An exhibition by the
Documentation and Cultural Centre
of German Roma and Sinti

Official Launch Event
8 June, 1:30 - 4pm

1.30 - 2.00pm Arrivals
2.00 - 2.45pm Speeches

Chaired by Damian LeBas, Romani Writer and Journalist
with
Patricia Knight, National Co-ordinator for GRTHM, Welcome Speech
Romani Rose, Chairman of the Documentation and Cultural Centre of German Sinti and Roma
Dr. Eckhard Lübkemeier, Deputy Ambassador, German Embassy
Donald Kenrick, Romani Historian
Carly Whyborn, Chief Executive, Holocaust Memorial Day Trust
Sylvester Huczko, Roma Support Group
Paul Polansky, Author and Human Rights Activist
Tom McCready, Romany activist

2.45 - 3.00pm Music from the Boros Gypsy Ensemble
3.00 - 4.00pm Reception & Private View of the Exhibition,

with catering supported by the German Embassy.
RSVP: evasajovic@yahoo.com
The Arts Pavillion
Mile End
London E3 4QX


Exhibition open 2 - 20 June
Tue-Sat 12-6 pm
Sun 12-4 pm
Closed Mondays

To take the theme of the historical exhibition from the Documentation and Cultural Centre of the German Roma and Sinti further into the present day we are surrounding the exhibition with contemporary works by:
KIDS
Valentina Schivardi
SURVIVING HISTORY
Damian Danes LeBas and Eva Sajovic
YOUNG ROMA WOMEN DOCUMENT THEIR LIVES
a photographic collaboration between teenage Roma women and
photographer Manuela Zanotti
KABLARE: POISONED EARTH
Ivor Prickett
UN's TOXIC SHAME
Paul Polansky and Amos Roberts
DALE FARM
an artistic and educational programme delivered by photographer Quintina
Valero for the children on Dale Farm
THE STROJAN FAMILY, SLOVENIJA 2009
Borut Peterlin
THE WISDOM STONE (showing on the 8, 15, 16 and 18 June)
Project 'Romski Pstryk' by Marta Kotlarska and Malgorzata Mirga illustrating the 'Wisdom Stone' by Jan Mirga with photographs by young people living in a Roma settlement in south Poland (www.clickAcademy.co.uk).


Curated by EVA SAJOVIC

The "Romani Click" / "Romski Pstryk" is a result of collaboration between two artists:
Malgorzata Mirga-Tas and Marta Kotlarska. The editions of this participative
project were implemented in Szaflary (2007), Nowy Sacz (2008), Czarny
Dunajec, Czarna Gora and Krosnica (2009) Roma settlements as well as in
London, with Roma refugees from Poland and Slovakia. The artists invited
young Roma to arrange pinhole photo illustrations of Romani stories and
tales written by a Roma poet Jan Mirga. Children prepared the tales' scenery
and took photos with hand-made pinhole cameras. Every project scene ended
with a happening touching upon issues of lack of the dialogue between
neighbouring communities.  The temporary exhibition showing the works of
Roma children was prepared and is still rented to everyone who wants to show
it. Until now it was exhibited in over 30 venues in both Poland and the UK.
In 2008, in London, the children picture book Romano Bumburumbum was printed
and the photo album of the Romani Click's results from Polish settlements is
due to be published in September 2010.  The "Romani Click" project blossomed
in enormous success with huge amounts of invitations from next "wojts"
(leaders) to the next Romani settlements and with interest in follow-up
actions of those settlements, who already took part in it.

Malgorzata Mirga-Tas is an artist and Roma activist from Poland. She is
Bergitka Roma origin and lives in Czarna Gora, a small Roma settlement in
Podhale region. Since her graduation from the Academy of Fine Arts in Krakow
she has been participating in various exhibitions throughout the country.
Apart from directing Romani Click, her most important activities are:
.    Direction of international art workshops in Czarna Gora and
Maruszyna. Roma children were familiarized about art, something they had had
rather limited contact with before.
.    Creation of the author's collection of fashion inspired by Roma.
.    Curatorship and participation in the first exhibition of works of
Roma artists in Poland, Romani Art. The exhibition was shown in various
venues across the country including the Museum of Cinematography in Lodz,
the International Caravan of Roma Memory in Brzesk and Regional Museum in
Tarnow.

Marta Kotlarska is London based artist of Polish origin. In her practice she
touches upon issues of identity, social exclusion as well as ethnic and
economic sustainability. Her projects are always participative and open
ended. She engages in art narration those who may have little or no
experience of art, including communities traditionally excluded from art
participation and acts in spaces in which the art is absolutely not the
priority. In 2004 she have founded Akademia Pstryk (Click Academy), an art
group using pinhole photography as a means of social change through
empowering communities to address the issues they face. It undertakes
innovative projects proving that it is possible to make "something of
nothing" and with the minimal expenditure.

During Romani Click activities young people living in traditional Roma
settlements in Malopolska region of Poland prepared illustration to the
traditional and contemporary Romani stories. One of the examples of the
fairytales is "The stone of the wisdom" story illustrated by children from
Szaflary settlement. It is an example of the contemporary Romani story and
was written by Roma poet Jan Mirga. It is a very symbolic and brings up the
questions of the Romas situation nowadays. Tales heroines, Romani children,
ask their father, "why", their neighbours, "the white children have more sun
and laugh?". They have to go and find the stone of wisdom, and as a result
they get wisdom itself.

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