The Roma people are a traditionally nomadic ethnic group living mostly in Europe. Learn more about their rich artistic tradition and exciting contemporary work through the Journal series Roma Theatre in Europe, or watch work from the Roma Theatre Retrospective 2020.
The Latest
Video
Roma Heroes Seventh International Theater Festival in Budapest
Multi-camera Performance Video of Five Shows Presented for a Limited Time by the Independent Theater Hungary
Wednesday 1 October to Sunday 5 October 2025
Budapest, Hungary
Video
Roma Heroes Seventh International Theater Festival in Budapest
Discussions with Contemporary Roma Theatre Artists
Wednesday 7 May to Sunday 11 May 2025
Budapest, Hungary
Essay
Viewpoints for Achieving Authentic Representation of Roma Communities on Stage
(Event Canceled) Giuvlipen—a feminist Roma theatre company—presents their performance of Urban Body livestreaming from Bucharest, Romania on the global, commons-based peer produced HowlRound TV network at howlround.tv Tuesday 10 March 2020 at 11 a.m. PDT (Los Angeles, UTC-7) / 2 p.m. EDT (New York, UTC-4) / 18:00 GMT (London, UTC+0) / 19:00 CET (Budapest, UTC+1) / 20:00 EET (Bucharest, UTC+2).
dunaPart—an initiative of Trafó House of Contemporary Arts in Budapest—presented the conversation The (self-)representation of Romas on stage - trends and challenges in today’s Hungary livestreamed on the global, commons-based peer produced HowlRound TV network at howlround.tv Saturday 30 November 2019 at 8 a.m. PST (Los Angeles, UTC -8) / 11 a.m. EST (New York, UTC -5) / 16:00 GMT (London, UTC +0) / 17:00 CET (Budapest, UTC +1) / 18:00 EET (Bucharest, UTC +2).
Giuvlipen Theatre Company and State Jewish Theater presented a performance of Kali Traš (Black Fear) by Giuvlipen Theatre Company livestreaming from Bucharest, Romania on the global, commons-based peer produced HowlRound TV network at howlround.tv on Friday 25 October 2019 at 9 a.m. PDT (Vancouver, UTC -7) / 12 p.m. EDT (New York, UTC -4) / 16:00 UTC +0 / 5 p.m. BST (London, UTC +1) / 18:00 CEST (Budapest, UTC +2) / 19:00 EEST (Bucharest, UTC +3).
Presented by the Roma Heroes International Theatre Festival, Budapest, Hungary
Sunday 15 September 2019
Budapest, Hungary
Roma Heroes International Theatre Festival produced by Independent Theater Hungary presented a conversation about Giuvlipen Theatre Company's Who killed Szomna Grancsa? from Budapest, Hungary for the global, commons-based peer produced HowlRound TV network at howlround.tv Sunday 15 September 2019.
PARADAIZ in Bucharest, Romania presents a performance of American Gypsy livestreaming on the global, commons-based peer-produced HowlRound TV network on Thursday 12 September at 11 a.m. EDT (New York, UTC-4) / 15:00 UTC+0 / 17:00 CET (Berlin, UTC+2) / 18:00 EEST (Bucharest, UTC+3).
Marine Leduc discusses the nomadic theatre traditions of the Hognon family, who travel southwestern France staging plays that explore their Tsigane identity. / Marine Leduc explore les traditions du théâtre nomade des Hognons, une famille qui voyage à travers le Sud-Ouest de la France et y joue des pièces qui parcourt leur identité tsigane.
Mihaela Drăgan interviews Sandra and Simonida Selimovic of Mindj Panther about their show Roma Armee, and the activist work they are doing in Austria to fight against Roma oppression.
The aim of the festival and this series is to present and preserve the values of the theatre and theatrical heroes of the largest ethnic minority in Europe, highlighting the challenges the members of this minority face because of segregative and discriminatory practices—which offend minority rights.
Independent Theater Hungary presents the Roma Heroes International Theater Festival, Sixth Edition, livestreaming on the commons-based, peer-produced HowlRound TV network at howlround.tv from Wednesday 20 March to Wednesday 27 March 2024 at 11 a.m. PDT (Los Angeles, UTC -7) / 1 p.m. CDT (Chicago, UTC -5) / 2 p.m. EDT (New York, UTC -4) / 18:00 GMT (London, UTC +1) / 19:00 CET (Budapest, UTC +1) / 20:00 EET (Bucharest, UTC +2).
Celebrating Four Years of Contemporary, International Romani Theatre
Independent Theater Hungary in partnership with HowlRound Theatre Commons presented the Roma Theatre Retrospective 2021 which included forty livestreams of twenty shows and twenty interviews from Romani artists in ten countries who were featured during four editions of the Roma Heroes International Theater Festival, Budapest. Livestreamed on the commons-based peer produced HowlRound TV network Tuesday 19 October to Friday 10 December 2021.
Series
Roma Theatre Retrospective 2020
Featuring Roma artists from the Roma Heroes Theater Festival, Hungary
The Roma theater has more than a century long past with active professional theatre groups in many European countries, but unfortunately, they are still hardly known.