The mission of BCHCS is to establish, organize, support, and promote events related to traditional and contemporary Bulgarian culture, to preserve Bulgarian heritage in the greater Seattle area; to engage, educate and do outreach to the Bulgarian and the Greater Seattle Community; and collaborate with other organizations to promote Bulgarian culture and heritage.
For the short time since its establishment in 2011, BCHCS has created and continues to support several programs:
- Bulgarian Voices of Seattle Women’s Choir with weekly rehearsals
- “Medena Pitka” [Honey Bread] Children’s Folklore Program (ages 4-8) with weekly lessons
- “Rabotilnitsata” (Weekly Adult Dance Workshop) with weekly lessons
- “Tvorilnitsata” (Traditional-Crafts-Making-Workshop) which organizes the making of “kukeri” masks, “survachki”, and “martenitsi” a few times a year
- Society for Poetry and Literature meeting once a month
BCHCS organizes traditional annual events such as a Christmas celebration, the Zlaten Orfei talent show in March, and the picnic at Lake Sammamish to celebrate Bulgarian Culture and Literacy Day in May. The Center organizes concerts, workshops, and visits of local and guest musicians, artists, and writers from the US and Bulgaria.
BCHCS has coordinated and supported a number of exciting and ambitious projects such as “Songs of Our Families Bulgarian Heritage Project,” creation of a documentary film “Tazi Baba / This Baba,” and a visit of a Bulgarian Fulbright Scholar at the University of Washington Department of Slavic Languages and Literature.
With the rich local cultural history to build on and numerous talented and devoted people to work with, we are confident the Bulgarian Cultural and Heritage Center of Seattle will continue to realize its mission. We are looking to collaborate with anyone who is interested in organizing, promoting and participating in Bulgarian cultural and community programs and events.