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...

What do mothers mean to us? What do we learn from them and what is our favourite memory with our mother? They are the strongest, most persistent people who never give up, who we can always count on. The next story presents a mother, a hero who lives for her children. When I was a child, we rarely got any sweets. However, when mom went to the shop, we always looked forward to her return with great expectations. What will she bring us today? Lollypop? Melon-flavoured chewing gum? Or jellybeans? I remember, one day she drew a deep breath as she left to the shop. All we had was 500 HUF and she wanted to buy bread. I didn’t know how much 500 HUF was worth back in those days, but it must have been similar as it is today: not very much. When mom got home, she put down the bread on the table. She took out two lollipops from her pocket and gave them to us smilingly, then went to the kitchen to cook some potatoes. I remember, I was 6 years old when I first got a cake. It was a chocolate cake. We...

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 ...

In our lives we meet a lot of people who have a significant influence on us.  We can call them heroes or role models, but the point is that they impact our lives and smooth the way for us. I consider myself lucky. Ever since I can remember, I’ve been surrounded by amazing people in an atmosphere where I was encouraged to dream big. My parents always supported me, my mum wanted me to graduate and get a decent job so that I could provide for my family. Words cannot express how much they mean to me.  Beside my parents, my mentor, who has become a good friend by now, helped me find my path. My hero story is about him. Music has always intrigued me, so when I started going to a camp as a teenager, I met a lot of exceptionally talented people there. One of the music mentors in the camp was Máté Kovács whom I’ve always admired for his talent. We practiced a lot and he wanted us to make progress individually, too. We made music together, we chose and orchestrated the songs together, h...

  The pandemic has been in our lives for two years. The whole world is struggling with it, many people have lost their loved ones, their jobs, their financial and spiritual safety. What can you do when the situation seems hopeless and there is nothing to hold onto? The answer is simple, it’s hard to act. But we cannot give up, we must move forward! Our goal is to bring hope with this story to those who lost their relatives. Theatre means a lot to me, I love being on stage, rehearsing, stepping on stage with my colleagues. It’s truly an exceptional way to earn my living doing what I adore. Everything was going well, my life was great, then suddenly problems started to arise. The virus appeared. There was less and less work, the money to live on became uncertain and a crisis in my partner relationship reared its head. Long months have passed, there was nothing to do, I had to take actions. I tried my luck in the Netherlands, I took a job in a factory.  Life started to become nor...

  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.

Frantisek Balog is the only Roma actor in Slovakia so he has a great responsibility to represent Roma culture. The actor of the Košice State Theater talks about his acting career, his aims, his years in an orphanage and a Roma conservatory. We can find out why he couldn’t fully integrate into the Roma conservatory’s community. He mentions the start of his interest in Roma culture. It also becomes clear why the promotion of Roma theater is so important to him.

  What is the first thing that comes to your mind when you hear the word “hero”? Superheroes with superpowers and cool capes, busy saving New York? I like superhero movies a lot, too, but this story will be different. My hero is a bit closer to home, she comes from a small town, many might not even think she is a hero but she is definitely a hero for me. As a child, when people asked me who I looked up to, who I took as a role model, I immediately listed people in my close surrounding, parents, grandparents or my siblings. A few years went by and when I was asked today: “Who is your hero and why?” she came to my mind immediately, and her story, which explains why I consider her a hero. Judit has been one of my best friends for long years. We got to know each other in high school but we were not very close at first. It is our homeroom teacher I have to thank for our friendship because she told us to sit at the same school desk. We all know how pranks can bring young people toget...

If you had the opportunity to talk to your 15-year-old self, what would you say? What would you say thank you for? What would you warn her about? What qualities would you be proud of? What advice would you give to your younger self? Dear Kinga! I’m writing you this letter because today afternoon we have talked about heroes. I was asked who I consider to be a hero in my life and why. Immediately I wondered if I can be my own hero – why not? This letter is to my 15-year-old self, with lots of love. There are a few things that you don’t know yet (you are good at writing poetry, rollerblading is not for you, it was a great decision to dye your hair) but I do already. And to this very day there are a few things that I learn from you. I know that you like to be comfortable, too, there is something very warm and reassuring in being safe. But this is not enough for you, you leave your comfort zone again and again. You stand up for yourself, for other people, for your principles and truth, for ...

Do we really believe in young people? Do we give them enough space to reach their full potential? What are a disadvantaged youngster’s chances in life? Get to know the story of the students who were left alone because of the virus! How successfully did they study at home? I have been teaching in Füzes Utcai Primary School in Tatabánya for almost a year. I have always considered teaching an exciting challenge, that is why I accepted this task of great responsibility. We had to switch to online education, that is digital courses, during the pandemic. It was a huge burden for the teachers and parents but especially for the children. Lots of students did not give any "sign of life" at the online platforms. We thought that we lost them and they will not return even when classroom-based education starts again. However, in many cases the students’ results have improved – I am not talking about the average of their marks but the actual knowledge that they acquired on the...

Heroes are born when you make a step even though your legs can hardly move. Heroes are born when you stand up and speak out. When you conquer your fears, when you pass the test, when you fight Goliath. When you let something go. Heroes are born when you tell someone: "I'm here for you". When you ask for help, when you bare your soul, when you make a new friend. Heroes are born every day. You may be the next one! The blog entry was written by Kató Klára Fazekas at Independent Theatre Hungary's Roma Heroes workshop.

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.’