Ongoing Projects

Mommy and Toddler Group

Every Saturday we organise 2 hours of English conversations for mothers in the Roma and Romanian communities. A time where women can come with their children to practice English and enjoy fun activities with their children.

We keep the conversations in English around family, children, home environment and basic spelling like spelling names. Children enjoy time doing different activities like board games and making new friends.

Gypsy Roma Traveller in Higher Education: Influencing Policy

Project coordinated by: Coventry University Rosemary (Rosa) Kostic Cisneros (Centre for Dance Research)

Collaborators:

ReelMedia Productions

Roma Project Coventry

Belgrade Theatre

Buckinghamshire New University (Prof. Margaret Greenfields and Sherrie Smith)

Project Overview:

The project aims to shine a light on marginalised communities and attempts to bring those voices to the forefront and into the university.

“Welcoming Culture in Universities- Awareness of Gypsy Roma Traveller’s culture” is new research activity working to bring together Gypsy Roma Traveller (GRT) and non-GRT academics and artists in partnership with policymakers, particularly to better understand local, regional or national challenges.

The project links policy concerns regarding GRT students in Higher Education and has enabled the research team to further existing research that is examining GRT in HE activities – e.g. scaling up the preliminary report, working on developing a network and hosting a symposium and an exhibition on the Coventry University campus.

Impact Statement

The project has allowed the research team to draw upon its institutional expertise of working with NGOs, and other UK universities and collaborating with local academics and artists.

This work provides more evidence in relation to the challenges facing young people before they can begin to access HE and privilege at the university emerged from the discussions. This project is a success story of how GRT and non-GRT collaborated to think about a pledge for GRT community members considering Higher Education.

Careful considerations of the visualisations that are associated with the GRT community were explored and concepts of who belongs at the university were questioned. The whiteness paradigm was challenged via the project and policymakers from the UK and abroad engaged with the research and are keen to develop things further. Given the COVID-19 pandemic the PI has had to shift one of its events but the final event where policymakers and all the key stakeholders will engage for a final time will take place once the lockdown period is over.

Outputs

The Roma Project runs various projects both at a local, national and international level.

OFFICIAL ENGLISH CLASSES:

The Roma Project knows that learning a new language is not easy for anyone and in order to foster social inclusion  and find a job and contribute back to the community, language is a key element.

English classes are run for the Roma Women from the community who have moved to the country and whose first language is not English. The classes are mixed ability and are for those total beginners to others who may  be a bit more advanced with their English.  The classes are run by a trained teacher and take place on a weekly basis for 4 hours a week and Speaking, Writing, Listening and Reading are assessed throughout the course. The women from the community decide the thematic content that they explore and learn more about. Topics include health care visits, talking to teachers at school, dental visits, everyday work, community and general conversational skills.

Classes run Monday evenings. For more information contact: Bernie Flatley at +44 (0)7722 555 899.

Testimonies from Participants:

“I have enjoyed coming to the English classes because it has improved my understanding of English and I have been able to exchange cultures and learn about other countries. I have learnt wonderful things from wonderful people.” – Simona
“For me the English lessons was more then a learning hour was fun and help me to be more confident” – Narcissa

II International Roma Women’s Congress Barcelona, Spain:

In collaboration with the Roma Women’s Association Drom Kotar Mestipen, the Roma Project is part of the II International Roma Women’s Congress which will take place March 23rd and 24th, 2018 at the CaixaForum-Barcelona. The Congress will bring together Roma Women from a grassroots level from numerous countries and together, they will dialogue and collectively find solutions to the problems and challenges they face.

More info on the Congress can be found here.

Planning: Growing Project  supported by People’s Health Trust

The Allotment Project brings nature to the big city.  Roma families are bused from Coventry to the allotments.  Development, clearing and cultivating of the land has started and  the families work inter and intra generationally to plant, maintain and ensure husbandry of the plants and foods they grow.

Flamenko Coventry 2014 & Romani Week 2015

The Roma Project supported Coventry University’s Centre for Dance Research (C-DaRE) cultural and arts festivals Flamenko Coventry 2014 and Romani Week 2015. The festivals were organised in collaboration with numerous artists, COVUNI departments, students and the Charity.

Official Poster by Aaron Briggs and Koko Zin
Official Poster by David Ajiri

“Family Matters/Chestiuni de familie” Romani Photo Exhibition

In  April 2015 Romani Week Festival   kicked off.   As part of the 2015 festival, Rosamaria Cisneros teamed up with photographer Antony Weir for the “Family Matters/Chestiuni de familie” Romani Photo Exhibition.  The exhibition leaflet  Family_Matters_Leaflet  gives you some backstory on the project. The event would not have been possible without the support of the Roma Project and the various families.

Photography by Koko Zin Photography.