The Dobrich Chamber of Commerce and Industry hosted a group of interns from Italy and France within the framework of the MOSAIC project – an ambitious European initiative aimed at strengthening the arts and crafts sector by improving the quality of vocational education and training.

The MOSAIC project aims to contribute to the cooperation between different actors from education and business in order to overcome the challenges related to the digital, environmental and socio-economic evolution of modern society.

During the five days of their stay in Dobrich, the interns had the opportunity to get acquainted with the diversity and richness of local craft traditions. The program included visits to six leading companies and workshops, each of which representing an important part of the cultural heritage of the region.

The first visit was to Foliart LTD – one of the leading advertising and printing companies in the region. Founded in 1992 as an advertising agency, today Foliart LTD has its own production base with full machinery for all kinds of advertising and printing services. The company offers a wide range of services – from printing books and polygraphic materials to outdoor advertising, packaging, labels and souvenirs. The interns had the opportunity to see how modern technologies combine with traditional printing techniques, and the team of professional designers demonstrated their creative approach to each project.

During the day, the interns had the chance to observe the process of making a thematic book with hard and soft binding, the process of preparing, prepressing and printing a book, and also got acquainted with the methods for large format printing and production of outdoor advertising.

The second day of the program included a visit to Yanika Yankova – a master tailor, who has dedicated her life to the preservation and development of traditional Bulgarian crafts. In her studio, the trainees made their own bag with ethnic elements. Yanika Yankova is not only engaged in the production of new products according to the client’s model, but also in the restoration and repair of traditional costumes – an important activity for the preservation of cultural heritage. Her tailoring experience and skills impressed the young Europeans, who had the opportunity to learn more about the specifics and traditional sewing techniques.

On the third day, representatives of Albena Design Studio presented the interns with a modern approach to architecture and design. The studio specializes in the design of hotels, public and residential buildings, interiors and landscape architecture. With an impressive portfolio of completed projects in the Dobrudzha region and along the Black Sea coast, including reconstructions of hotels in the Albena complex, modernization of city parks and design of luxury interiors, the studio demonstrates how traditional architectural values ​​can be integrated into modern design. The interns followed the creative process from idea to implementation and learned about the use of specialized software in architectural design.

The fourth day was dedicated to a visit to two ateliers – the atelier of Magdalena BOLGARA and the embroidery atelier of Detelina Neycheva.

In the atelier of Magdalena BOLGARA, the trainees immersed themselves in the world of traditional Bulgarian clothing. The atelier is engaged in the professional production of Bulgarian folk costumes, preserving the authenticity and specificity of the various ethnographic regions. In authentic costumes, more than a hundred years old, they immersed themselves in the atmosphere of the old times and touched the elegance of Bulgarian embroidery.

In the embroidery atelier of Detelina Neycheva, which is engaged in the production of hand-embroidered jewellery and accessories, their task was to hand-embroider an element of traditional embroidery.

The young interns from France and Italy had the opportunity to see the richness of Bulgarian embroidery, the variety of shapes, colours and ornaments characteristic of the different regions of the country. The craftsmen demonstrated the techniques of making and the meaning of each element in the traditional costume.

Last but not least, the visit was to Art Atelier Algara – a family-run Bulgarian atelier dedicated to the revival and preservation of traditional embroidery. The Algara team works with deep respect for the roots of Bulgarian culture, weaving authentic ornaments into contemporary clothing, jewellery and souvenirs. Each item is made with attention to symbolism, because the atelier believes that embroidery is not just decoration, but a carrier of knowledge, protection and identity. The interns were impressed by the educational approach of Art Atelier Algara, where traditional art is presented not only as a craft, but also as a living heritage – through demonstrations, educational events and meetings with people of different ages. It was an honour for the atelier team to showcase Bulgarian culture to international guests and build bridges between tradition and the modern world.

The five-day visit of the French and Italian interns to Dobrich under the MOSAIC project proved to be an extremely fruitful and enriching experience. The young Europeans had the opportunity to experience the richness of Bulgarian craft traditions, to see how modern technologies combine with age-old techniques and to understand the importance of cultural heritage in the modern world.

The visit to Dobrich left a lasting impression on the interns and contributed to the popularization of Bulgarian traditions and crafts in the European educational context.