Wednesday 4th June Conway Hall 25 Red Lion Square London WC1
Saturday 28th June Leeds Civic Hall Calverley Street Leeds LS1 1UR
ROMA SUPPORT GROUP The Roma Support Group is a community organisation working with East European Roma refugees and migrants since 1998. The origins of the organisation and its ethos are strongly based within the grass root movement of the Roma community in London. The RSG was established by the Roma people and it is led by them today. Since its humble origins of working from private kitchens and sitting-rooms, we are now working with over 900 Roma families in London delivering a variety of services. Our aim is to improve the quality of life for Roma refugees/ migrants and to advance the education of the public about Roma arts, history and culture. We are achieving these aims through advice and advocacy, health, education support and mentoring projects, art and sport activities for Roma children and youth, cultural activities and schemes for Roma adults and children, organising events, school workshops, publicity and the dissemination of information. www.romasupportgroup.org.uk
Exhibition organized by
In collaboration with With the support of the Culture Programme of the European Union
Sponsored by With Special thanks to Museum of London
www.grthm.co.uk www.grtleeds.co.uk
EU-RØMA EU-Roma is a 20-months project launching a European open confrontation on Roma housing issues and public space. It mobilises and cross-fertilises knowledge and experience from different domains like urban arts, architecture, humanities, sociology and human rights. www.eu-roma.net
A DECADE OF ROMA MIGRATION 10TH ANNIVERSARY OF ROMA SUPPORT GROUP In 2008 the Roma Support Group is celebrating its 10th anniversary and it has been just over 10 years ago since the first Roma asylum seekers came to the UK fleeing discrimination, institutionalised racism and persecution in Eastern Europe. This exhibition is an attempt to give you an insight into what forced Roma people to seek asylum (1— Coming to London ), what issues they faced in the UK ( 2& 3 — Seeking Asylum & EU Accession ) and their contribution to the multicultural, diverse fabric of British society, ( 4 — Integration & contribution ). These four themes, enclosed in the four travel trunks are telling the Roma story about the pain of injustice, exclusion, persecution, insecurity and confusion, while on the other hand we also witness their courage, endurance, fortitude of mind and creativity. We would not be here to tell you this story without the commitment and dedication of our Trustees, staff and volunteers, invaluable support from numerous partner organisations and financial contributions from our funders. But most of all we would not be here without the support of the Roma community, which made us what we are today. Many thanks to the London College of Fashion, Project 35 Architects and the Museum of London for helping us to tell this story. Welcome! Sylvia Ingmire Roma Support Group Co-ordinator
1 — COMING TO LONDON
‘It started with groups of people throwing things at or into our home.They would throw stones and also letters wrapped around these stones. The letters said that we should leave, and that gypsies should go to the gas chambers etc. They wanted us to leave Poland for the sake of racial purity.’ Asylum statement of Polish Roma, c. 2000
‘Often the Romany children just sat drawing pictures whilst the other children were taught proper lessons.The teachers were of the view that Romany children could not learn and were not as bright as the Polish children.’ Asylum statement of Polish Roma, c. 2000
To Samanta racism is constantly being pushed to the back of the queue.
2 — SEEKING ASYLUM ‘I am writing to advise you that you have failed to comply with our Temporary Admission Restrictions, in that you have failed to report to the Croydon Reporting Centre on the date set out on your latest IS96. Can you please advise us why you did not report on the specified dates. If it was due to illness, we require evidence of this in the way of a letter from your GP or Hospital. May I remind you that failure to comply without reasonable excuse is an offence contrary to section 24(1)(e) of the Immigration Act 1971, and you could be detained under paragraph 16 of Schedule 2 of the same Act.’ Casework Officer, Croydon Enforcement Unit, Home Office, 13 March 2003
‘I dont have the time to come because I am taking care of my daughter who is handicapped… You know my daughter can’t walk because I’ve been explaining to you for two years… I can’t carry her there every month because she barely goes to the toilet. I don’t know why you don’t want to understand me.’
‘On the 25th —26th I found out my son was detained and on the evening of 27th of February 2003 my son let me know that the police will take him to the immigration office. They wanted to speak to him. Since then I had no sign from my son. I don’t know whether he is dead or alive. I don’t know what happened to him. Please, let me know if you have any information about him. thank you very much!’
