SOFIA NIGHT PERFORMANCE Choreographies of Labour

Author
When
10 July 2026, 6:00-10:00 PM
Where
On Madrid Blvd and surroundings

A July Friday evening with urban interventions, performance, workshops and poetry dedicated to labour as a system of movements, relationships and everyday rituals. From kneading dough and waiting in line to the collective care of the urban environment and the organisation of a beehive, the projects in the programme explore how labour shapes our bodies, spaces and communities. Located along Madrid Boulevard and its surroundings, the artistic interventions invite audiences to move between different sites and situations, to observe, participate and reconsider the boundaries between work and rest, production and care, individual effort and collective action.

All events are free of charge. Support us with a Nine Elephants Donation Ticket.

 

6:00-9:00 PM (through the whole night of Sofia Night Performance)

Living Dough
Durational performance and installation by Lora Krasteva
Where: banicharnica Ejko, 32 Madrid Blvd

In a city, somewhere in a corner, there is a banicharnica that operates non-stop. But what exactly happens there? What can these places – and the people connected to them – teach us about the city and the country we live in today? Through performance, soundscape and interviews, the project invites the audience to immerse themselves in the world of those who knead, sell and make a living from banitsa.

The Line is the GameRole-playing game by Jana RomanovaWhere: Café Club Madrid, 10 Madrid Blvd

In a city, somewhere in a corner, there is a banicharnica that operates non-stop. But what exactly happens there? What can these places – and the people connected to them – teach us about the city and the country we live in today?
Through performance, soundscape and interviews, the project invites the audience to immerse themselves in the world of those who knead, sell and make a living from banitsa.

* Starts every hour on the hour: 6:00 PM, 7:00 PM, 8:00 PM.

Mozupki
Workshop with Paola Dimova and Anna-Maria Ivanova
Where: Green areas behind Sofia Theatre, Zaimov Park

Join a collective mosaic-making activity to fill potholes in the pavements of the neighbourhood. The workshop opens up a space for strangers to temporarily collaborate in caring for shared public space.

Attention! This section is closed
Installation by Silvia Cherneva
Where: above the river at the beginning of Madrid Blvd

A place to withdraw from the noise of the city. The installation offers a space for inactivity and raises the question of whether rest can be a form of resistance to constant productivity.

Poetry NONSTOP
A poetry project along Madrid Blvd with Ivan Dimitrov, Lora Mladenova, and Kalina Linkova
Where: in the shop windows of selected stores along Madrid Blvd

В продължение на няколко седмици поетите разговарят с хората, които работят, търгуват и прекарват ежедневието си по бул. „Мадрид“. За времето на фестивала проектът ще превърне търговската улица в пространство за четене, размисъл и най-вече разговор, а ежедневните жестове на работа, общуване и грижа – в поезия.

20:00 – 21:00
The Bees
Performance lecture by the association 36 Monkeys
Where: KANAAL, 2 Madrid Blvd

An interactive performance lecture presented in one of our favourite places in Sofia, exploring the organisation, tasks, labour and responsibilities within a beehive. Through the world of bees, the performance reflects on collective labour, the distribution of roles and the tension between the individual and the community.

* Duration: 50 minutes. Limited capacity – please arrive on time.

21:00-22:00
The Future Dance of Nostalgia
Performance by Kexin Hao
Where: the platform in front of Sfumato Theatre, Zaimov Park

To conclude the evening, we gather in front of the theatre to take part in an interactive warm-up led by artist Kexin Hao, in search of past forms of labour from the field or the factory and how they have shaped the human body and continue to resonate today in the digital era.

For additional information, please refer to the posts here and on social media for each of the projects, which will be published soon.

The texts and events are in Bulgarian, with the exception of The Line is the Game and The Future Dance of Nostalgia, which are in English; however, a translation will be provided by the organizers on site.

With the financial support of the National Culture Fund, Stroom, Sofia Municipality – “Culture” Programme and Summer Programme.

In partnership with Oborishte District.

We would like to thank KANAAL, Café Bar Madrid, Sfumato Theatre and all participating shops and businesses for their warm support and cooperation.

Links

Presentation of an audio guide that can be listened to individually or in a group during a walk through the city