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Description
The main purpose of the project is to combine artistic activities and civic activism - therefore artivism - that leads to improved integration of Roma citizens and strengthens relationships between Roma and non Roma citizens in Czech Republic.
The project consists of preparations and administration of various cultural events - multi-genre musical events, expositions focused on Roma or social integration topics and preparations of new theatre plays. The project covers wide spectrum of cultural areas, hoping to attract as many people as possible but also to cooperate with as many artists as possible.
These cultural events also include long-term fundraising and educational activities. Such activities will result in raising awareness about Roma artists and contemporary Roma culture which will lead to better sustainability of the project outcomes in the future.
Summary of project results
The project combined artistic and human rights activities (artivism). One of the challenges project promoter encountered during the project was the misconception (not only among the general majority but also among some of the professional artistic public) that Romani culture is only traditional and that Romani artists are amateurs or volunteers.
The project activities were widely spread across different artistic genres:
- Preparation and organization of interdisciplinary events for the general public (International Roma
Day celebrations, ARA FEST festival of Roma culture, events on important days of the Roma nation
such as the International Day of the Roma Language or commemoration of the Roma Holocaust).
- original Roma theatre and the creation of new performances (the monodrama Dajori / Maminka
and, in cooperation with the project partner, the multimedia performance Les Miserables)
- exhibitions of art or photographs (Phundrado vudar outdoor gallery under the curatorial direction
of Jan MIhalicek)
- art workshops and the resulting illustrated bilingual publication of texts by Romani authors
It was important for us to show contemporary living Romani culture in its widest possible spectrum.
This in turn leads to capturing a variety of target audiences and breaking down the stereotypical image of Romani culture.
- 2 original theatre performances, reruns
- 5 outdoor exhibitions
- artistic workshops (literary and artistic)
- publication of texts by Romani women authors
Audience interest in the events was great, with 6850 people attending (+ thousands more watching them online). The outputs also include media outputs and a fundraising campaign. Dozens of Romani artists, performers and promoters have been involved in the implementation of the project.
The project presented a wide range of Romani artists: from musicians to artists, actors to literary authors. In addition to the careful dramaturgical preparation and implementation of the events, project promoter also worked on their promotion and media coverage so that the project''s activities would benefit both the Romani artists themselves and a broad spectrum of audiences from both Romani and majority society. Breaking the stereotypical image of Roma culture was one of the main goals of the project.
Summary of bilateral results
In partnership with the Norwegian Roma arts organization Kulturforeningen Iagori, PP implemented the Academy of Artivism, a platform for sharing experiences with this form of work. The joint exchange of know-how took place on two levels: 1) long-term between the two partners, when dramaturgical plans and programs of individual events were discussed together (mainly online meetings) and 2) the implementation of joint meetings in Prague, in which representatives of the partner organization physically participated. Representatives of other organisations and institutions active in the field of Roma culture (NGOs and representatives of the public sphere) and Roma artists themselves were invited to these meetings.