Romatopia - Roma talk about their Utopia for Europe

Romatopia - Roma talk about their Utopia for Europe

#3: "To find a way out where everybody else sees a dead end" with Zeljko Jovanovic

Download it: MP3 | AAC | OGG | OPUS

Zeljko Jovanovic is a tireless activist for Roma Rights. He comes from a family which, through belief in hard-work, self-determination and education, moved from extreme poverty to the middle class of Serbia.
We talked to him about his youth, the fight for democracy, about how important it is for Europe when the Roma are doing well. Being asked what majority societies can learn from Roma he says: “We find a way out where everybody else sees a dead end”.

#2: "A utopia for Europe is a utopia for the world" with Ethel Brooks

Download it: MP3 | AAC | OGG | OPUS

Ethel Brooks is a Romani academic and a feminist. Though she is based in the US, she has made significant contributions to the European Roma Movement. She always emphasizes that she brings in her community and her family into her work. We wanted to know that more precisely. So we talk a lot about Ethel's ancestors and family, about the Roma community in which she grew up, and about her work on gender studies and the Holocaust of the Sinti and Roma. We learn about her „Monument of Hope“ – and of course about her utopia for Europe.

#1: "I make shiny things" with Daniel Baker

Download it: MP3 | AAC | OGG | OPUS

“I make shiny things” is Daniel Baker's answer to the question about his work. Daniel Baker is an artist, curator and researcher, living in London. The Roma visual culture is his main source of inspiration and he is fascinated by what he calls “Gypsy Aesthetics”. We talk to him about art as a form of resistance, about cultural heritage in Roma communities, about an emerging Roma academic elite, about what the majority societies can learn from Roma – and of course about his utopia for Europe.

#0: Trailer: Welcome to Romatopia!

Download it: MP3 | AAC | OGG | OPUS

Isabel Raabe (Berlin) and William Bila (Paris) tell how the idea for this podcast was born, why it is a good time for a podcast about utopias for Europe and what Romatopia is all about.

About this podcast

Roma und Sinti – die wahren Europäer*innen! Für den Podcast „Romatopia – Roma talk about their Utopia for Europe“ treffen wir interessante Menschen (Künstler*innen, Musiker*innen, Akademiker*innen, Aktivist*innen) aus ganz Europa. Sind Roma nicht – ganz im Gegenteil zu gängigen Vorurteilen – Vorbilder in Sachen Solidarität, kultureller Reichtum, transnationale Einheit trotz nationaler Besonderheiten – also ideale „role models“ für die „Idee Europa“? Wir sind gespannt auf die Utopien unserer Gäste für das Europa von morgen. Und: wir haben das ein oder andere Spiel vorbereitet...

Unsere Gäste in Staffel Eins:
Daniel Baker, Künstler, Kurator, Theoretiker (UK), Nicoleta Bitu, Soziologin, Aktivistin (Rumänien); Ethel Brooks, Soziologin, Gender Studies (USA) ; Zeljko Jovanovic, Jurist, Open Society Foundation/Roma Initiative Office (Serbien/Deutschland); Timea Junghaus, Kunsthistorikerin, European Roma Institute for Arts and Cultures (Ungarn, Deutschland); Lindy Larsson, Schauspieler, Sänger (Schweden); Saimir Mile, Aktivist, la Voix des Rroms (Frankreich/Albanien); Selamet und Kefaet Prizreni, Hip Hop Musiker (Deutschland/Kosovo); Romani Rose, Zentralrat Deutscher Sinti und Roma (Deutschland); Sandra und Semonida Selimovic, Schauspielerinnen (Österreich); Selma Selman, Künstlerin (Bosnien); Miguel Angel Vargas, Kunsthistoriker, Schauspieler (Spanien)

Roma – the true Europeans! For the podcast "Romatopia - Roma talk about their Utopia for Europe" we meet interesting people (artists, musicians, academics, activists) from all over Europe. Aren't Roma - quite contrary to common prejudices - role models in terms of solidarity, cultural wealth, transnational unity despite national peculiarities - ideal role models for the "idea of Europe"? We look forward to learn about the utopias of our guests for the Europe of tomorrow. And: we have prepared one or the other game...

Our guests in Series 1:
Daniel Baker, artist, curator, theorist (UK); Nicoleta Bitu, activist (Romania); Ethel Brooks, sociologist, gender studies (USA) ; Zeljko Jovanovic, Open Society Foundation/Roma Initiative Office (Serbia/Germany); Timea Junghaus, art historian, executive director European Roma Institute for Arts and Cultures (Hungary, Germany); Lindy Larsson, actor, singer (Sweden); Saimir Mile, activist, la Voix des Rroms (France / Albania); Selamet und Kefaet Prizreni, Hip Hop Musicians (Kosovo/Germany); Romani Rose, Chair of the Central Council of German Sinti and Roma (Germany); Sandra and Semonida Selimovic, actrices (Austria); Selma Selman, artist (Bosnia); Miguel Angel Vargas, art historian, actor (Spain)

Credits:
Idea and concept: Isabel Raabe
Hosted by William Bila and Isabel Raabe
Directed by Katja Lehmann
Sounddesign: Selamet and Kefaet Prizreni
(c) cover motive: Altered States: EU-R © Daniel Baker 2015
Produced by Media Bricks 2020

Romatopia is supported by the Federal Agency for Civic Education and the Council of Europe/Roma & Travellers Team

by Isabel Raabe, William Bila, Katja Lehmann

Subscribe

Follow us