On 19-21 June, at an international workshop and a public outreach event titled “Stories of ageing and care”, held at Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski” (SU), Alzheimer Bulgaria participated as a key contributor to the evolving public conversation on ageing in Bulgaria. The events were organised by Prof. Galina Goncharova, coordinator of the Sofia project team, and brought together scholars, psychologists (Dr Jenya Milusheva, representing the association), writers, and undergraduate students in cultural studies to reflect on personal and collective experiences of ageing and caregiving. Discussions were grounded in biographical interviews conducted with older adults, caregivers, and professionals within the framework of the international project SEEAGE (“Transforming anxieties of ageing in Southeastern Europe: Political, social, and cultural narratives of demographic change”), funded by the Volkswagen Foundation.
The project unites scholars from Albania, Austria, Bulgaria, Germany, Hungary, Romania and Serbia combining area studies and ageing studies to transform the dominant narratives of ageing, shifting away from catastrophic representations towards more inclusive, empowering, and diverse understandings (transforming-anxieties.ios-regensburg.de). Guest lectures by Prof. Iliya Iliev (SU) and Prof. Daniela Koleva (Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, SU) explored oral history and anthropological approaches to ageing and care under socialism and post socialism. Prof. Desislava Vankova (Medical University of Varna) introduced the method of narrative medicine as a tool for reframing care and healing in older age. Maya Marinova from Alzheimer Bulgaria, presented the organisation’s mission and long-standing dedication to supporting people living with dementia and their families.
The outreach event was formally opened by Prof. Sonya Karabelyova, Dean of the faculty of Philosophy at Sofia University, who encouraged participants to envision and create frameworks for dignified ageing. Prof. Ulf Brunnbauer, project leader and Executive Director of the Institute for East and Southeast European Studies (IOS) in Regensburg, also delivered introductory remarks emphasising the urgent need for research and public engagement to reshape societal attitudes toward ageing, a goal the SEEAGE project aims to meet.