What is the project EXPORT knowledge - IMPORT art about

Export knowledge - Import art is a project whose main objectives are: 

• To empower European organizations working issues related to minorities, especially Roma culture, trough sharing knowledge and practical experiences. 
• To build a network of Roma artists and Roma organizations in Europe. 
•   Recognition of rich Roma cultural heritage from Balkan region in wider European area.
• Transnational partnership and expanding the Festival of Roma Culture Romano Čhon to European level.

During the organization of the Festival of Roma music Romano Čhon we came into contact with the representatives of Roma associations, which have carried out activities within their own countries, but did not cooperate with other Roma associations. Our Festival provided the link, Roma musicians came together while playing the music and we got the idea for this project.

We started the project with a desire to connect Roma artists and Roma associations from different European countries. During our communication with the Roma Association of Berovo, it became apparent that they don’t have a website which could present their activities to a wider audience and that they have an insufficient knowledge of the use of the modern means of communication. The Romanian Roma association "The Ion Cioaba Foundation" from Sibiu on the other hand already has a website established and is able to present their association and the projects undertaken with the aid of the European institutions. With the help of donations from ECF we would like to enable these two associations to be able to independently organize Festival Romano Čhon in their home towns in 2012 and later on in other Romanian and Macedonian cities using our Slovenian model. ZULK organizes Festival Romano Čhon in every Slovenian city with a Roma minority – in Maribor, Ljubljana, Murska Sobota and Novo mesto.

Within this project we will organize meetings in Berovo in Macedonia and in Sibiu in Romania, and invite both associations to actively take part in the Festival Romano Čhon in April 2011 each with its own cultural event.

We wish to establish a long-term cooperation not only between the two associations, but also a productive and creative cooperation of a network of Roma associations in the EU.

   
You are welcome to join our network!