Education:

• [secondary education]: Todor Kableshkov Sports High School, Stara Zagora, 1981, Greco-Roman Wrestling

• [additional professional qualification]: Pantomime Studio at the Pantomime Studio Theater (1982-85), popular art (variety) artist - mime-actor, category "A" (Variety Directorate of Ministry of Culture, Peoples Republic of Bulgaria), 1984

• [higher education]: Sofia University of “St. Kliment Ohridski ”- Sofia, Bulgaria, specialty “Slavic Philology” (Bohemian Studies) ”, second specialty “Bulgarian Philology” (Bulgarian Studies), 1987 (philologist, master, MA). Dissertation "Contemporary Slovak drama from the 70s of the XX century in the contecst of the debates on contemporary cultural processes in socialist countries after the so-called Prague Spring 1968 ”(supervisor: Assoc. Prof. Velichko Todorov)

• [higher education]: NATFA "Krastyo Sarafov" - Sofia, Bulgaria, specialty "Pantomime", class of Prof. Vasil Indjev, 1991-93. He did not officially graduate from this class due to transfer to another in the same Axcademy, but he continued to take an active part in his teaching and creative activities and all productions of the class (including the graduation performance - "The Junkman" (screenplay by Co d'Ordan, dir. Prof. Dr. Alexander Iliev) until the graduation of his colleagues.

• [higher education]: NATFA "Krastyo Sarafov" - Sofia, Bulgaria, specialty "Directing for pantomime", class of Prof. Alexander Iliev, 1998 (director, master, MA). Diploma performances (acting): "Iliad" and "It's entertainment" (screenplay and direction by Prof. Dr. Alexander Iliev). ). A diploma production as а Director: "Fear" (author's performance in the style of the Japanese traditional theater Kabuki, inspired by Marcel Marceau's mimedrama "Duel dans les ténèbres"/“Duel in the Darkness” - screenplay, stage and musical environment, masks, directing and staging), performer of one of the leading roles .

• [higher education, post-graduation study]: Amsterdam-Maastricht Summer University (AMSU) - Amsterdam, The Netherlands, Cultural Management, Fundraising (“Here here to there”), 2000

• [additional professional qualification]: Paper Sculpture (Paper Arts & Paper Sculpture Techniques. 3D Technical Paper illustration Technology), 2003 - 2005, Korean Paper Art Association, Seoul, Korea. (certified as a professional paper artist and teacher of paper arts)

• [higher education, post-graduation study]: Academy of Cultural Management (Goethe Institute, Sofia Development Association and Sofia University "Kliment Ohridski") - Sofia, Bulgaria, specialty "Management in the field of culture", 2017

• [higher education, obtaining a scientific-educational degree "Doctor" PhD]: Doctoral studies, NATFA "Krastyo Sarafov", Faculty of Performing Arts, Department of Theater Studies and Theater Management - Sofia, Bulgaria. Topic: "Outdoor theater and performance in Europe after the 1950s", supervisor Prof. Dr. Kalina Stefanova, forthcoming defense.

Specializations:

• 1993, Sofia, Bulgaria - "Strategy of modern dance" – a master class led by Judy Dworin (USA), organizer and host - NATFA "Kr. Sarafov "

• 1994, Sofia, Bulgaria - "Techniques of the traditional Italian Commedia del 'Arte – a master class with guest teachers from the United States and Italy, organizer and host - NATFA" Kr. Sarafov "

• 1994, Zike and Bremen, Germany - "Carnival & Samba Batucada", master class with teachers from Germany

• 1998, Sofia, Bulgaria - Techniques of the Japanese traditional theater "No" - master class led by Yayoi Hirano (Japan, Canada), organizer (NATFA) & Bulgarian-Japanese Friendship Society

• 1999, Smolyan, Bulgaria - Theater Management and Marketing ("Theory and Practice of Marketing as an Environment Developing New Cultural Policies, Management and Audiences for the Performing Arts in Bulgaria") – a master class for young professionals and theater directors led by Prof. Frick Bloemers (ex-Marketing Director of Dogtroep) - The Netherlands, organized by the Association of Theater Directors in Bulgaria and the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Bulgaria.

