Bringing to life Roma stories in Newport, South Wales

Bringing to life Roma stories in Newport, South Wales

Group of people standing outdoors in front of industrial heritage
Roma community visiting industrial heritage in the South Wales valleys.

National Lottery Grants for Heritage – £10,000 to £250,000

Riverside
Cardiff
Romani Cultural & Arts Company
£99986
‘The Roma of Newport, South Wales’ project will record and share the personal stories, culture and heritage of the area’s Roma community.

Romani Cultural & Arts Company's project will encourage greater public awareness of the Roma way of life and its unique heritage. It will culminate in a touring exhibition visiting the Riverfront Theatre in Newport, the Arts Central Gallery in Barry and St Fagan's National Museum of History on the outskirts of Cardiff.

Capturing personal histories and community heritage

Two staff members will be employed and trained to capture oral histories. In total 30 individuals’ stories, 300 photographs and 30 Roma artefacts will be collected.

This is an important study that gives voice to the Roma community in Wales.

Dr Aleksandar G. Marinov, research fellow at the School of History, University of St Andrews, Scotland

The project will work with a variety of local partners to engage with the Roma community.

Dr Aleksandar G. Marinov, who is a Bulgarian Roma and research fellow at the School of History, University of St Andrews, Scotland, said: “I am really pleased to learn of the awarding of this grant."

"In the current climate of uncertainty and crisis, we must be aware that marginalised communities are at risk of becoming even more marginalised and getting the short end of the stick. This important study gives voice to the Roma community in Wales.”

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