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.

  Among other things, Slavisa Markovic, who also talks about the development of his passion for theater, seeks answers to these questions. He said his attachment to the theater began as a child in the AG puppet theater, where he was sent by one of his teachers. Identity and interaction with the environment is one of the central themes in his work. In this regard, we can learn more about his form-breaking ideas and why it is important to look at stories from as many perspectives as possible.

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.

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 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...

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."

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.

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.’

An interview with Kumar Vishwanathan, the leader of Life Together Kumar Vishwanathan In the Czech city of Ostrava, it is a big problem that the Roma children are just running about without masks, in spite of the fact that it’s required by law to wear a face mask outside. Sometimes people give their masks to each-other, and we have to explain everywhere why it is important to put it on, how to use it, that they have to wash, dry and iron it before using it the next day. We try to educate the Roma children to take the epidemic seriously because if one person gets infected, the whole community is at risk. It started as a community thing in our community centre in Liščina, Ostrava when the crisis was just at the beginning and there weren’t as strict regulations as today. We wanted to teach the mothers how to sew masks for their children and families. A non-Roma and two Roma women started the work: Olina, Alka, and Věra. The idea was that the Roma women from the community will...

What is real perseverance? Have you ever thought about how much your parents do for you day after day? They make decisions and trust that they serve the best interest of the family. Have you ever been in a situation when you had to make an important decision, one that had an impact on other’s life as well? Daddy, I wanna share what’s on my mind Do you remember when I was four-year-old? You and mummy were getting divorced And you got a chance to change your life. Lot more money, respectable work But staying in our town was not among the perks. You asked me how that’d feel? Did I have any doubt? I answered that I didn’t care much for wealth I’d give up easily on holidays or presents Just stay with us! That is all I care about. For your perseverance I must thank you And I wish for all your hopes to come true The blog entry was written by Ákos Fülöp, a participant of Independent Theatre Hungary’s Roma Heroes workshop.  

What is life in a children's home like? Who takes care of the children? What rules shall they obey and how can they bend them? This play, based on the life of František Balog, founder of Actor Theatre in Košice, presents scenes from the morning routine of the children's home where he grew up. Moreover, he tells us about his love life in the foster home and how a piano can hinder this love. The play is hilarious and at the same time conveys an serious message on how important it is to have motivation in life, devote time to ourselves and find our peace. The play was supported by Visegrád Fund and the Slovak Institute. The performance was hosted by RS9 Theatre in Budapest.                

Where do we really come from? Where does the centuries-long persecution of Gypsy people date back? Where did we travel around and how did kings and princes treat us? The tale of an old Roma women provides insight to the history of Roma people. She begins her tale on Gypsy odyssey with creation myths, but the story gets worse and worse and it does not improve during the Habsburg rule and reaches rock bottom during the 2nd World War. After having lost half of the family, may communism bring some relief? The old woman believes so, but her daughter who just arrives home does not agree. Let's face the past together to be able to build a better future! The Czech ARA Art company invites us to an extraordinary historic journey in a new theatrical form, using elements of circus arts too.

What is the first thing that comes into your mind when thinking of health care? What are our experiences or stereotypes on the Roma, the addict or the extremist youngsters who might be our neighbors in a ward? Health care system have a lot of weak points and we all have at least one horror story about a quirky nurse, a grumpy doctor, a dirty ward or an insupportable patient. But have a look at this question from another angle, let's see what we can do for a change! The young actors of Independent Theater Hungary's play show different viewpoints on health care as well as living together with others, drawing attention to the importance of taking action.

What can a schoolgirl do to fight injustice? What do we look for in pedagogues? What can we do for our children to be taught of equality and accepting each other in school? In primary school, I always sat in the first or second row. I hated it! I always wanted to sit in the last row because there, I could have been next to the window watching the whole class. From time to time, some of the "worst" boys were seated next to me. The rules for table plan were the following: 1.   bad students sit next to good students 2.   if you are a good student and do something wrong (which happened to me quite often) then you will get a Gypsy next to you For a few days or for months, it depended on the scale of the punishment. I liked those boys because they found this process unfair, too. I had three seatmate by this method in the first four years of primary school. When teachers realized that this seating arrangement was no problem for us and we even made friends, I ...

What is the first thing that comes into your mind when you think of your parents? What do they mean for you? What did you learn from them? For what can we be grateful to them in our adult life? Disadvantages – I have heard it way too often, and often as an excuse for positive discrimination or feeling pity. In my childhood, want and hardship were a natural part of life. I often run after my mother – even when she was cooking – to ask for bread with sugar. I loved it, just as I loved 'bodag', the Gypsy bread. I did not mind that my mother usually baked it when there was nothing else to eat. My family had a little garden so we had some fresh vegetables and fruits. Also, my parents did day work to put bread on our table. My father worked as a bricklayer, my mother made money as an unskilled worker. But I always said in school that she was a housewife, her work was to look after us, her family. Many thought she was a sluggard because we were just a Gypsy family. As a ...

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...

Is media for or against us? In what way does the media affect today? How can an article which is written for help change people's destiny? “The neighbours of the Roma camp in District X brought to our attention that for a few weeks now the people in the community have stopped using the public fountain which was the only water source they had. We went to the camp to investigate this mystery and found out that Viorica, ¨the man of the day¨, built a pipe system that fuels every household with water. The authorities should know, because this is an illegal act and the Roma are basically stealing water from the tax-paying citizens.” - Rome Daily The journalist goes to the camp to show Viorica the article she wrote and to congratulate her for becoming the camp hero. Viorica: But in this article you say that we are doing an illegal thing. Journalist: Yes, but I also helped you get to the authorities and made your problem public. Nobody would have done this for you....