Categories
Berlin EN News

WE ARE HERE! at Romaday!

Our Berlin youth group “WIR SIND HIER!” celebrated with and supported with all their might the International Roma* Day on April 8 with moderation, parade and theater.

The time for the preparation was short, because it started already on April 5th. And that was with an interview at radioeins! RBB broadcasted live from Bikini Berlin. Estera, Davis and Ali were on board and we talked about our workshops, role models, theater and many other topics.

This year ROMADAY opened with a vernissage of the exhibition “Still Hope In Paradise?” at ACUD MACHT NEU, continued the same evening with the performance “Newly Forgotten Technologies” by Wesley Goatley and finally celebrated with a set by DJ, artist and author D.R.E.E.A.. It was great to connect with so many people, share ideas, and it made us even more excited for the upcoming parade!

In between, we made banners, thought about demo slogans and, very important, the moderation and formulated our own contributions for the demo. From “WE ARE HERE!” David Paraschiv and Estera Elisa Paraschiv were present on the parade truck as a moderation duo.

The two accompanied their fellow campaigners during the procession from the Memorial to the Sinti and Roma of Europe murdered under National Socialism to the Volksbühne am Rosa-Luxemburg-Platz on April 8. The culmination of the powerful, self-confident parade was the performative renaming of the site as Roma-Luxemburg-Platz, which was especially enjoyed by children and young people from various Roma communities.

Arriving at the Volksbühne, we went to the backstage of the Grüner Salon and then onto the stage. This was followed by perhaps the punchiest performance of our youth group with the Forum play of the same name “WIR SIND HIER!” in front of the crowded theater hall.

Hardly had the applause and the sounds of the subsequent jam session dedicated to the Roma* anthem “Djelem Djelem” died down, we went to the Maxim Gorki Theater for the concert of the Romnja rap band from Serbia “Pretty Loud”.

What a day! What an energy! It strengthens us and makes us want to do more! Stay tuned!

Categories
Berlin EN News

Our youth group was selected for the Theatertreffen of the youth

The forum theater play of the youth group WIR SIND HIER! has been selected for the Theatertreffen der Jugend. This was announced today by the Berliner Festspiele as organizers of the national competition. WIR SIND HIER! is one of a total of eight productions invited to the Theatertreffen der Jugend from 25.5. – 4.6.2022 in the festival center at the Berliner Festspiele. The young Roma and Romnja of WIR SIND HIER! were able to prevail against about 50 applications. The jury focused on the question of specific youth perspectives and the appropriate development and implementation of the respective material by the entire ensemble. The personality and attitude of the players are decisive for the invitation to the Theatertreffen der Jugend.

Forum Theater Play WE ARE HERE!

By: Christoph Leucht, David Paraschiv, Estera Elisa Paraschiv, Estera Sara Stan, Naomi Stan | With: Daniel Hromyko, David Paraschiv, Estera Elisa Paraschiv, Estera Sara Stan, Naomi Stan | Directed by: Christoph Leucht | Audio/Video: Christoph Leucht | Premiere date: 17.6.2021, Youth Theater Festival “Festiwalla” in Berlin

Next performance: 8.4.2022, ROMADAY | Duration: 80 minutes

https://romaday.info


The interactive theater piece about persecution, rejection and oppression of Roma* in Germany was created between March and June 2021 in a rehearsal process using the methods of teatro das opridmidas under the guidance of Christoph Leucht (Theaterwerkstatt KURINGA).

The next opportunity to see the young people of WIR SIND HIER! in action will be at this year’s ROMADAY on April 8, 2022 at 16:00 during the ROMADAY parade through Berlin-Mitte and at 19:00 with a performance of the award-winning play in the Green Salon of the Volksbühne. Admission is free.

Theatertreffen der Jugend
Theatertreffen der Jugend
Theatertreffen der Jugend
Theatertreffen der Jugend
Theatertreffen der Jugend
Theatertreffen der Jugend
Theatertreffen der Jugend
Theatertreffen der Jugend
Theatertreffen der Jugend - WIR SIND HIER by Jana Kießer-1
Theatertreffen der Jugend - WIR SIND HIER by Jana Kießer-2
Theatertreffen der Jugend - WIR SIND HIER by Jana Kießer-3
Theatertreffen der Jugend - WIR SIND HIER by Jana Kießer-4
Theatertreffen der Jugend - WIR SIND HIER by Jana Kießer-5
Theatertreffen der Jugend - WIR SIND HIER by Jana Kießer-7
Theatertreffen der Jugend - WIR SIND HIER by Jana Kießer-8
Theatertreffen der Jugend - WIR SIND HIER by Jana Kießer-10
previous arrow
next arrow


The youth group WIR SIND HIER! is composed of young Roma and Romnja from RomaTrial e.V. from Berlin and Kiev, who speak Romani, Romanian, Ukrainian, German, English, Russian and Spanish. The artistic theater work is part of their political commitment within the framework of the “WIR SIND HIER! Education Program against Antigypsyism” and also includes peer training instruction, organizing demos, events, appearances at panel discussions, and producing videos and social media content.


