Take a break for a while from the world around you, your mobile phones, and social media. Step into a living room where a story is being told. A space where people sit together, somebody picks up a musical instrument, someone else starts singing, and stories are told in the meanwhile. This is exactly what it used to be like in Romani families long ago. Those were the days when people sat together in the evening and shared what life had either given to them, or taken away. At the Khamoro Festival, those beautiful days will be revived by the members of our Club of Romani Writers – Paramisara and by musicians from the Giľora project, together with Romani violinist Vojtěch Lavička. The atmosphere of the evening will be intensified through the halgato – the slow, stretched-out songs during which tears even flow, sometimes. Together we will return to the moments when music, storytelling, and spending time together were totally natural. If you like, you too can join in by telling your own story. Experience for yourself the ancient Romani tradition of “vakeriben” – storytelling.
“I’m Romani. Is that a problem?” This simple question frequently manages to unleash unpleasant reactions. At the Khamoro Festival, this question will be raised in an untraditional format produced by the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague’s Faculty of Theater. The guests of the “Debate for Puppets” do not appear as themselves. Each gets their own avatar – a puppet that speaks for them that evening. No faces, no labels, and no past histories – and the guests’ identities will be really concealed by transforming the sound of their voices as well. Neither the audience nor the moderator will know which guest is expressing which opinions, and that is precisely what makes the debate interesting. Suddenly it will not matter how somebody looks, what their name is, or where they are from. What rises to the surface will just be their attitudes, thoughts, and words. There will be room for open debate about matters touching us all – antigypsyism, equal opportunities, the position of Romani people in society, and racism writ large. You, too, will be able to join this discussion in which the words as they are actually spoken have the greatest say.
Equality. It’s an easy word to say. Does it genuinely apply to everybody, though? At the Khamoro Festival this question will be raised in an untraditional format produced by the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague’s Faculty of Theater – this time giving room to the voices of the younger generation. The guests of the “Debate for Marionettes” do not appear as themselves. Each gets their own avatar – a marionette that speaks for them that evening. No faces, no labels, and no past histories – and the guests’ identities will be really concealed by transforming the sound of their voices as well. Neither the audience nor the moderator will know which guest is expressing which opinions, and that is precisely what makes the debate interesting. Suddenly it will not matter who is speaking, but what is being said. We will discuss matters of concern to each and every one of us – biases, equality, justice, respect. These are subjects you know from your own circumstances. Ask, answer, and join the conversation – because your words have weight as well.
A play where you are not just a member of the audience, but also a creator of change? The Theater of the Oppressed breaks through the “fourth wall” of the stage! You are invited right into the action to seek solutions to burning issues together with everybody else. One of those issues is the pain passed down from generation to generation regarding the Holocaust, its Romani victims, and their trauma. “Stories of Survivors” was produced as part of a project of the same name by the Slovo 21 organization. It draws on the narratives of the descendants of those who survived the horrors of Nazism. At the same time, it raises the subjects of injustice, racism, and the silent sorrow that sometimes cannot be expressed in words. Do not expect a classical theatrical production or trained actors. The people performing will be those who are living these stories for real. The “Stories of Survivors” project was supported by Foundation Remembrance, Responsibility, and Future (EVZ). The Prague 3 Municipal District supports the event.
This the powerful story of a man who won in the ring, but was unable to defeat the hatred of his times. The theatrical production Rukeli brings the story of the famous boxer Johann “Rukeli” Trollmann to the Khamoro Festival. In the early 1930s, he became a boxing star in Germany – the boxing fans’ idol, the darling of women, and the middleweight champion. He was also a Sinti Romani man, though. In Nazi Germany, that meant just one thing: his career ended, and a concentration camp took his life. This production is not just about boxing and history- it is above all about a friendship that manages to resist the times when it becomes dangerous to be humane. The production is based on the play of the same name by the German author Rike Reiniger and on the book Leg dich Zigeuner [Gypsy, Lie Down] by Roger Repplinger, adapted for the stage by choreographer Nada Kokotović and the charismatic North Macedonian Romani actor, director, and poet Nedjo Osman, who plays the character of Rukeli. A graduate of the Film and Theater Academy in Novi Sad, Serbia, Osman has long lived in Germany where, among other things, he works as Artistic Director of the TKO Theater in Cologne. His arresting performance restores the story of this famous boxer for us in a way that is human and raw, yet without pathos. The performance will be in German with interpretation into Czech.
