Roma Heroes – VI. International Roma Theatre Festival
Countless untold stories of generations silently shape the fate of families and of the public discourse. At the VI. Roma Heroes International Theatre Festival we have the opportunity to get to know such stories through the productions of five different Roma theaters. Italian, Swedish, Romanian, and Hungarian creators draw from their own experiences to present the less-known aspects of European history. This year’s festival, organized in cooperation with Eötvös10 Cultural House, bears the motto: Generations.
Continuing the tradition of the European Union’s first international Roma theatre encounter, the sixth edition of the Roma Heroes International Theatre Festival will take place in Budapest from November 27. to December 3. We recommend the festival for those who enjoy discovering new worlds and are not afraid to reexamine their own views.
For tickets, please visit the jegy.hu website. If you are interested in group, professional, or discounted tickets, feel free to contact our colleague at illes.marton80@gmail.com!
Lindy Larsson & The BonBon Band: Tschandala/Tattaren
Sweden
The Swedish award-winning actor, singer and Roma activist artist Lindy Larsson, along with the multi-award-winning BonBon Band, explores an undisclosed part of Swedish history in their joint performance titled “Tschandala/Tattaren.” The production, which recently won the Swedish Critics’ Award, delves into various genres. The foundation of the show is August Strindberg’s anti-Roma novel “Tschandala,” as well as Larsson’s personal and familial history. The artist himself hails from a Swedish traveling Roma family, who experienced unimaginable atrocities against the Roma in Sweden, which have never found their way into history books.
Writer: Lindy Larsson, Stefan Forss, August Strindberg
Directed by Lindy Larsson
Performer: Lindy Larsson
Music: Bon Bon Band
Design: Delaine Le Bas, Stefan Forss
Click here for tickets.
Date: 2023.11.27., 19:00
Location: Eötvös10 House
Photo: Per Bolkert
Independent Theater Hungary: Rotting Birds
Hungary
The tearful-laughing punk opera written and directed by Rodrigó Balogh is based on a true story, focusing on the forgotten Roma author, József Holdosi. Imre, the grandfather, sues his grandson, József. The grandfather believes that József has offended him, his deceased relatives, and his current wife in his novel. His social relationships have suffered, his personality has been damaged, and he even contracted a fatal illness due to the content of the book in question. According to József, the novel is only fiction, a figment of his imagination. Who is right? The performance reveals the story of a family torn apart by generational curses. Is there a limit to creative freedom? What effects can be triggered in our families and communities, if we dare to talk about the ugly stuff?
Writer and Director: Rodrigó Balogh
Cast: Dávid Varga, Orsolya Balogh
Dramaturg: Tímea Éva Bogya
Music: Dávid Varga
Music Collaborator: István Babindák
Set: Péter Gyenei
Photo: Zsófia Sivák
Click here for tickets.
Date: 28.11.2023, 19:00h
Location: Eötvös10 House
Photo: Zsófia Sivák
Independent Theater Hungary: Builders of a Country
Hungary
Although many see the majority of Roma people as unemployed, Roma workers have always played an important role in building houses. A long time ago whole generations of Roma built houses from mud bricks. In the 20th century many Roma started working in brick factories. Today many Roma work in the construction industry.
The performance written and directed by Rodrigó Balogh and Márton Illés narrates the societal changes in socialist and later free Hungary through the struggles of three generations. It celebrates the unseen builders of Hungarian history. The production is inspired by real events and individuals, but leaves plenty of room for imagination. What can a Roma people keep and what must they give up to find their place among the majority? How do the many sacrifices affect their family and personal relationships?
Writer and Director: Rodrigó Balogh and Márton Illés
Cast: Dávid Csányi, Ramóna Farkas, Nóra Nemcsók, Tamás Szegedi
Dramaturg: Tímea Éva Bogya
Music: Dávid Varga and István Babindák
Set: Péter Gyenei
Click here for tickets.
Date: 29.11.2023, 19:00h
Location: Eötvös10 House
Photo: Zsófia Sivák
Giuvlipen: Viral on Tiktok
Romania
In the performance by Giuvlipen Theater Company, we witness a deeply moving overview of the lack of sexual education affecting Romanian society, particularly the Roma communities, and its tangible societal consequences. TikTok, as the currently most popular social media platform, provides an excellent framework for the play. The production, navigating at borders of various genres, portrays the life of two teenage girls discussing the contradictions surrounding female sexuality, the abuses associated with the myth of virginity, the traps of oversexualized beauty ideals, or the sins committed by religion and forced marriages against women.
Writer and Director: Mihaela Drăgan
Cast: Nicoleta Ghiță, Bianca Mihai
Music: Andrei Horjea
Choreography: Răzvan Rotaru, Corina Platon
Set Design: Ileana Zirra
Costume Design: Zita Moldovan
Click here for tickets.