“WE ARE HERE! Bildungsprogramm gegen Antigypsyism” trains young Roma and Romnja, as well as other young people affected by racist and intersectional discrimination, as peer trainers against anti-gypsyismin Berlin, Brandenburg and Saxony. Together they develop educational tools to raise awareness about antigypsyism.

Further information at https://wer-ist-hier.de/ https://romaday.info


Picture material here © Jana Kießer @jana.kiesser @ein_garten_in_berlin
Press contact: Sarah Rosenau | (030) 99 00 82 14 | mail@sarahrosenau.net

Categories
Berlin EN News

Guest performance in the sold-out youth theater office of Theater X

In March we, the youth group “WIR SIND HIER!” had two more strong performances. Our interactive play featured performance, dialogue, recitation, music and video projections.

Gastspiel der Jugendgruppe „WIR SIND HIER!“ im Theater X, Berlin; Foto ©:  Jana Kiesser
Gastspiel der Jugendgruppe „WIR SIND HIER!“ im Theater X, Berlin; Foto ©:  Jana Kiesser
Gastspiel der Jugendgruppe „WIR SIND HIER!“ im Theater X, Berlin; Foto ©:  Jana Kiesser
Gastspiel der Jugendgruppe „WIR SIND HIER!“ im Theater X, Berlin; Foto ©:  Jana Kiesser
Gastspiel der Jugendgruppe „WIR SIND HIER!“ im Theater X, Berlin; Foto ©: Alexander ‚Ali‘ Rönisch
Gastspiel der Jugendgruppe „WIR SIND HIER!“ im Theater X, Berlin; Foto ©: Alexander ‚Ali‘ Rönisch
Gastspiel der Jugendgruppe „WIR SIND HIER!“ im Theater X, Berlin; Foto ©: Alexander ‚Ali‘ Rönisch
previous arrow
next arrow

The audience was directly involved in the theatrical action – this was intentional from the beginning. Known as the method “Forum Theater” and made strong by the Theater of the Oppressed, this form of interactive theater is low-threshold: the dialogue with the audience reduces social differences, offers the audience to identify with the issues, and thus contributes to reflection on what is happening and to change social reality. These two performances took place as a guest performance in the sold-out Youth Theater Office of Theater X. Afterwards we were able to further exchange with the audience, answer questions, tell about our workshop activities and make new contacts.

Should we found a Roma* army, do Roma* need their own state or what can we do to stop racism and oppression of Roma* and Sinti*?

Ein Forumtheaterstück der Jugendgruppe WIR SIND HIER! über Verfolgung, Zurückweisung A forum theater play by the youth group WIR SIND HIER! about persecution, rejection and oppression of Roma* in Germany. After a very late recognition of the Holocaust against Roma* and Sinti*, there are racist attacks again and the Holocaust memorial is to be partially destroyed because of a new S-Bahn line. Enough is enough!

The youth group WIR SIND HIER! is composed of young Roma and Romja from RomaTrial e.V. from Berlin and Kiev, who speak Romanes, Romanian, Ukrainian, German, English, Russian and Spanish. The young people have been politicized early on through the youth work of RomaTrial and other Roma organizations and involved in the fight against racism against Roma* and Sinti*. The artistic work in the theater is part of the political engagement, which also includes guiding peer trainings, organizing demos, events, appearances at panel discussions and producing videos and social media content.


By: Christoph Leucht, David Paraschiv, Estera Elisa Paraschiv, Estera Sara Stan, Naomi Stan.
With: Daniel Hromyko, David Paraschiv, Estera Elisa Paraschiv, Estera Sara Stan, Naomi Stan
Director: Christoph Leucht

Categories
Brandenburg EN News

Theater play: We are here! Where are you?

At the youth center Dosto in Bernau, our youth group from Berlin put on a theater performance as part of the intercultural week, which we would like to incorporate later as an educational tool in our project. After intensive rehearsals, the young people, together with our chairman and experienced directorHamze Bytyçi, conceived a play in which the group talks about their experiences of discrimination. The play also tells the story of the first Roma congress 50 years ago and the resolutions passed there, as well as theatrically demonstrating the continuity of antigypsyism. After the performance, there was a round of questions in which the young people talked about the project and about the different realities of Roma lives.
You can watch the video of the play here or at the following link on facebook.

Theater play “We are here! Where are you?” from 12th of September 2020