Summer in Bulgaria is an exciting time, not only for tourists. June and July are intense months for young people finishing secondary school and about to take the next step in their lives by choosing a university and a career path. In recent years, admission to many academic fields at Bulgarian universities has been based on applicants’ academic records, though some programmes still require entrance exams. These include medicine, dentistry and pharmacy, as well as creative programmes at the Music and Art Academies.

The oldest arts academy in Bulgaria offers art-focused programmes that inspire creativity and enable artists to put new technologies into practice. Since the beginning of July, prospective students have been filling the studios to take entrance exams for bachelor's programmes at the National Academy of Arts in Sofia. The successor to the State School of Drawing of the Kingdom of Bulgaria is proud of its established majors, including painting, graphic arts, sculpture, restoration, industrial design and art studies.

Young people are also now looking towards many contemporary specialisations, such as digital scenography, animation, photography, visual communication, and digital arts.

The Academy is stepping up with fresh Master's programs that answer real-world needs — like Design for People with Disabilities and Interior and Exterior Design for Children's Spaces. Bachelor's graduates can pursue Art Therapy, a popular and in-demand Master's programme that is gaining significant attention.

"For over a century, the visual arts have educated our society, providing sublime experiences and raising our country's profile around the world," says Svilena Mateeva, Director of Education, Projects and International Cooperation at the National Academy of Arts. "The Academy is part of the world, and it is very well received globally — especially since it is the first Bulgarian higher education institution to open its own research centre in China."

"We announced the agreement for this centre last year. It will officially open this academic year, Mateeva adds. - Through the contract for this research centre, we are enabling our partner National Academy in China to establish a similar centre here. This collaboration is interesting and very promising. Another thing the Academy can boast is the opportunity to undertake creative residencies abroad. These include our studio in Paris, a wonderful creative space in Tuscany, Italy, and similar studios in Berlin and Salzburg. We also have a contract for an interesting studio in Singapore with a specific thematic focus."

"The atmosphere is artistic and creative all year round," says Svilena Mateeva. This remains the case even during the busy entrance exam period, when graduating students from various disciplines hold exhibitions.

Graduates' projects can be seen in 14 galleries in Sofia, Bankya and Burgas, where the Academy has local branches and accepts students onto certain courses. A total of 22 exhibitions have opened, showcasing the diploma works of 200 students from various programmes and study fields at the National Academy of Arts.

The ‘Class of 2025’ exhibitions are more than just a series of expositions; they are a large-scale cultural event that sheds light on the explorations and achievements of the new generation of Bulgarian artists. Prof. Zdravka Vasileva, a lecturer in the Painting Department and head of the Academy's Career Centre, shared her thoughts with Radio Bulgaria.

"What’s really nice — and something we can congratulate ourselves on this year — is that we attracted many new venues where our graduating students could hold their exhibitions and present their projects. For some of them, these are debut appearances, which are extremely important for launching their creative careers successfully. At the same time, the exhibitions by graduating students show the current state of the National Academy of Arts in all its variety of disciplines and master’s programs, and you can see a contemporary, up-to-date approach in each field."

The Academy is a preferred place for qualifications and creative exchange, which is why applications from international students are currently under review. These students are interested in studying here through academic exchange under the Erasmus program.

Prof. Zdravka Vassileva adds: "As a representative of the Painting program, I can say that every year we host at least four or five international students from Spain, Austria, and the Czech Republic. After spending a semester at the Academy, they usually want to extend their stay, and many of them also say they’d like to continue in a master’s program at the National Academy of Arts."