From Vision to Art Inspiration: Ivanovo Sparks to Life with PlaceCRAFT
What happens when heritage meets imagination?
You get PlaceCRAFT - a cultural catalyst that is transforming rural villages into vibrant laboratories of identity, creativity, and co-creation.
Ivanovo, Ruse Region - September 26, 2025
What happens when heritage meets imagination? You get PlaceCRAFT - a cultural catalyst that is transforming rural villages into vibrant laboratories of identity, creativity, and co-creation.
Just a day after the momentum-building Danube Ruralscapes workshop in Nikopol, our sister initiative PlaceCRAFT took center stage in Ivanovo. In a powerful show of what rural reactivation can look and feel like, the National Tourism Cluster “Bulgarian Guide” and the International Elias Canetti Society organised an energizing creative workshop that connected generations, sectors, and ideas across borders.
This was more than a gathering.
It was placemaking in action.
A Creative Collaboration between Heritage and Youth
Set against the backdrop of Ivanovo’s natural and cultural richness, the event welcomed:
- Rural cultural centers ready to evolve from guardians of tradition into agents of placemaking
- Local authorities with an eye toward inclusive tourism development
- Young creatives from Bulgaria, Germany, and North Macedonia whose artistic interventions pushed boundaries and asked questions
- Tourism professionals reimagining what place-based experience can truly offer
Through storytelling, knowledge sharing, inteactive discussions and a study visit, villages like Cherven, Nisovo, and Shtraklevo became not just part of the pilot region, but will lead the way to a new rural story: “We’re not just preserving culture. We’re designing with it.”
Empowering Rural Regions Through Creative Ecosystems
PlaceCRAFT stands out by weaving together elements often kept apart: governance and art, youth and tradition, tourism and sustainability. This fusion isn’t just refreshing - it’s necessary. Participants didn’t leave with just shared ideas; they left with energy, ownership, and a sense of belonging to something bigger: a movement to reimagine rural futures.
Every conversation sparked a connection. This is what it means to craft a place - not in abstract terms, but through action, community, and shared vision.
The Journey in the Pilot Region Has Begun
Ivanovo marks the beginning of a longer creative journey across the Danube Region. With every workshop, every collaboration, and every co-designed initiative, PlaceCRAFT is proving that the future of rural heritage is not just preservation - it’s innovation through participation.
About the Project
PlaceCRAFT is a creative placemaking initiative. It empowers rural communities across the Danube Region to rediscover and reinterpret their cultural identity through heritage-based tourism, artistic expression, and community-led innovation. The Bulgarian project partners are: National Tourism Cluster “Bulgarian Guide”, International Elias Canetti Society and Foundation of Contemporary Art, with the support of the Interreg Danube Region Programme, co-funded by the European Union.