Why is it needed?
There is a tree,
with branches and leaves on it. Each leaf signifies something missing,
something that Roma communities lack. There is no Gypsy theatre, no other
institution, there is no collection of Roma dramas, no Roma publishing houses,
we are not present in the curriculum, or if we are then just as victims or
criminals. This is not okay. We know that there are more inspiring narratives
than these.
We believe that time will
erase these deficiencies either by the substantive investment of the nations or
by civil courage.
 |
| Romen Theater in Moscow, since 1931 (source) |
What do we do for
this goal?
We have organized
a Gypsy theatre festival to make the values of Gypsy theatre known to various
social groups (youngsters, activists, critics, theatre professionals and
decision makers).
During the
festival, high quality audio-visual materials have been recorded related to the
plays and the artists, which we can transmit to posterity.
Along the
principles of “nothing about us without us”, we have laid the foundations of
the educational materials dealing with their plays together with the artists.
The methodology
group of our theatre have drafted the workshop modules based on the plays, the
related video materials and the information provided by the artists
That is how we
prepare the educational methodology on Roma theatre.
What are the
results?
If we organize a Roma Theatre
Festival each year than in 10-15 years’ time, it will be possible to lay the
foundations of a textbook on Roma drama and theatre history, a collection of
European Roma dramas may be published and it can provide the high quality
intellectual basis of a European Roma theatre to be established in the future.
How do we
disseminate it?
In 2017, the trainers
of our theatre run two-session workshops of 90-300 minutes for groups of mostly
Roma students, focusing on the plays and artists presented at the “Roma Heroes”
– First International Roma Storytelling Festival.
The institutions
hosting the workshops were chosen after applying to a restricted call. Until 26
November 2017, workshops will be run in the following institutions:
RefoRom,
Protestant Roma College, Budapest;
Lutheran Roma College,
Nyíregyháza;
Romaversitas Foundation,
Budapest;
Pressley Ridge Foundation,
Salgótarján;
Wlislocki Henrik College,
Pécs;
Dr. Ámbédkar High
School, Miskolc;
Eötvös Lóránd
University Media and Communication Department, Budapest;
Greek-Catholic Gypsy
College, Miskolc;
Informal youth group, Hajdúhadház.
What is a workshop
session like?
At the first session, the
participants of the workshop get to know the four heroes, analyse and discuss
the plays. The workshop begins with a warm-uplinked with the topic, then the 4
plays are presented in a short video. For the groupwork, the students are
provided with parts of the playscript, background materials and related
questions. Afterwards, the small groups present the heroes and the plays they
have analysed to the others, state the similarities and differences, and
discuss the questions that arise related to the plays. As part of the
discussion, we put emphasis on the situation of the heroes (social facts),
their relations with the others, the values that they believe in and the
decisions that they make in accordance with these values, their activities and
responsibilities as well as the resulting changes.
At the second workshop session – tailored to the previously assessed
skills and interests of the group – the participants talk about their own
heroes with creative means (e.g.: short theatre performance, works of fine art,
writing, drawing comics). This work is analysed together and in case of a more
complex idea or a draft which is worth to elaborate, the students discuss what is
necessary to continue the work. At the end of the session, the participants
state what they regard as an example from the stories of their own heroes and
what is it that they would like to incorporate in their future life.
The results of the workshops are measured by deliberative pre- and
post-workshop questionnaires, evaluations sheets filled by the students and the
teachers and pre- and post-workshop interviews with the group leaders.
12 students out of
the 180 workshop participants will participate in the 5-day-long “Roma heroes”
workshop-marathon in December 2017.
You can find the open call by
clicking here.
The stories presented at the workshops or the ones created there will be
published on Roma heroes blog.