Date: 01.12.2023, 19:00h
Location: Eötvös10 House
Photo: Amalia Drăniceanu
Rampa Prenestina: Romnia
Italy
In the performance titled “Romnia” by the Italian Rampa Prenestina Company, the societal roles of Roma and non-Roma women take center stage. At the heart of the story stands the statue of Saint Sarah, which the inhabitants of the small community depicted on stage are required to dress and prepare for a traditional procession. During the ceremony, personal stories come to life, where the statue becomes a mirror of dreams and the experiences of social pressures for the female members from different generations. It is a celebration in which rituals of love, expectations, and the transformation or preservation of identity are revealed. When the procession reaches its end, the statue becomes sacred, and a collective prayer for freedom is recited.
Music: Sebastian Spinella
Cast: Demila Durmis, Roxana Ene, Catherine Di Carlo Campaz, Erik Nikolic, Sebastian Spinella
Click here for tickets.
Date: 02.12.2023, 19:00h
Location: Eötvös10 House
Photo: Amalia Drăniceanu
Great Expectations
Hungary
The focal point of the theatrical performance is the story of a young woman named Ramóna, who has just given birth to her first daughter. The performance is based on the personal stories of healthcare workers, maternity activists, Roma and non-Roma women. In the play, the storytellers themselves take on the roles.
Ramóna’s story is about…
- Where it’s good to be born and where is a good place for a baby.
- How many human connections are formed around the birth of a child.
- How one can feel alone even in the midst of many people.
- How women can either support or hinder each other.
- How institutions often make the lives of those in difficult situations even harder.
- How sometimes everything depends on a single signature.
- How easily we can lose control over our own lives.
Ramóna’s story is about what it means to become a mother in Hungary today!
After a short break following the performance, there will be a discussion during which the audience will be asked for their thoughts on how things could be different.
Director: Edit Romankovics
Sociodrama facilitators: Eszter Pados and Kata Horváth
Performed by Renáta Báder, Andrea Csörgőné Polgár, Barbara Horváth, Rita Horváth, Róbert Horváth, Zsanett Horváth, Ildikó Juhacsek, Szonja Kádár, Liza Kárpáti, Anett Lakatos, Marianna Lakatos, Rudolf Lakatos, Róza Szabó, Natália Szitai
Set design: Gabriella Kiss
Photography: Gabriella Csoszó
Assistants: Maja Kapala, Liza Kárpáti
Partners: Szomolyai Roma-Hungarian Association, Trafó
Parforum – A Self-Theater Production
Click here for tickets.
Date: 03.12.2023, 19:00h
Location: Eötvös10 House
Workshop
Minorities (Self)representation in Theater
Independent Theatre Hungary, Eötvös Loránd University and Színház Magazine invite you to a joint workshop. In the first part of the workshop, participants will take part in a semi-online roundtable discussion with three representatives of the Tony Award-winning Asian American Performers Action Coalition (AAPAC). What problems and stereotypes do ethnic minorities face on New York’s mainstream stages? Is American theatre as inclusive as we imagine it to be? The theatrical representation of minorities on Broadway stages will be discussed, with practical perspectives based on the Coalition’s observations and personal experiences. The roundtable discussion will be in English and it will be streamed on Howlround’s platform. The second part of the workshop will be a face-to-face workshop, continuing the series of discussions on ethnic (self-)representation started by Independent Theatre Hungary in 2022. Here, the two texts from previous workshops on the creation and critical writing on Roma themed performances will be presented and analysed.
The workshop will be lead by:
Pun Bandhu, actor, AAPAC co-founder (USA)
Christine Toy Johnson, actor, writer, AAPAC co-founder (USA)
Nandita Shenoy, actor, playwright, AAPAC member (USA)
Rodrigó Balogh, artistic leader of Independent Theater Hungary (HU)
Márton Illés, operative leader of Independent Theater Hungary (HU)
Noémi Herczog, editor of Theater Magazine (HU)
Date: November 30, 2023, 15:00-17:00
Location: Eötvös10 Cultural Center, Room 202
For registration click here!
“Theatre belongs to everyone.”
The festival is co-funded by the Creative Europe Programme of the European Union.
The festival is supported by the Badur Fundation, the Embassy of United States of America, the Open Society Foundations, the Embassy of Italy, Budapest, the Embassy of Sweden and the Romanian Cultural Institute.
Roma Heroes Programme
Since 2017, Independent Theater Hungary has been organizing the first international Roma theatre meeting of the European Union every year. Roma theatre companies and artists from many countries are presented at the festival. In doing so, we draw attention to the values of Roma theatre, the situation of our Roma communities, focusing on the challenges of value-driven people and dramatic heroes. Based on the performances shown at the festivals, we created an educational methodology, as well as implemented workshops and university teacher courses. From the works presented, we have published the first two volumes of the world’s first sequel of international Roma dramas entitled Roma Heroes, and a digital collection of Roma theatre and drama based on the cultural values we have collected co far. The official launch is going to be on May 5th, 2022.
Further information may be requested:
Sorbán Csenge
csenge.sorban@independenttheater.hu
+36 50 129 5178