ART4ROM

This international project ran in Slovakia, Hungary and Italy in 2013 and 2014. From February to June, it engaged 80 children in creative workshops that were organized in five ETP Community Centres. The participants were given the opportunity to fully develop their talents, learn about Roma history, customs and traditions, and develop their study skills. The Project managed to draw the attention of not only Roma but also non-Roma children to Roma culture.

 In Košice-Šaca children used various fine-art techniques to create original works of art that represented their own perception of their culture and history. Their paintings were colorful and vivid and they depicted people dressed in traditional Roma clothes. In cooperation with the Primary School in Košice- Šaca, we also managed to engage non-Roma children to participate in the Project activities. The art classes involved 20 fourth-graders. During the art classes, the teacher explained the students about Roma traditions, and together they created a large painting with a Roma theme. The painting was displayed at the final performances, which were attended by some of the students. The Dance and Drama Club in Rudňany rehearsed a play on the origin of the Roma flag, through which the boys and girls could learn new dances and songs. In the Community Centre in Rankovce, each Monday and Friday belonged to the Roma band rehearsals. The boys learned to play several musical Instruments and enjoyed practicing popular Roma and non-Roma songs. The Dance Theatre in Moldava nad Bodvou presented a beautiful display of Roma children´s feelings and thoughts transformed into a performance full of emotions, singing, dance and drama. In Stará Ľubovňa – Podsadek, the participants worked with books, computers and the Internet. They combined creative and musical activities.

 ‟We were comparing Roma and Indian history and used the topic to create works of fine art,“ said Daniel Ščigulinský, the Instructor of the Creative Art4Rom Club in Podsadek.

 The Project also engaged two teachers of the Art School on Exnárova Street in Košice, who participated in the artistic activities. The outcome of the Project was the final performances of the children attending our Community Centres, which took place in Košice´s Kulturpark. The event was called Art as the Way to Discover Our Roots and it gave the children a unique chance to perform, which motivated them towards the best efforts from the Project´s very beginning.