Despite the cultural and natural richness of the Vidin region, tourism opportunities outside the city of Vidin are typically limited to visits to local wine cellars.

The young people from Ideas Factory Association are working to change this.

One of their initiatives involves creating tourist products and experiences centered on local culture and lifestyle. To achieve this, they collaborate with residents from several villages in the Vidin region and artists from Bulgaria and abroad.

From August 30 to September 9 this year, the villages of Deleyna, Yasen, and Koshava, in Bulgaria’s northwesternmost area, will host Baba Residence, a residency for artists and researchers from various disciplines. Participants will live with local families, soaking up the local culture and jointly developing a tourism concept for the area.

This is the eighth edition of Baba Residence in Bulgaria’s Northwest since 2016. Alongside the many artists involved in Baba Residences and the support of numerous donors, Ideas Factory has successfully implemented various projects benefiting local communities over the years. These projects include renovating reading rooms and spaces for meetings and creative projects, collecting books for village libraries, publishing recipe collections and songbooks, replacing window frames in the homes of vulnerable people, raising funds for dental prostheses, helping locals supplement their incomes through entrepreneurship, and organizing exhibitions and yard sales, among many other activities.

You can learn more about this year’s Baba Residence in the open invitation from Ideas Factory. The application deadline is July 16, 2024.

For nearly 15 years, Yanina, Ioana, Militsa, and other committed young people from Ideas Factory have been working toward economic and social revival in rural areas. By helping city dwellers learn about village traditions and spend more time with the elderly through initiatives like Baba Residence, they repair the broken connection between city and village and offer a solution to rural decline. In their vision, this intergenerational exchange will eventually help restore the economic independence of Bulgarian villages.

As a result of the association’s work, more and more young people are choosing to make the Bulgarian countryside their permanent home, elderly village residents are experiencing improved quality of life, nearly forgotten traditions are being revived, old art forms are finding new audiences, and village community centers are re-opening their doors to the public.

We support Baba Residence. Will you?

Learn more about the Baba Residence initiative from this short video story:

Support for Ideas Factory is part of the America for Bulgaria Foundation’s long-term efforts to promote economic development in the Bulgarian North through entrepreneurship and tourism.