In Bulgaria, the law defines culture as “the activity of creation, research, distribution and preservation of cultural values, as well as the outcomes of this activity”, whether it be in the fields of theatre, music, cinema, audio-visual arts, literature, interpretation, dance, circus, plastic arts, architecture, design, folklore or historical heritage.

It’s easy to see how these are all the areas where we normally have our own personal taste for one style over another. In essence, it is our relationship with culture that makes up who we are. And what a better time to develop that personality than in your teenage years?

As an organization actively promoting youth development in all its forms, Camp Golden Gate not only acknowledges its role in sculpting the communities of tomorrow, but harnesses this power to engage students in a quest of creativity and discovery. Camp Golden Gate is proud to confirm we have been entered into the National Register of Cultural Organizations with the Ministry of Culture, Bulgaria.

While there is a creative component to every one of our courses, there are some obvious examples of how we place our students in the position of actors of culture. It will be three years in a row for one of our most-beloved classes – Drama, where theater is not only studied, but also created, as students write and build a production in the course of a week. The interactive study of the cultures around the world and their common denominators in a changing world takes center-stage in the Communications and Cultural Behavior course. In Journalism and Creative Writing we work with students on their ability to envision and pen fun fictional stories, but also to lay it all out in our camp newspaper, The Golden Times. As of summer 2019, our students will be able to let their imagination run free with the addition of the courses of Art and Web Design.

At Camp Golden Gate, our students have a variety of afternoon activities to choose from every afternoon and even though many target our physical wellbeing, there are plenty to get your mind working, too. Arts and crafts and our very own cooking classes both allow you to get your hands dirty, while shaping spreading joy. Joy is the sure outcome of our dance lessons with professional instructors, where you get to make your own choreography. We also take photography walks through the protected national forest, acting as our southern neighbor – Baltata, where you can learn new skills on spreading beauty.

In the evening we build your skills of collaboration and teamwork – and there are many ways to do this, while promoting culture. With a different fun activity every evening, cultural values from the represented regions at camp are the fabric that makes up our movie screenings and international picnic, for instance. In addition, we put on a full-scale performance several times a week through our Talent Show, Karaoke Night or Presentations every Friday at camp.

Camp Golden Gate’s students get a shot at a thorough appreciation of our region’s cultural and historical heritage over the weekends. They endeavor into culturally significant sights at the Dolphin Show and throughout the Treasure Hunt excursions we organize on Saturdays. On their free day, Sunday, students also get the chance to have a more traditional sightseeing trip of Bulgaria’s sea capital – Varna.

The benefits to putting such a strong focus on culture are tremendous. Not only do our students develop their own unique personality, but they also become more open-minded and well-rounded in their interactions with the world. Camp Golden Gate engages its students to be more active and engaged. It is in the international cultural exchange that our small contribution to a world of peace and sustainability lays.