• 2005, Seoul, Korea - "Paper Sculpture and 3D Paper Illustrations" - master class led by master Kim Young-Bum, organizer: The Korean Paper Art Association & Mr. Bum’s Paper Art Studio

• 2006, Brno, Czech Republic - "Theater in youthwork: drama in education, forum theater, imro theater, dance theater, circus, audio theater, etc." - master classes with leaders - specialists from Luzhanky Leisure Time Center, Brno

• 2015, Kolding, Denmark - PLOOL Children’s Culture Conference, a training on the use of art as an educational tool in working with children, organized by Nicolai for Børn Cultural Center

• 2016, Hebden Bridge, England - organization and logistics of an art parade and production of large carnival puppets (job shadowing practice within the ninth edition of the traditional HANDMADE PARADE). Facilitators: Andrew Kim (artistic director of the parade), Kerith Ogden, Fran Sierevogel and Sue Walpole

• 2017, Plovdiv, Bulgaria - Academy for Street Theater "School for Performances" # 3, organizers: Walk the Plank (UK) & Plovdiv’2019 + partners from Cyprus, Greece, Ireland and Lithuania. Topic: organization and maintaining of public open-air art events. Facilitators: Liz Pugh, Alexis Johnson (Walk the Plank) and Rob Hill (Manchester Day Parade) - England, Jim Daly (Fidget Feet Aerial Dance) - Ireland and others.

• 2018, Limerick, Ireland - Academy of Street Theater Academy # 5, organizers: Walk the Plank (UK) & Plovdiv’2019 + partners from Cyprus, Greece, Ireland and Lithuania. Topic: organizing and conducting parades and processions with the participation of the community (participation in the traditional parade for St. Patrick's Day). Facilitators: Liz Pugh and Alexis Johnson (Walk the Plank), Kerith Ogden (Handmade Parade) and Naomi Parker (Independent Artist, Manchester Day Parade) - England, Aidan Phelan (Realta Street Theater, creative director of Limerick St Patrick's Day Parade), Martin Shannon, Kate Hodman (Lumen Street Theater), Chantal McCormick, Jim Daly, Lee Harry Clayden (Fidget Feet Aerial Dance) – Ireland

• 2018, Prague, Roztoky, Czech Republic - "Making giant luminous parade puppets" - master class led by Andrew Kim (Handmade Parade, Thingumajig Theater) - England and Shilard Boraros (freelance artist, designer and set designer) - Hungary, organizer and host - Sdružení Roztoč (Roztoky Association)

• 2018/2019, Plovdiv, Bulgaria - "Making giant parade puppets and masks" - master class led by Andrew Kim (Handmade Parade, Thingumajig Theater) - England, organizer - "FIRE Theatre-Art-Culture FOUNDATION" within the project "Aylak Parade"

• 2019, Plovdiv, Bulgaria - "Interactive public actions and interventions, collective performance, community work" - master class led by Gabriele Boccacini, Stefano Bosco, Dario Prazoli (Stalker Teatro) - Italy, organizer - "FIRE Theatre-Art-Culture FOUNDATION" within the project "Aylak Parade"

Professional career:

Debut as actor: in the mime show "Alone among the sheep" (script and direction by Alexander Iliev), Studio Pantomime Theater, Sofia, 1984.

Debut as theatre director: "The Tempest" - an author's outdoor mimedrama performance based on the play of the same name by William Shakespeare (screenplay, stage and music environment, costumes, directing and staging), realized with a youth group during the summer school for youth activists and leaders in culture and education, Gabrovo, 1988.

