The BBC Wales Charity Message for July 2012 was on behalf of Romani Arts. There was a broadcast in the week beginning Monday 23 July 2012 on BBC Radio Wales.
About the Charity
The Romani Cultural and Arts Company was established in 2009 by Isaac Blake (a Romani Gypsy himself). Isaac trained as a dancer at Laban in London and Martha Graham, New York. He is now a tutor at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, Cardiff.
Working through the arts the company raises funds to take community development and educational projects onto Gypsy, Roma and Traveller sites and into Gorjer communities (non-Gypsies) across Wales. Current priorities include supporting Gypsy, Roma and Traveller History Month each June in Wales and the educational projects for children and young people.
A grant from Children in Need enabled the company to provide drama, music and art workshops on six traveller sites across South East Wales to encourage children and young people to learn new skills and gain in confidence. The company also encourages the communities to take responsibility for the continuation of such projects in the future.
It is hoped such projects will create inspirational role models for the young people and, through story telling, relay their cultural history. The young people also have the chance to record their own stories in photographs and film and other formats more suitable to those less comfortable with the written form.
The Romani Cultural and Arts Company work to overcome the ignorance and mythology relating to Gypsy, Roma and Traveller people living in Wales by hosting an annual symposium to discuss relevant issues. They also organise heritage exhibitions and hold an annual gala event to highlight the young people’s achievements.
Press coverage notably from (BBC)
The Romani Cultural and Arts Company is not responsible for the content of external Internet sites.