When all that remains of a human being is a number: the fates of the Romani people imprisoned in the Nazi concentration camps and the horrors of the Nazi regime are remembered through this exhibition by the Romani tattoo artist and visual artist Alex Dzurko. In 10 large-format drawings he presents the faces of fictional Romani people inspired by real stories. These are not anonymous numbers in archives, but the actual fates of the Roma personified. The pencil-drawn portraits capture emotions, human dignity, and pain – all that a number can never represent. For Dzurko, there is a personal dimension to this subject. From his own family’s storytelling he knows their accounts of fleeing the Nazis and what Romani people lived through during the war. Moreover, as a tattoo artist, he has aided former neo-Nazis by retattooing the symbols of hatred they once identified with, transforming them into new pictures and new stories. This exhibition is not just a glimpse into the past, therefore. It is also a powerful reminder that the Holocaust and its victims must never be forgotten. Nabisteraha – Never Forget.
Is culture capable of commemorating the genocide of the Roma and Sinti in a way that speaks to society today? Can art conserve memory when the mere teaching of history is not enough? The debate “Ma Bistrass! – Lest We Forget!” raises questions which are still topical. At a time when the Romani and Sinti minority in Europe faces prejudices, when financial support for cultural projects is declining, and when political priorities are transforming, the arts in particular become an important instrument for memory preservation and the opening of dialogue. Cultural projects led by Romani people – such as the Khamoro Festival – show that cultural output manages to speak to the majority society and to gradually transform their perceptions of the Roma. How far-reaching is that impact, though? These questions will be discussed by Luigi Toscano, the photographer who holds the Artist for Peace title from UNESCO; by the chair of Foundation Remembrance, Responsibility and Future, Dr. Andrea Despot; artist Ladislav Mucha (Maxim Muchow) and by Claudie Laburdová, leader of the Manushe Romani women’s group and a staffer with Slovo 21. The debate follows the guided tours of the “Ma Bistrass! -Lest We Forget!” exhibition. You can register here.
Colors that glow, even in places where one expects shadow. The exhibition “Trees Grow up into Heaven” introduces the work of Iveta Horváthová, a visual artist of Romani origin who sometimes uses the name Iveta Riminka Fillí. Although she has gone through heavy, painful times in her life since childhood, she rarely returns to them in her drawings. Instead of darkness, she selects expressive, glowing colors and combines them in daring ways. Her paintings feature couples in love, or figures standing near large, protective trees – symbols of hope, life, and strength. In the Czech Republic, Horváthová is a distinctive figure of Outsider Art, as confirmed by the inclusion of her works in the prestigious exhibition “Art brut – sbírka abcd” [Outsider Art – The ABCD Collection] at the House of the Stone Bell in Prague. Discover a world where colors, imagination, and personal stories grow as tall as trees.
A chapter of European history that has been forgotten and is not much discussed. The documentary film “Gran Redada Gitana: Historia de un Genocidio” [The Great Roma Roundup: Story of a Genocide] recalls an event from 1749 when King Ferdinand VI of Spain unleashed the systematic persecution of the Romani population in his domain. What today is called The Great Roundup targeted more than 10,000 Romani people for no reason. Families of Roma were separated from one day to the next. Thousands of Romani children, men, and women ended up in forced labor or in prison. This film by director Pilar Távora combines archival material and interviews with historians to reveal a story that has long been ignored and silenced. Almost 300 years old, we can still hear its reverberations in society to this day. Come commemorate the history that should never have been forgotten at the Khamoro Festival. A debate with the director will follow the screening.