Romanian Roma Woman, 17 March 2003
Romanian Roma Woman, 17 March 2003
3 — EU ACCESSIØN
‘If you are living in accommodation provided by your local authority, you will need to vacate it by 1 May as you will no longer have authority to remain there… you can make arrangements to return to your country of nationality and may apply to the Voluntary Assisted Return and Reintegration Programme to help you return.’ Home Øffice letter 13 April 2004
5th — 14th April The Home Øffice informed 2,614 families, most of whom were Roma asylum seekers, that their subsistence support will end and they must leave their accommodation on the 30th April or be evicted because they were due to become EU nationals on the 1st May. Three ‘choices’ were offered: 1) destitution; 2) finding employment; 3) voluntary return to their home countries. The second ‘choice’ was impossible to undertake due to the lack of necessary IDs and paperwork.
‘Dear Sir/Madam… The European Union will on the 1st of May 2004 accept into its fold 8 new Countries… Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Cyprus and Malta… You will no longer recieve any support from the Asylum Team’ Enfield Council letter 14 April 2004
4th May Mr Justice Collins grants permission to challenge the Home Øffice’s decision, but before the final hearing on the 20th May, the Home Øffice decided to reinstate support to destitute families until they find employment and readjust to new situation.
22nd April RSG sends letters to all MPs in London asking for support.
APRIL 2004
MAY 2004
13th April until the end Øf May Roma Support Group (RSG) supported over 500 Roma families to submit individual appeals to the Asylum Support Adjudicators and numerous Local Authorities across London. The capacity of the organisation was at breaking point as it tried to manage the crisis.
26th April Sue Willman of Pierce Glynn Solicitors applied for Judicial Review in the High Court on behalf of a Slovak Roma family.
JUNE 2004
25th May The RSG was told to vacate the premises, where advice sessions were based, but thanks to the help of Aston-Mansfield a new office was soon open to the Roma community in East London.
4 — INTEGRATION & CONTRIBUTION ‘I commend the work that the Roma Support Group is achieving and hope that working together we can achieve a key step forward to make sure that all children from these communities are offered the chance to feel safe and secure in our schools and achieve their full potential.’ Department for Children, Schools and Families, 30 November 2007
Founding members of the Roma Support Group and their signatures
Images courtesy of Roma Support Group
PROGRAM OF EVENTS
POsitive POrtraits Photo Exhibition by Patricia Knight I have a Romany heritage and I am a gypsy activist involved with a variety of projects and organisations. I am currently the national coordinator for Gypsy Roma Traveller History Month. I have recently become interested in photography as a medium via which Gypsies and Travellers can reclaim their image. e-mail: patricia@grthm.co.uk
How LOng Is the JOurney? Photo Exhibition by Zsuzsanna Ardó Dedicated to Pál Ardó ‘How Long Is the Journey’ is a selection from the exhibition of photos of Hungarian Roma (Gypsies) by Zsuzsanna Ardó a photographer and writer. Zsuzsanna took the photos over the past two summers in Hungary, by the Danube and in Budapest. www.ardo.org
LOOKING BACK — REACHING OUT! We can see both the past and the future of the Gypsy, Roma and Traveller people in their music and song. They were always many peoples. Those who came together and created the Romani language in Indian militias in the Turkish-Greek-Armenian wars a thousand years ago. Those who were travelling horse traders, blacksmith and entertainers in India, and across Europe, even before that. But they face the common experience of being wanted by local people for their products, but feared for their strangeness. And their cultures have mixed, separated and mixed again, in Europe and now within each country in our new, common Europe. We can see in these Western European Isles cultural heritage from those who had become an ethnic group in their own right centuries before anyone calling themselves ‘Gypsies’ or ‘Romanies’ reached British shores (probably in the late 15th century). We can see English Romany culture of the largest Gypsy group in these Isles, bringing together that ancient Traveller culture with that of the Romani immigrants of the 15th century. And we have been electrified by the impact of Roma immigrants from Eastern Europe in the 20th century. Similarities and differences! We need to know our common history to respect our proud differences. This concert will take you there. Professor Thomas Acton Patron of the Roma Support Group
PERFORMERS & MUSICIANS
The Orchard Family Tom, Jean and their son Ashley come from true Gypsy stock, a stock that has strong music traditions. Known as The Orchard Family, their ancestors have lived in Devon and Cornwall for more than 400 hundred years. All the Gypsies in that area would look forward to their families providing the entertainment at their gatherings such as fairs and weddings etc. Tom learned to step dance and play his melodeon from his dad and started to play and dance in public when he was only 6 years old. Jean learned old traditional songs from her mother Amy Birch, who learned them from her mother. She learned to play the recorder at school and then taught herself the penny whistle after she married Tom. Their eldest son Richard always showed a keen interest in learning to play the melodeon and soon their family became a band when their 2nd and 3rd sons Nathan and Anthony started singing and playing the bodrahn and bones. Sadly Nathan and Anthony were killed in a car accident and Richard married and had a family of his own. Soon after their youngest son Ashley took up the melodeon and brought the band back together. They play their old family traditional stuff and also modern folk that they have picked up along the way.
