins the sympathies.
« The Chitalishte is much more than a library. It allows us to organize different types of events and initiatives that engage citizens in the community. Many of the events we do are actually the idea of people who live nearby and have become our members, » Bozhkova told Dnevnik.
For the community centers and their future
The word « Chitalishte » says that it is an institution for the spread of knowledge and culture, especially active during the Renaissance. And according to Bozhkova herself, there is currently a revival of this type of places.
The community centers in the Sofia Municipality, according to the national statistics, are 142, but there is no information how many of them are active and what their attendance is. According to Bozhkova, there are other « modern » community centers in the capital – « Aleko Konstantinov » in Oborishte, as well as « sidewalk » – a community center with a vision aimed at teens with activities such as music, gaming, education and arts.
« There are active and in fact there is a revival of the Chitalishte in order to return the activity of citizens, » Bozhkova says.
Foundations
« We gathered a group of enthusiasts close to each other and the idea was largely supported by the mayor of the Lozenets region Konstantin Pavlov, who is a supporter of the community center. » So Bozhkova talks about the embryo of Dreamed.
A street in the Lozenets metropolitan area will bear the name of Todor Kolev
With her followers, they founded a « dreamed » at the end of February 2024, and in July the municipality also provided them with a premises in Lozenets. Then they start raising funds for repairing the municipal premises, making a project and starting. The repair costs reach about BGN 10,000, and since February 2025 the Chitalishte has already been operating.
Puppet theater, workshops, but also the topics of the day
As a Dreamed Chitalishte, he can receive a subsidy, but only after his second year, and until then rely only on donations and membership fees. Therefore, so far, it still does not work on full -time, but is open during organized events – literary dinners, puppet theater performances or debates and discussions.
It is planned to start working daily, but at the moment there is no necessary finance to pay a full -time secretary.
The community center has already been discussed about the euro, and in June it is planned on the topic « The near future » with guests Veselin Metodiev and Alexander Kyosev.
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The organization of workshops for children related to the programming and use of artificial intelligence is also forthcoming. Every Wednesday afternoon between 3pm and 5pm the Chitalishte is open for assistance in completing forms to institutions or sending emails. Every month, a poetic evening is held.
Last year, the Chitalishte received about BGN 2,400 from Member States, BGN 2 700 from donations and funding under the Active Chitalishte Program of the Sofia Municipality of 3,500 BGN. Some of the organized events also have paid entrance, and after those with free donations are placed.
Books
Many boxes, many boxes of books.
DawnChairman of Chitalishte Board of Dreamed
So she answers the question of how many books there is a « dreamed ». They are still in boxes as a library is still being built in the main hall of the community center. The plans are that it be ready within 1-2 months. Then plan the creation of the so-called peer-to-peer library, or in other words an electronic register in which everyone can see who is a book and possibly people can exchange them with each other.
« Because we still want to be a community center with a digital profile, » Bozhkova says, saying that all books are donations.
Traditionally, for the 21st century, the Chitalishte team relies on promotion mainly on social networks, allocating a budget for sponsoring their events in these channels. They put posters and leaflets in key places to notify the people of the neighborhood.
