The Bees
2025
Sofia
An extraordinary lecture on the society of bees, juggling theatre, dance, music, games and interactive objects, but above all — proven scientific facts from the latest research into the lives of these insects.
“Bees” is a theatre-science performance lecture that combines theatre, movement, music, and scientific research to open an accessible and engaging conversation about the life of bees and their crucial role in ecosystems. Led by ecologist and science communicator Antonia Hubancheva, the event presents contemporary scientific knowledge about bee societies through an artistic and interactive format.
The project uses the tools of science theatre to translate complex ecological and evolutionary processes into a performative language. The audience is not only an observer but an active participant—through games, interactive objects, and collective exercises, they are drawn into exploring questions such as how a bee colony functions, what its social structures are, and what we can learn from them about coexistence, interdependence, and care for the commons.
The project places emphasis on working with diverse audiences and communities, creating a space for the exchange of knowledge, experience, and imagination. The presentation develops in dialogue with the specific urban environment and its social contexts, encouraging active participation, accessibility, and the inclusion of wider audiences in a conversation about nature, sustainability, and the shared future. In this way, “Bees” contributes to social inclusion and to the building of new connections between science, art, and society.
Gergana Dimitrova – dramaturgy and direction / Antonia Hubancheva – scientific consultant and facilitator / Elena Shopova – set design and objects / Nikola Nalbantov – video / Pavel Terziyski – music
Gergana Dimitrova is a director, translator, author, producer, and researcher. She holds a Master’s degree in Cultural Studies from Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski,” directing from NATFA “Krastyo Sarafov,” and directing from the Ernst Busch Academy of Dramatic Arts in Berlin. Since 2006, she has worked as a freelance director in Bulgaria and Germany.
She has directed over 30 theatre productions across a wide range of genres and formats, both on stage and in non-theatrical spaces, many of which she has also produced and managed. In 2012, she received two “Ikar” awards for direction and dramaturgy for the play Prae-Echidna, co-written with Zdrava Kamenova, followed by numerous nominations and awards for her work at Bulgarian and international festivals.
In 2007, she co-founded the theatre collective “Organization for Contemporary Alternative Art and Culture – 36 Monkeys” (www.36monkeys.org), based in Sofia, where she serves as artistic director. She is currently the Deputy Director for Artistic and International Affairs at the Drama-Puppet Theatre in Vratsa.
A key focus of her work to date is contemporary dramaturgy and new theatrical forms. She is interested in the dialogue between theatre and science, in interdisciplinary approaches to theatre, and in cultural policies in the field of the performing arts.
The presentation is part of the project “Creation of New Cultural Products in the Urban Environment – Presentation in Sofia (Nine Elephants Festival) and Berlin (C*Space)”, funded under Component 11 “Social Inclusion”, Investment 6 “Development of the Cultural and Creative Sectors”, Procedure BG-RRP-11.020, Grant Scheme “Creation of Bulgarian Productions and Co-productions in the CCI sector and their promotion in European and international arts markets” of the Recovery and Resilience Plan.
The entire responsibility for the content of the project lies with Blue Cube Foundation, and under no circumstances can it be assumed that this document reflects the official position of the European Union or the National Culture Fund.
Links
Presentation of an audio guide that can be listened to individually or in a group during a walk through the city