The Independent Theatre Hungary has been drawing attention to the values, stories and heroes of Roma theatre for 15 years. This year, the company organised the international theatre meeting for the 5th time, 5–9 May, 2022, in the RS9 Theatre. During the festival’s five years, the audience saw 29 performances. The festival’s main goal is to present authentic stories written by Roma authors which places Roma culture’s values in the spotlight. „We work to draw attention to the values of Roma dramas and storytelling, to Roma communities’ situations by putting value-driven people’s stories and extraordinary challenges in the spotlight through presenting contemporary European plays.” – Rodrigó Balogh, art director On the 5 th of May, the Independent Theatre Hungary, celebrating its 15 th anniversary, presented the theatrical collection called Roma Heroes Digital Collection of European Roma Theatre and Drama. The collection presents the values, the past and the present, the artists and the ...

Igor Krukinov is the director of the Romance Theater, and Nikola Kondenko and Natalia Zolotarjova are the actors in the theater. For them theater means life and home. A place where they can talk freely about their culture, problems and development process. What they all have in common is that they developed a love of theater from an early age. They also talk about their favorite roles, the way the Roma theater works, the values ​​and experiences they have experienced together and their future plans. It becomes clear what and why they consider important in Roma theater and what they want to convey to the audience through their production.

  The role model of Zsolt, who grew up in Sepsiszentgyörgy, is the theater company of László Bocsárdi. The company’s epoch-making performances and intimate atmosphere immediately captivated the boy preparing for an acting career. “ I looked up to these actors like gods.”- he says nostalgically. He recounts that after one of the performances, he took courage and talked to them. That's when his dream to be an actor in the Tamási Áron Theater was born. He talks about his experiences in Marosvásárhely at Színművészeti Egyetem and how he got into the thick of alternative theater life in Budapest.  Finally, he talks about her community work, experiences and its aftermath at the Roma settlement in Őrkö.

  In Nebojsa Markovic’s life, storytelling played a huge role as a community-building force. According to him, storytelling already had been a performative act with expressive mimicry and by bringing the whole being of the narrator into the story. This is how Nebojsa's love of theater developed.  The little boy started writing sociodramas. He was disturbed by the inability of other people to form an identity-independent judgment in his direction. He talks about why he was disturbed at school by the compulsion of her Roma peers to comply and when the value of acceptance regardless of origin developed in his life. We can find out what matters most to him in theater and why he doesn’t have a role model.

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.

For Nicoleta, the desire to prove has always been a determining factor. She wanted to show that a woman can also be a musician.  She talks about what motivated her to perform well in school, the impact of her childhood exclusion, and her experience at a youth theater company. Nicoleta is currently an actor of the Giuvlipen Company. She feels she has achieved what she wanted because she is doing what she loves. We can find out why her aunt is the greatest hero and what she thinks about the role of Roma theater in society.

Does the origin determine future opportunities? What can be done for self-fulfillment? Martha Balážová wanted to be a singer from an early age. Through dedication and perseverance, she was able to achieve her dream. She sincerely talks about how many opportunities have opened up for her in a segregated Moravian territory thanks to her parents conscious decision. She also talks about what she considers important in today’s theatrical life.

What are the values that we learned at home? Why is it important in our adult life? How was Independent Theater Hungary founded? What were the initial goals? Rodrigó Balogh, artistic director of Independent Theater Hungary tells about his career as an actor and director as well as about founding his own theatre.

What is the first step in accepting ourselves? What challenges does a Roma actor have to face in theatre? Why is it important to be present in society? Among other things, Joschla Weiss actress shares her ideas on these questions. She speaks with heartfelt honesty about what the biggest challenges were in her life, how she managed to embrace her true self and how she became an actress. "I feel I have to go my way."

About Roma, without Roma? Why is Roma theatre important? What are the qualities and virtues of Roma actors and creators? Why is it important that Roma people also share their stories? A conversation with Simonida Selimovič, a member of Romano Svato company on the biggest challenge she ever had to face, her career, her goals and the importance of Roma theatre. "I felt that I have a mission, I want to be an actress and I want to make my own theatre.” 

How are theatre and art activism connected? Why is it important that the Roma and the non-Roma create art together? What is the work together like and why is it special? David Tišer, the director of the Czech ARA ART Company talks about the establishment of the company, the cooperation between the Roma and the non-Roma, its potentials and how he accepted his own identity.

What does Roma art mean to us? Why is it important to create Roma theatres? What is the first step to have more Roma theatres and companies founded? Zita Moldovan plays a role in Who Killed Somna Grancsa? by the Giuvlipen Company. In the interview she tells about her formation as an actress, her Roma identity, and the importance of Roma theatre. ’We need a place for self-expression, where we can speak about ourselves so that everybody can learn our stories.’  

Whose responsibility is to do against poverty? Who do we expect to settle this problem? Does poverty go hand in hand with social discrimination? Sandra Selimović, the founder of the Romano Svato Company in Vienna opened up frankly about her childhood, poverty, social exclusion and her dreams. What led her to achieve her goal. ’I decided to speak about my own community and how we see the world, therefore we founded our Roma theatre company.’