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National Scholarship Competition for Talented Roma Students 2023

Winners of the 2023 Scholarship Competition, photo by M. Brus


The Counselling and Information Centre for Roma in Poland, has once again announced the “National Scholarship Competition for talented Roma students”.

“The aim of the project is to give support to children and young people of Roma origin who have not yet had the opportunity to benefit from professional assessment and to support children who repeatedly take part in the competition and whose development is visible.

By organising the competition, we want to motivate students to further develop their talent.

  1. By supporting schoolchildren with scholarships, we ensure that they have the necessary means to study and develop further. From June onwards, monthly scholarships will be awarded to children who show promise for the future, for instance because they are students of a music school, ballet, art or sports school, or because they belong to a sports, dance or art club.
  2. For students who develop their skills amateurishly, but who are important for the preservation of their ethnic identity, we have planned one-off support that will summarise their year-long work.
  3. All students qualified for the finals, including scholarship holders, will be able to apply for one-off prizes from the Ministry of the Interior and Administration for their year-long achievements.

For scholarships and awards from the Minister of Interior and Administration may apply children and young people of Roma origin who:

  1. Are Polish citizens, registered in Poland
  2. Are students of primary schools and secondary schools
  3. Have reached the age of 10 or under 18 by 1 April 2023
  4. Are pursuing their interests in at least one of the fields listed:
  • science
  • humanities
  • visual arts
  • instrumental music
  • singing (various forms of music)
  • dance (various forms of dance)”.

Task completed thanks to a grant from the Ministry of Interior and Administration

In the visual arts category, 1st place was awarded to Oliwier Głowacki, age 14

Oliwier Głowacki, photo: Małgorzata Brus


Second place went to Eryk Doliński, age 14

Eryk Doliński, photo: Małgorzata Brus


Third place went to Julia Rańda, age 18

Julia Rańda, photo: Małgorzata Brus

Julia Rańda

 

Julia Rańda, photo: Małgorzata Brus


Julia Rańda, in a new look.

It turns out that, while possessing extraordinary musical talent, she is successful in numerous competitions and can draw and paint brilliantly. In 2023, she was awarded the main prize, a scholarship in the 2023 National Scholarship Competition for Talented Roma Students, for her achievements in the category: singing (various forms of music), thanks to a grant from the Ministry of the Interior and Administration. She writes about herself:

I was born and live in Warsaw. I have an older sister Angela. I am of Roma origin.

I’m currently finishing my studies at Agnieszka Osiecka High School in Warsaw .

My hobby is painting, fine arts and my passion is singing. I have been singing since I was 5 years old. I have always wanted to become a singer. I try to develop my interest by taking part in singing competitions and festivals, developing myself in the artistic direction, acting as a vocalist in a musical duo “Voice Acoustic Band”, and attending singing lessons.

I enjoy cycling and travelling. My goal in life and my dream is to become an outstanding singer.

Jerzy Ficowski’s photo gallery

 

Romani people of the Polish Roma group – tabor of the Wajs, Krzyżanowscy, Dolińscy.

Photographs taken in the 1950s, in western Poland, by Jerzy Ficowski, made available to the Dom Kultury Foundation by courtesy of the Jerzy Ficowski Foundation. The photographs come from a collection donated by the Jerzy Ficowski Foundation to the National Digital Archive.


 

Andrzej Grzymała-Kazłowski

Andrzej Grzymała-Kazłowski

Graduate of Political Science at the University of Warsaw, a Romanologist, traveller. He owns a collection of several hundred exhibits: documents related to the history of the Romani people, archival photographs, paintings, graphics, postcards, and the owner of two original wagons (of the Ostrowski type) of Polish Roma. He’s a co-author of the government Programme for the Roma community in Poland. In the years 2001-2010, he worked at the Department for National and Ethnic Minorities of the Ministry of Interior and Administration as the chief specialist on Roma ethnic minority issues. He’s currently an independent expert, lecturer, member of the Programme Council of the Dom Kultury Foundation and founder and organiser of the Museum of Romani Culture (www.romuzeum.pl).

Agnieszka Caban

 

Cultural expert, doctoral student at the University of Warsaw in the Doctoral School of Cultural and Religious Studies, researcher of national and ethnic minority cultures, specialist in multiculturalism. Lecturer and trainer in intercultural communication, anti-discrimination, self advocacy and others. Social activist and human rights defender. President of the Home on the Borderland Foundation, Member of the Programme Council of the Dom Kultury Foundation.

Map of Romani culture in Poland

DOWNLOAD THE MAP


Map of Romani culture in Poland

Romani culture is one of the Polish traditional cultures most at risk of disappearing. In different parts of Poland the Romani culture is different, due to the fact that there are groups living there with a different history, with a different wandering route prior to settlement. Its common feature, however, is that it is handed down orally from generation to generation. The oral transmission is forgotten or transformed in the next generation. It is therefore important to record it, to document both tradition and the present. The “Map of Romani Culture in Poland” serves this purpose. It is a publication that documents and organises

knowledge on contemporary Romani life in Poland. The information is presented according to voivodeships and categories: place, event, institution, museums, art, music and extermination (Romani Genocide during Second World War).

The Map of Romani Culture in Poland is a pioneering project. This year’s edition

is the result of the initial stage of work, so unfortunately not all important places and events are included. The Map’s open formula means that it will be developed and updated all the time. If you would like institutions, events, etc. to be included, please write to the Editor:

biuro@fundacjadomkultury.pl.

When you open the Map, you will find detailed instructions on how to use it and a map legend.

The editors of the Map and authors of the entries and the selection of items are Agnieszka Caban and Andrzej Grzymała-Kazłowski.

The author of the visual side is Piotr Szewczyk.

The photographs were lent by the Dom Kultury Foundation and the Museum of Romani Culture in Warsaw.

The publisher of the Map is the Dom Kultury Foundation.


The task was co-financed by funds from the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage from the Fund for the Promotion of Culture.