The mission of Man with a Hat is to support, develop and produce Bulgarian talent in the field of contemporary dance and dance film Since its establishment in 2016, the Foundation has been producing young Bulgarian talent in these fields, creating more than 32 performances for stage and screen.
Community:
Artists:
Education:
Chairman & Artistic Director
Stephanie D. Handjiiska is a dance artist, choreographer and Artistic director of the Man with a Hat Foundation. In 2016 she founded the foundation together with Georgi Atanasov, driven by the desire to create original Bulgarian contemporary dance and to create opportunities for the development of young artists in Bulgaria. Stephanie graduated an MA Contemporary Dance from London Contemporary Dance School in London, United Kingdom in 2020 with Distinction. Her work has been selected at international forums such as Dance Umbrella, ImPulstanz and Aerowaves Spring Forward. The first dance production of the Foundation, Georgi and Stephanie "Ion (play for the adopted)" has received the prestigious IKAR nomination for contemporary dance 2017. Stephanie's work in Man with a Hat is driven by the idea of sending the elevator back as per Kevin Spacey’s quote "If you're lucky enough to do well, it's your responsibility to send the elevator back down."
Project management
Shirin joins the team in the role of project manager and takes care of all the documentation in their implementation, monitors budgets, frameworks and details. She is involved in writing new projects and in the activities of the entire creative team. Shirin works as a freelancer in the field of socially engaged and civic organizations at national and international level. She has diverse experience in topics ranging from the protection of human rights, through critical thinking to stereotypes and social norms, to environmental protection. From a very young age, dance art has been a part of her life, and here and now she finds a tangent between dance and her professional path.