Community Lab° Mentors
ALEXANDAR HADJIEV
Musician/Curator
Alexandar Hadjiev, born in Sofia, Bulgaria, is a musician, composer, curator, and cultural educator. He studied bassoon in Sofia (NSM “L. Pipkov”) and completed advanced studies at the Folkwang University of Arts in Essen, Germany. He holds a Master’s degree in Contemporary Music Performance from the International Ensemble Modern Academy in Frankfurt and completed a specialization in cultural education at the University of Hildesheim.
Hadjiev has performed with prestigious ensembles, including M.A.M. Manufaktur für aktuelle Musik and Ensemble Modern, and collaborated with numerous renowned artists. His interdisciplinary work spans music composition, sound design, and multimedia performance, with significant contributions at venues such as Deutsches Theater Berlin, Theater Münster, and Theater im Delphi. Internationally, he has performed at many festivals in countries including Indonesia, Mexico, and the Philippines.
He is a co-founder of the “180° – Laboratory for Innovative Art” festival in Sofia, recognized as one of Bulgaria’s most dynamic contemporary art platforms, shortlisted for the European ArtExplora Prize in 2023. Since 2024 together with the director Ksenia Ravvina, Alexandar is artistic director of Fringify – Indpendent Arts Festival Hamburg.
In addition, Hadjiev has been deeply involved in cultural education since 2012, leading workshops and educational programs across Germany and Bulgaria, focusing on interdisciplinary performance and creative collaboration. He has been a guest lecturer at the International Ensemble Modern Academy and a mentor in various cultural education initiatives in Germany and beyond.
ANDREAS EDUARDO FRANK
Composer/Curator
Andreas Eduardo Frank (aka AEF) is a musician and artistic director. His oeuvre is versatile and marked by close collaboration with other musicians and artists on an international level.
In his works, Andreas explores the interface of real and virtual, of music, performance, media and theatre. Originating from contemporary music a core element of his artistic practice is to build bridges to a diverse variety of genres, to sound art, performance, theatre and the people he works with. Close collaborations have led to numerous performances of his work and collaborations with others.
He was directing Ensemble Lemniscate Basel, is part of the curatorial board of Festival Rümlingen and artistic director of Gare du Nord Basel.
JACQUELINE WEIHE
Performance Artist/Poetess
Jacqueline Weihe aka jhajha why, born 1991 in the north of Germany, is a performance artist, lyricist and organisator for different events like experimental readings, art-parties and exhibitions.
After years of studying Creative Writing and Performing Arts in Berlin, Vienna and Bonn she constantly seeks after unusual contexts to create and present her work.
Coming from a background in classical theater she is trying to open up the limits of stage and connect audience and performers in new ways.
She often works with her own body as a possibility to reflect on our social behaviour and influences, our understanding of „normality“ as well as text, sound and video to build immersive installations.
Brushing teeth in a museum, live-writing in public spaces, moderating karaoke for just one person or getting physically touched by the visitors – focusing our daily life routines and sometimes unconscious perceptions: Witnessing how context can change the topic and its effect, how observing each other can change our habits as artists and spectators is a highly valued interesting and thrilling challenge to her.
KALINA GEORGIEVA
Dancer/Choreographer
Kalina Georgieva is a dynamic and inspiring dancer, teacher, and choreographer at ATOM Theatre with over 10 years of experience. She graduated from the National School of Dance Arts (NUTI) with a focus on classical ballet in 2016. Kalina emphasizes detail and movement quality, providing individual attention to each student to help them develop their skills.
She believes that movement is a necessity that should be experienced to the fullest.
Kalina has acquired diverse dance and technical skills by working with choreographers and artists from countries such as Germany, Italy, Spain, Portugal, the Netherlands, Greece, South Korea, Japan, France, England, the USA, Australia, Austria, Canada, the Czech Republic, Poland, Bulgaria, and others.
KSENIA RAVVINA
Director/Author
Ksenia Ravvina, born in Saint Petersburg, Russia, based in Berlin, Germany, is a theatre director, author and curator. She studied history at Saint Petersburg State University, theatre directing in Frankfurt and applied theatre studies at Justus Liebig University in Giessen.
Ksenia Ravvina works at the intersection of different forms and genres, encompassing performance/theatre, opera and multimedia conceptual works. As a border crosser, she deals with themes such as absence and visibility. Her work is characterized in particular by the scenic articulation of complex theoretical issues by means of an artistic language in which the political and the poetic are indissolubly interwoven.
In recent years, she has developed projects in Germany, Bulgaria, Latvia, and the USA, collaborating with institutions such as Staatstheater Wiesbaden, Deutsches Theater Berlin, Schwankhalle Bremen, and Opera Philadelphia. In 2019, she co-created the opera “Denis & Katya” at Opera Philadelphia, which received international acclaim and awards, including the FEDORA – GENERALI Prize for Opera. In 2021, she directed “The Arrival” at Theater Münster, and in October 2021, her work “IN A REAL TRAGEDY, IT IS NOT THE HEROINE WHO DIES; IT IS THE CHORUS” premiered at Deutsches Theater Berlin. In 2023, she presented “Poem Without a Heroine” at Theater im Delphi, Berlin.
Since 2024, alongside Alexandar Hadjiev, Ksenia has been the artistic director of Fringify – Independent Arts Festival.
STEFAN PROHOROV
Director/Dramaturge
Stefan Prohorov is a Bulgarian director and playwright working mostly in the field of theatre and performing arts. His work focuses on an interdisciplinary approach to socially significant topics, as well as on cross-cultural experiments in classical theatre. His artistic work focuses on interactive and sensory performances on social issues, such as “On Voluntary Servitude” (Sofia, 2019), “Heritage: Revisited” (Targu Mures, 2019), “I for You” (fake political campaign in Sofia, 2019), “Prometheus” (2018), “Diary of Sorrow” (2018), “LOW COST” (2017), “Packages” (2017), etc. From December 2018 to January 2021, he is the Program Director at Sofia Cinema House, and since July 2019, he is a member of the Executive Board of the ACT Association. Some of his plays have been presented on the theatre stages in Sofia and/or at festivals such as “Sphere” Targu Mures 2019, “GATS” Beijing 2016, INTERPLAY 2012 and others.
TODORA RADEVA
Writer
Todora Radeva is a cultural manager and writer. She graduated in Cultural Studies at Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”. She is the author of the short story collection “Seven Ways to Wrap a Sari Around the Body”, which won the national debut award “Southern Spring” (2005). The book has been presented at various literary festivals in Sozopol, Vienna, Kikinda, Belgrade, Leipzig, Frankfurt, Darmstadt, Heidelberg and was published in German in 2015. Her second collection of short stories is called “A Possible Beginning” ( published by ICU, 2023) and won the “Yordan Radichkov” National Literary Award. Todora Radeva is the founder of the Reading Sofia Foundation. Programme Director of the “Sofia International Literary Festival” from 2013 to 2020.
English 
Bulgarian