A hero of Romani origin who was all but forgotten. The Black Partisan theatrical production from the Minor Theater brings the real story of Josef Serinek to the stage. This Czech Romani man became one of the bold figures of the anti-Nazi resistance. Serinek was imprisoned in the concentration camp at Lety in the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia, which he managed to escape. In the Vysočina Region he then established and led a group of partisans who waged campaigns against the Nazis. This production by director Jan Jirků is based on the book Česká cikánská rapsodie [Bohemian Gypsy Rhapsody] and on the memoirs of Serinek himself. His story is brought to life onstage by Richard Samko, a Czech Television journalist and moderator of Romani origin who brings an authenticity to the role that is personal and powerful. Black Partisan is an adventurous, strong testament to bravery, freedom, and the people who managed to resist during times unfavorable to them. This genuine “Western” from the Vysočina Region is something you will not find in the history textbooks.
What did the lives of Roma look like after 1945, and why do we know so little about them? A conversation with leading Czech Romani studies scholars Helena Sadílková from the Faculty of Arts of Charles University and Renata Berkyová from the Academy of Sciences will take you from the experiences of genocide survivors, through the period of state policy of forced assimilation, to the efforts of Roma and Sinti to assert their place in society and in the memory of history. Drawing on historical and Romani studies research, it will reflect on how Roma negotiated their position in society and collective memory, including the long-neglected struggle for recognition of the Romani Holocaust. You will learn what stories have long remained on the margins, how stereotypes were created and persist, and why it makes sense to reopen Romani history today. Come and discuss a past that is still relevant today. You can register here.
Khamoro is not just about music, concerts and dancing. Every year, it also opens up professional topics that often remain sidelined in society. This year, the festival will also focus on the academic sphere – on the question of how to confront structural racism in science and how to work more sensitively with the topics of justice, Romani culture and identity in research. The two-day international conference Culture, Identity and Social Justice: Anti-Racist Perspectives in Roma Studies and Beyond, organised jointly with Slovo 21 by the Roma Studies Programme at Central European University, will bring together scholars, educators and practitioners from prestigious universities around the world. The event is co-organised by Harvard University, Södertörn University in Sweden and Charles University in Prague. Experts at the conference will seek new perspectives on the future of anti-racism research and how science can contribute to a more open and just society. You can register here.
The experience of a lifetime! One of the best-loved, most lively events of the Khamoro Festival right in the center of Prague. Join the parade of performers as it transforms the historical center of the capital into one big celebration of Romani dance, music, and mutual respect! A horse-drawn wagon, dozens of Romani musicians, hundreds of Romani boys and girls, men and women from all over the Czech Republic dancing in their traditional costumes, and passers-by spontaneously joining the parade. All of this to the sound of untamed Balkan brass bands, Romani traditional songs from the Czech lands and Slovakia, Hungarian csárdás, and the passionate rhythms of Spanish guitars accompanied by the bravura feats of flamenco dancers. The atmosphere is incredible, an exceptional spectacle! Believe us when we say that you can only experience the center of Prague this way on this one day a year. From Wenceslas Square to the Old Town Square!
Hearing the laughter of children, seeing the joy in their eyes. Nothing beats that! As the old Romani saying has it, “Nane čhave, nane bacht” – “No children, no good luck.” It is exactly for that reason that one day of the Khamoro Festival is mainly for you, boys and girls! There will be a bouncy castle, Matěj Holub’s hand-carved wooden carousel, a punching game, face painting, fun with a pastry chef, and lots of other entertainments – all of that awaits you at “Khamororo”! The stage will also be full of fun! The main star of the musical program will be the talented singer Adam Hlůžek, and there will also be performances by the Romano Balvaj choir and many others. Even the rescue services will drop by to show you all how to provide first aid. Bring your parents and your friends and come enjoy the day that belongs just to you at the Khamoro Festival!
