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“My Roma identity is an important part of who I am and the way I think.” - Interview with Andrei Serban

The most defining decision of Andrei Serban’s life is the open assumption of roma identity. However, he had to overcome serious obstacles before taking a step in his life as he admitted that he did not dare to take his views until the early twenties. He is currently fighting against racism and stigmatization as a human rights activist. He explains why he is proud to belong to a roma community and why he considers the possibility of creating a roma theater is important. He is enthusiastic about what projects he would implement in the theater. Finally, in connection with a performance, it becomes clear who he sees as his own hero as an example to follow.

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We Are Unstoppable

What does family, parents and siblings mean to us? What do we do for our family members and what does the family do for us? How can we help each other in life? My story is about my younger brother, I consider him a hero in my life. Gábor is a simple man with a huge heart who is very honest and enduring. His endurance in work makes him a real hero. He works 16 hours five days a week as a cook; he gets up every morning and goes to work because that’s his job. He was 18 when he got a great opportunity to work abroad as a chef, naturally making much more money than here, at home. Had he accepted it, his life would have changed radically, but he didn’t want to leave me and our mom alone. It is just the three of us and we would never leave each other. He has superhuman strength. He moved in with Mom who had to be cared for because of her health, but we never felt that is a burden; we are one and everyone does their bit without complaint – Gábor works, Mom takes care of the household, I s...

I don’t want special treatment! – Alina Serban in conversation

Alina presented her auto-biographical play, I declare at my own risk, at Roma Heroes Festival. The play provides insight into the difficult moments of Alina’s life, her important decisions, her often controversial but always true thoughts and feelings. According to the actress who got to the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts in London from a Romanian Gypsy yard, having climbed a mountain doesn’t mean that you have arrived. You may get some rest before you start climbing another mountain. She claims that we must consider carefully what Roma image we show and how it reinforces the superficial stereotypes that are present in many people. The human similarity is much more important than otherness. Roma theatre is theatre, same as non-Roma theatre. It is vital not to treat Roma people, nor Roma theatre as something ‘special’. If the topic and the artistic realisation is good enough, the artists should be in the mainstream instead of a cultural ghetto – from where they can step out on som...

The Perfect Grandma

We all need role models, heroes in our life whose acts and qualities serve as examples. Sometimes it takes time to realize that real heroes are all around us. Find your own hero! Oh, my darling granny. She loved us, her family, she did whatever she could for us. She was a vibrant ball of energy. She rushed from one grandchild to the other whole day long. She helped with household chores, made jam, cooked our favorite granny-cakes like no one else. She often told us about our badass grandpa and she kept loving, loving and loving. Words cannot express what she means to me even today. No doubt she had a huge impact both on my mother and me. We got the love and solidarity of the family from her. She lived her life with sacrifices and an everlasting smile on her face, she lived for us and for our happiness. We learned only after her death that besides everyday care, she had a secret that she never told anyone. A stray paper found after her death revealed this secret. My grandm...