Brigid COrcOran Brigid Corcoran is a talented and attractive country music artiste who is recognized by her peers as the future voice of country music. Her interpretation of the traditional songs added to her understanding of the newer music has made her popular with all generations. Her talent has brought her to the notice of great country entertainers like John McCane who has spoken in glowing terms of her future in the business. There is notice being taken of Brigid as far away as the USA and she is in great demand for festivals throughout the UK. Brigid Corcoran has been described as country music’s brightest rising star.
ROmani Rad Romani Rad is a group of Roma dancers and musicians from Poland. The group was formed in the spring of 1999 to share their culture with audiences in the London area. Since tentative first beginnings, these young performers have grown in stature and have now become regular players in many different events and festivals throughout London and the UK. The exotic and colourful costumes are all designed and handmade by Romany women. Theirs is the tradition expressed by costumes, music and dance, the skills of which are handed down from generation to generation. Music is part of their life, it is not just entertainment. It is a means of communication and part of their ritual of life from weddings and funerals they are educated through an oral tradition from the age when the smallest fingers tap a keyboard or are strong enough to pluck the strings. The musicians (including violinist, guitarists, accordionists, double bassist, male and female singers) are all highly-skilled performers who in 2001 completed an album, co-operating with a top Hungarian Romany band Besh O’Drom, to mix and fuse traditional and contemporary styles of Romany music styles and were guest players and singers on Terry Hall’s album The Hour of Two Lights. Romani Rad released their first album Journey in 2005. The leading accordionist is considered to be one of the foremost performers of the different styles of Romany music in the UK. They present a wide range of Gypsy songs and dances from different parts of Europe while maintaining the originality and uniqueness of style. Their music and dancing has enough energy and power to light the streets and stages of Britain with a feast of colour, flair and originality.
Gejza Grundza Gejza is a very talented young Roma musician from Slovakia. He first came to prominence in the late 1990s playing fire brand high tempo Roma pop music. Since then he has been in high demand for concerts and Roma weddings. He has also been instrumental in helping Romani Rad record their first album as well as being a volunteer with Roma Support Group lending his knowledge and experience when working with young Roma people in recording studios as part of RSG’s art programme.
6 — 6.30pm
Door and exhibitions opened
6.30 — 7pm
Introduction and ‘Our history — it’s serious’ by guest speaker, the Hon. Ian Hancock, member of the International Roma Parliament, director of The Romani Archives and Documentation Center at the University of Texas.
7 — 7.30pm
Performance by the Orchard Family
7.40 — 8pm
Performance by Brigid Corcoran
8 — 8.30pm
Break ⁄ Exhibition
8.30 — 8.40pm
‘Putting it all together’ by the Hon. Ian Hancock
8.40 — 9.10pm
Performance by Romani Rad
9.10 — 9.40pm
Performance by Gejza Grundza with Radovan Grundza and Stanislau Kelesz The Roma Support Group and the Gypsy Roma Traveller Achievement Service are pleased to mark Gypsy Roma Traveller History Month this year with a special event in Leeds, to celebrate the richness these communities bring to our lives.
We would be delighted if you could join us on: Saturday 28th June, 7pm —10pm, Leeds Civic Hall, Calverley Street, Leeds LS1 1UR. Free entry but as space is limited please book tickets with Sophia Kennedy on 0113 274 8050 or sophia.kennedy@educationleeds.co.uk