The intercultural dialogues about Roma life and culture are part of the Jivipen project, in which the Cluj Cultural Centre aims to highlight the importance and need for a dialogue with the Roma community and its various artistic and cultural expressions.
On Monday, July 13, from 19:00, the actresses Zita Moldovan and Nicoleta Ghiță will discuss the difficulties, challenges but also the accomplishments and satisfactions of establishing and supporting the Roma feminist theater Giuvlipen. It will be a friendly discussion moderated by Alexandru Boguș, Jivipen project manager, in a format that aims to provide a much-needed space for discussion about contemporary Roma life and culture. The last part of the discussion will be dedicated to audience questions.
The event will be broadcast live on the Cluj Cultural Centre Facebook page. Those interested will be able to leave questions and comments during the broadcast.
The next edition of “Jivipen Meetings” will take place in August, with theatre actress and playwright Alina Serban as a guest, who will present her ongoing projects but will also talk about the June release of the Gipsy Queen film in German cinemas.
Jivipen, which means “life” in Romanian, promotes Roma culture and supports contemporary expressions of Roma life. The project uses culture to address issues such as Roma history and persistent inequalities and facilitates new connections between the city’s Roma and non-Roma communities.
The project includes the Roma Culture Days, an annual event held during the Cluj Days, which supports emerging Roma artists, commissioning their works. Jivipen also supports Cluj museums in their efforts to create collections and programs dedicated to Roma culture. Summer camps for Roma children, a series of discussions dedicated to intercultural topics and an international Think & Act tank complete the Jivipen agenda.
Giuvlipen means feminism in the Romani language and it is the first independent Roma feminist theater company in Romania. The themes of the shows are diverse, but they have something in common: the open discussion about topics that sometimes history, sometimes mentality and social or political constraints have silenced. Each show aims to claim Roma art, history and cultural identity, through stories told by Roma artists. Giuvlipen was founded in 2014 by actresses Mihaela Dragan and Zita Moldovan.
The project is carried out by the Cluj Cultural Centre, with the support of Cluj County Council, City Hall and Cluj-Napoca Local Council.
Strategic partner: Banca Transilvania
