Stories from the Textile Technical School in Gabrovo: Metamorphosis of Workwear
The Textile Technical School, the building that now houses the Christo and Jeanne-Claude Center, is an integral part of the history of the city’s textile industry, having long served as a generator of skilled professionals who supplied Gabrovo’s enterprises with a workforce. Within the framework of the project “Metamorphoses of Workwear,” we trace the school’s history through interviews with individuals connected to its activities – former students, teachers, neighbours, and enthusiasts – and transform these stories into a work of art that preserves their memories and serves as a foundation for future projects related to the city’s industrial past.
In partnership with playwright and director Martina Novakova, the collected stories were transformed into a script for a verbatim performance of the “travelling theatre” type, which took place on May 2 and 3 at the Center. We entered the building guided by the authentic voices of former students of the technical school, teachers, members of the Gabrovo municipal administration, neighbors, and tour guides, embodied by the actresses of the Gabrovo Drama Theatre “Racho Stoyanov” – Nadezhda Petkova, Magdalena Slavcheva, and Radostina Angelova.
“Metamorphosis of Workwear” aims to rethink the design of workwear in contemporary and future professions, inspired by the industrial heritage of six European cities – Chemnitz, Lodz, Manchester, Mulhouse, Tampere, and Gabrovo. In collaboration with the Interactive Museum of Industry – Gabrovo, we will give well-deserved attention to the history, development, and sustainability of industrial processes in Gabrovo.
As a project partner, the Christo and Jeanne-Claude Center plays a key role in actively engaging the local community, collecting and preserving stories of the region’s industrial heritage, and inspiring new artistic interpretations. For this very reason, we openly share the collected materials, in the hope that they will spark further processes and inspiration that can grow beyond the project’s initial framework.
Mariana Ivanova, 37 years old, tour guide – animator at the Interactive Museum of Industry Gabrovo.
Plamen Krastev, 61 years old, former teacher of specialized subjects – spinning – at the Textile Technical School.
Velina Rakova, 79 years old, retired, former employee of the Gabrovo Municipality.
Alexander Lalev, 47 years old, expelled from the technical school due to an excessive number of absences.
Ivelina Ivanova, 37 years old, designer and embroiderer, former student of the technical school, with a studio at the Christo and Jeanne-Claude Center.
Galina Gancheva, 46 years old, fashion designer, former (not very serious) student of the technical school.
Krasnodar, 81 years old, neighbor, has lived next to the technical school his entire life.
We continue with a follow-up to the previously successful performance “A Frame from the Textile” at the Christo and Jeanne-Claude Center, directed by Martina Novakova, which was based on the interviews conducted last year. A series of theatrical workshops with a group of students from the National Aprilov High School will be held to create a second performance, based on the stories already collected from Gabrovo residents about the past, present, and future of the city’s textile industry. The performance will take place on March 19 and 21 at the Christo and Jeanne-Claude Center. Here are the additional interviews the students have conducted so far:
Cenka Petrova
Melipe Veleva
Radka Kosturska
A Frame from the Textile is part of the major European project “Metamorphoses of Workwear,” funded by the Creative Europe program. The project connects six cities with rich industrial histories – Chemnitz, Gabrovo, Lodz, Manchester, Mulhouse, and Tampere – around the idea of rethinking workwear through the lens of today’s labor, contemporary design, and local memory. The Municipality of Gabrovo is an official project partner, while the Center implements it at the local level.
