Stretch travelled to Sofia for a programme bringing together artists, cultural professionals and creative organisations through discussion, practical learning, movement and networking.
Hosted at Conets Co-working and Design Academy, the edition explored marketing and communications in the performing arts, touring across Bulgaria, the Balkans and Europe, community engagement, creative wellbeing and collaborative campaign development.
About this edition
Stretch 2025 focused on the practical realities of developing and sustaining a career in the performing arts.
Through panels, a keynote, a movement session and the signature Diagonal Lab workshop, participants were invited to consider how artists present their work, build audiences, develop touring opportunities and create stronger relationships with communities.
The programme brought together perspectives from Bulgaria and the wider European cultural sector, creating space for knowledge exchange, reflection and meaningful professional connections.
Programme
Marketing, PR and Branding in the Performing Arts
Panel discussion
A conversation exploring how performing artists and organisations can communicate their work, establish a clear identity and build relationships with audiences, partners and the media.
The panel considered practical approaches to marketing, public relations and branding within the performing arts.
Contributors
Ines Carvalho
Co-founder of Stretch, English National Ballet
Bernardo Queiros
Co-founder of Stretch, Consultant
Moderated by
Kosta Karakashyan
Studio Karakashyan
Location
Conets Co-working and Design Academy, Sofia.
Perspectives on Touring: Bulgaria, the Balkans and the EU
Panel discussion
This panel explored touring opportunities and challenges across Bulgaria, the Balkans and the wider European cultural sector.
The discussion brought together perspectives relating to artistic mobility, presenting work internationally, European networks and the support available to artists and organisations seeking to develop touring relationships.
Contributors
Atanas Maev
Derida Stage, Derida Dance Company and Aerowaves, Bulgaria
Simeon Alexandar
Creative Europe Bulgaria
Location
Conets Co-working and Design Academy, Sofia.
Community Engagement Through Social and Immersive Practice
Keynote
A keynote exploring the role of social and immersive approaches in creating meaningful engagement with communities.
The session considered how artistic practice can invite participation, deepen connections and reach people beyond traditional performance settings.
Speaker
Kosta Karakashyan
Studio Karakashyan
Location
Conets Co-working and Design Academy, Sofia.
Dance to Decompress
Movement session: Reconnecting Through Movement
A shared movement session offering participants an opportunity to pause, reconnect and decompress through dance.
The session introduced movement as a way of supporting wellbeing, encouraging connection and creating space for reflection within a busy professional programme.
Led by
Karakashyan & Artists
Location
Conets Co-working and Design Academy, Sofia.
Diagonal Lab
Signature workshop
The signature Diagonal Lab workshop invited participants to work collaboratively and explore practical approaches to artist development, communications and creative problem-solving.
The session was led by Stretch’s co-founders and created space for participants to exchange ideas, develop new approaches and consider how collective thinking can support their work.
Facilitators
Ines Carvalho
Co-founder of Stretch, English National Ballet
Bernardo Queiros
Co-founder of Stretch, Consultant
Location
Conets Co-working and Design Academy, Sofia.
Venue details to confirm
The programme listings identify the location as:
Conets Co-working and Design Academy
Sofia, Bulgaria
However, the Venue section on the old webpage separately lists:
Chisenhale Dance Space
64–84 Chisenhale Road
Bow
London E3 5QZ
This looks as though it may have been retained from another Stretch edition, so Bernardo or Inês should confirm which venue information should appear in the migrated post.
Need additional support?
For programme enquiries or additional support, contact: