Clay Connections — International Ceramics Residency

Creative Resilience Foundation is developing an international creative residency that will bring together professional artists from different European countries working in the field of studio art ceramics.

For twenty-one days the participants will live and create together in the village of Dolen in the Rhodope Mountains — a setting that combines rich cultural heritage, traditional architecture and the calm needed for focused creative work.

The project will offer space for experimentation, sharing techniques, exchanging professional experience and creating new original works.

The residency will conclude with a joint exhibition in Sofia, presenting the results of the creative process to the Bulgarian public.

At the heart of Clay Connections lies the conviction that the meeting of artists with different cultural backgrounds, artistic approaches and professional experience creates the conditions for new ideas and long-term creative partnerships.

Ceramics is one of the oldest forms of artistic expression, yet it keeps evolving through contemporary techniques, experimental approaches and new interpretations of the material.

The project will allow participants to share knowledge of different ways of modelling, building forms, decorative solutions and contemporary artistic practices.

The focus will be on studio ceramics as a means of free artistic expression, not only on traditional craft production.

Each artist will be able to work on their own creative idea while taking part in the shared process of discussion, experimentation and mutual professional enrichment.

The village of Dolen in the Rhodopes has been chosen to host the residency — a place with preserved National Revival architecture, distinctive stone houses and a strong presence of local cultural tradition.

Participants will stay in a specially selected guesthouse with the capacity and spaces needed for creative residencies.

Accommodation, meals, conditions for shared work and the necessary organisational support are planned throughout the twenty-one-day programme.

Choosing Dolen is part of the project's artistic concept. Stepping away from the pace of big cities will let the artists concentrate on their work and build closer professional relationships.

At the same time, the project will bring international artists to a small Bulgarian village and introduce the local cultural environment to participants from across Europe.

The residency will not end with the last day of work in Dolen.

The works created will be presented in a joint exhibition in Sofia, giving the public the chance to discover the participants' art and the results of their international collaboration.

The exhibition will bring different artistic styles and individual interpretations of ceramics together in a single display.

It will also be an opportunity for the artists to present their work to a new audience, build professional contacts and open prospects for future exhibitions and joint projects.

In this way Clay Connections will link the creative process in a small Rhodope village with the cultural life of the capital.

For Creative Resilience Foundation this project is not simply an international meeting of artists, but a practical step towards better conditions for professional development in the creative fields.

Through Clay Connections we aim to support professional artists by giving them time, space and resources to create new works, opportunities for international exchange and public presentation.

The project has several interconnected goals:

To encourage international cooperation between European artists in the field of studio ceramics.

To support the development of new artistic techniques, ideas and professional contacts.

To provide conditions for creating and publicly presenting original works of art.

To promote contemporary ceramics and widen the Bulgarian public's access to international artistic practices.

To lay the foundation for future creative residencies, exhibitions and international partnerships.

Creative Resilience Foundation is the initiator and organiser of the project and will be responsible for its overall preparation, coordination and delivery.

Our team will organise the international selection of artists, communication with participants, accommodation, logistics and working conditions.

The foundation will also coordinate the artistic programme, the necessary materials and technical resources, and the organisation of the final exhibition in Sofia.

Our aim is to provide an environment in which artists can focus on what matters most — their creative work, professional exchange and the making of new pieces.

Clay Connections is a project in development, with implementation planned for 2027.

Creative Resilience Foundation is preparing the initiative, building the necessary partnerships and securing funding for its delivery.

The technical programme is in development, including access to kilns and firing facilities, transport of the works, and production and exhibition partnerships. The Sofia exhibition venue and dates will be announced once confirmed.

Further information about the participants, exact dates, the residency programme and the final exhibition will be published once the organisational arrangements are confirmed.

We are open to collaboration with cultural organisations, art institutions, galleries and partners who share our commitment to creating real opportunities for artists and international cultural exchange.