From generation to generation he has made millions of viewers laugh all over the world. The little man with the bowler hat, mustache, and unmistakable walk has become one of the biggest icons in the history of cinema. Few people know, however, that Charlie Chaplin had Romani roots. Come see the documentary film that gives us a new, quite personal perspective on the life of this famous comedian. Chaplin’s granddaughter Carmen managed to secure exclusive access to archives belonging to her grandfather’s other relatives in order to produce the film. In addition to those materials, which are unique, the film also features the family’s intimate memories of Chaplin and contemporary Romani artists’ perceptions of him. The result is a sensitive portrait of the man who managed to make the whole world laugh – even as he carried his own profound story of his own identity and the search for his own roots. Immerse yourself in the story of one of the biggest cinematic geniuses of all time, a story that has yet to be told in full.
We are not just a festival. We are also a cultural management school for Romani youth. Sixteen such trainees from the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, and Slovakia will come to Khamoro this year and learn how to produce the biggest festival of Romani art in the world. Under the direction of experienced professionals, they will learn what such preparation entails, from fundraising, to planning the program, to promotion. The Khamoro Shares Experiences program this year is part of the international project “Roma Youth in Action: Cultural Leadership against Antigypsyism” supported by the Višegrad Fund. What these Romani youngsters learn at Khamoro will go home with them to be used in producing their own cultural events in their home regions. We want young Roma to be heard more, not just as audience members, but as those who work behind the scenes producing big cultural events.
We are aiding Romani children from orphanages with discovering their own kher – their home. Not the one with the walls and the roof. But one that reminds them of their roots. More than half of the children in Czech orphanages are Romani. They have only minimal chances to experience Romani culture firsthand. Our Khamoro Kher programme wants to change this at least partially. That’s why it is bringing children from orphanages in Ústí nad Labem and Horní Počernice to the largest Roma festival in the world. So that they can get to know what real Romani culture is. They can expect concerts, various workshops and even a meeting with Romani students who have succeeded despite their difficult beginnings. They will be guided by a Roma coordinator who grew up in an orphanage and is now studying at university. Opening the door to the self – that’s what matters to us. Because everyone deserves to be proud of being Roma, at least for a while…
The music of the Roma as a subject of scholarly research? Yes, this too is part of Khamoro! People do not just come to our festival for concerts and other experiences, they also come here to study. Since 2012, together with Charles University’s Faculty of Humanities (FHS UK), we have been holding the International Romani Music Summer School. Students from all corners of the world come to Prague for this opportunity, including from India and the USA. For many, the Khamoro Festival is the first place they encounter the culture of the Roma in person. During the day they attend lectures and workshops where they learn how diverse the world of Romani music is. In the evening? They experience to the full what they have been discussing in classrooms during the day, straight from the festival concerts. The Summer School is led by doc. PhDr. Zuzana Jurková, Ph.D., head of the Ethnomusicology Program at FHS UK. Every year she invites leading world experts on the music of the Roma to teach here. This year the main lecturers will be Professor Margaret Beissinger of Princeton University and Professor Carol Silverman of the University of Oregon.
Words have the power to change the world. And at Khamor, we truly believe that. That is why the festival and the Slovo 21 organization have long supported Romani authors and those who care for Romani literature. Six years ago, we founded the Paramisara club of Romani writers, which today brings together about twenty authors from all over the Czech Republic. It is during the festival that its members will meet again in Prague – a city that, thanks to Khamor, is full of music, stories and inspiration at the end of May. They will write, share their new texts, talk about their books in progress and inspire each other. The club members have already had some strong collaborative projects. For example, the book Podphandle mašličkenca, which brings testimonies of women who have undergone forced sterilization, has attracted great acclaim. And other stories are already slowly emerging. Because Romani literature has something to say.
