Introduction

I am receiving often the question of why I am interested to promote Rroma culture, as a non-Rroma. As a human being, I believe diversity is one of the most beautiful gifts we received in this world. My love for diversity made me happier, and interested in traveling, learning and connecting with locals.

My experience with Rroma culture starts in 2010 when I cooperated with Gypsy Eye Association and developed a project called Messengers against Discrimination.

Rroma people are an important part of our culture. They are part of a Romanian international brand, therefore my plan is to make the best of it, using artistic and cultural tools. I can’t solve discrimination or eradicate poverty for them, but I can try with all my heart to see and share their culture in a creative manner, bringing artists together and building learning experiences.

The results were impressive, we even got mentioned in the Parliament as a good practice. During the years, I kept myself connected with the Rroma culture, doing different non-formal caravans to Zmeu, and Crucea, or inviting Rroma groups to Folcloristica Festival. In 2018, I facilitated a youth exchange called Rroma Heart which represents our first attempt to create a museum. 40+ young people from Cyprus, Estonia, Greece, Italy, Slovenia, Spain, Turkey, and Romania learned about the Rroma culture of Târgu Frumos and of the countries involved, worked in national and international groups, experienced improvisation and labyrinth theater and other arts, made presentations and created an experiential museum for European Rroma. In 2022, we tried out an event called Șatra - craftsmen, fiddlers, merchants, and storytellers in partnership with Pro faced over 400 years of slavery. In our alternative museum, the audience will learn about the history of Rroma, being invited to play, to imagine, to create, to contribute. And I believe that until 2028, more people will be able to value the Rroma treasure of Târgu Frumos.

Roma Association in Iași. All these experiences, created the ground for what we call Muzeul Alternativ Rromanes (MARr).

The choice for the Rromanes instead of Rroma in the title of the museum, has behind several reasons. One is related to the virtual world. Right now, Rroma and Roma will always lead you to Italy or the Roman empire. Rromanes is related to the language, the translation we found is ‘‘in the Rroma way’’.

Even challenging sometimes, we involved Rroma people in our creation processes, and it is something we will do as long as this initiative will exist. Our purpose is to make the majority interested by the Rroma culture and create a more active way to love and appreciate the legacy of this culture.

The survival of Rroma culture is connected with oral history, storytelling, music, dance, theatre, crafting and painting. Their artworks has often gone unrecognised, and just in Romania they