This story is part of our Stories of Impact series, spotlighting our Fellows who, through socially engaged arts, work with communities across Europe to confront the past, respond to present challenges, and co-create futures grounded in care, solidarity, and collective thriving. Here, Martin guides us through the creative endeavours giving Bulgarian towns and cities a new lease on life.
Early in my career as a landscape architect, I realised that the regeneration of urban spaces was slow, restrictive, and disconnected from local communities. I learned that in order to trigger large-scale urban transformations, you needed to unite a strong collective around this shared goal.
This led me to establish The Collective Foundation, which uses low-cost, temporary cultural and architectural interventions to reimagine neglected urban spaces across Bulgaria. By creating artistic experiences, we allow people to feel change rather than just talk about it. These interventions are a fast, affordable way to improve everyday public life, while remaining socially inclusive, environmentally responsible, and economically sustainable.
Our artistic practices bring together visual artists, performers, designers, architects, and makers, while our workshops and open calls ensure residents and other decision-makers can contribute fully.
By co-creating projects with locals, experts, businesses, and institutions, we empower communities to become committed drivers of urban transformation, rather than passive recipients of change.
Our flagship project, Rivers of Sofia, started in 2020 with a tiny budget and a big idea: to transform Sofia’s polluted rivers into thriving public spaces. There were no grants; just art collectives who donated work, volunteers who donated time, and access to the riverbanks for a three-day urban festival. The first year, 30 partners joined in. Six years later, the network spanned seven cities across Bulgaria, with partnerships across Europe. Today, our annual festivals collectively attract over 100,000 visitors.
The growing public engagement and the constructive pressure created by the initiative have led institutions to prioritise long-overdue improvements. In 2025, for example, Sofia’s leadership pledged investment to transform its two main rivers into linear urban parks, adding one more to the plan in 2026. But the biggest shift is cultural: what began on the riverbanks now activates neighbourhoods and public spaces throughout Bulgaria, with the longer-term aim of expanding across Europe.
Socially engaged arts offer hope that a bold and meaningful democracy is possible. By reconnecting civic participation with everyday life, they bridge real community needs with brave, creative solutions and policy-making. This helps address challenges at both a local and global scale, and shape a more resilient, inclusive, and forward-looking future for Europe.
Explore more stories of socially engaged arts driving change across Europe. View the Stories of Impact map here.
