Creative Europe Project: Stand-up Roma

Lead Partner: Giuvlipen (Rome) Partners: Independent Theatre Hungary (Hungary) Rampa Prenestina (Italy)

We, Roma theatre companies from Romania, Hungary, and Italy, have been collaborating with the European Network of Roma Artists for several years. We have produced numerous shows and performances and trained young talents, deepening the training of young Roma artists so they can create single-themed shows and performances involving multiple artists. The shows will be inspired by their personal stories, with documentary and fictional elements, and will utilize comedic forms and narratives (e.g., stand-up comedy and commedia dell’arte) because humor helps communicate the serious challenges and problems faced by many Roma and promotes critical thinking, mutual understanding, and interethnic connections. These are key factors for the social inclusion and resilience of European societies, more effectively than homogeneous, sad, and dramatic art forms and narratives. During the training courses and national and transnational productions, the young artists’ skills and networks will develop. The performances will be presented both nationally and internationally for Roma audiences who rarely attend theater performances, and for non-Roma audiences who rarely encounter Roma stories and perspectives. The performances will be followed by discussions aimed at promoting emancipation, critical thinking, mutual understanding, and social inclusion. The works and performances will be translated and videotaped and will be available to a wider audience and future generations, as part of Europe’s cultural heritage, in the “Roma Heroes” Digital Collection of European Roma Theatre and Drama.