• Participated as an actor in performances of established Bulgarian directors such as Alexander Morfov (NT "Ivan Vazov"), Krikor Azaryan (Army Theater), Vladlen Alexandrov (Itinerant State Theater), Simeon Dimitrov (DT "Sofia"), Garo Ashikyan (Rhodope Drama Theater - Smolyan), Prof. Vasil Indzhev (independent productions, NATFA), prof. Sasho Stoyanov (independent productions, NATFA), Mincho Sabev and Georgi Cherkelov (NT "Ivan Vazov"), Prof. Dr. Alexander Iliev (Mime-studio "Alba", NATFA, independent productions), Dimitar Sharkov (concert-performances and TV productions in BNT), Nina Shopova (TV productions for children - BNT and Union Television), Milcho Milchev (NATFA, Pantomime Studio Theater), as well as in the production "R" (by Jordan Plevnesh) directed by the Macedonian theatre director Lyubisha Georgievski at the National Theater "Ivan Vazov" and “Alchemical Music Laboratory” - an interactive street performance of "Cardboardia" - a multi-genre international project and artistic community of Sergei Korsakov, directed by Alexandra Lovyanikova, as part of the 20th edition of the International Street Theater Festival "Ana Desetnica", Ljubljana, Slovenia)

• Actor (pantomime and clowning) at Samsung Everland, Korea - the sixth largest theme park in the world (1996, 2003 - 2005)

• Co-author (as part of a creative tandem with Elena Pap), costume and sound designer and director of 20 productions for adults and 38 for children from the repertoire of Zhar Theater, including all performances with live fire (fire dramas) of FIRE THEATRE. Actor in most of them.

• Author and director of two of Cardboardia's performances - a multi-genre international project and artistic community with ideologue and leader Sergei Korsakov: "The City of Pollution. Anti-Utopia'2016 "(performance-procession and opening of the “Temporary Embassy of Carboardia in Hebden Bridge” as part of the ninth edition of the traditional HANDMADE PARADE, Hebden Bridge, England) and "Winter Olympic Games of Cardboardia'2019 " (interactive parody performance in Zakopane, Poland , co-authored with Masha Plaksina and Sergei Korsakov)

• Part-time teacher of pantomime and theater at the Municipal Educational Complex "Sofia" (151st High School), Department of Theater (2000-2002), part-time teacher of dramaturgy for pantomime at NATFA (1999-2000).

• Head of Fire Theatre’s Fest Studio (2009 - present)

• Founder, manager and head of the “Paperfriends - a Paper Arts Laboratory” (2012 - present)

• Co-author of the concept, pedagogue, member of the management team (together with Tsvetelina Radeva) of the "School for Princes and Princesses", a project of the Studio for Self-Development through Art "Sangre Caliente" (2012-2013)

• Part of a leading and managing team that developed and implemented successfully 6 international cultural exchanges, 10 projects of the European Voluntary Service (EVS) as hosting organisation, 2 projects of the European Solidarity Corps (ESC) as hosting organisation, two large-scale projects for Plovdiv - ESC'2019, two art festivals, carnival laboratory and fest studio , a mime-campaign for aestheticization of Sofia, 14 projects under the “Culture” Program of Sofia Municipality, a project under the one-year program of National Fund “Culture” to support professional organizations in the field of traditional and contemporary circus art, numerous theater educational and promotional campaigns, happenings, etc.

• Workshop leader, trainer and speaker (at conferences) in international projects and important theatrical, educational and cultural forums in Romania, Poland, the Czech Republic, France, Spain, Austria, Belgium, Palestine and Jordan and others.

• Participant in international theater festivals in Russia, Germany, France, Austria, Denmark, Korea, Turkey, Greece, Romania, Macedonia, Serbia, the Czech Republic, Poland, USA, Slovenia and others.

Nominations:

• Nomination for pantomime by the Union of Bulgarian Artists for the creation of the play "The Contract" based on a note staged previously in Bulgaria script by Carlo Goldoni (2002)

• Nomination for pantomime from the Union of Bulgarian Artists for the creation of the author's comic pantomime-performance "Showtime" (2001)

• Nomination for pantomime by the Union of Bulgarian Artists for the creation of the author's comic pantomime-performance "Love Circle" (2000)