Our Romani Studies Program at Central European University (CEU) went on a study trip to Budapest from 21-23 February 2025 to explore the Romani culture of the city. The group, students from MA and RGPP, consisted of different nationalities, such as Hungary, Romania, Spain, Argentina, Albania, Ukraine, and the United States. With different backgrounds and studies, the group could share their experiences and enrich the conversations with the different people we met. Despite the short trip, it was full of fun, bonding, and knowledge.
Our trip started with a meeting with Marietta Herfort, Roma activist and director of Phiren Amenca, who shared the youth organization’s efforts and activities to combat antigypsyism, empower the Romani community, their commitment to intersectionality where other minorities such as Roma LGBTQ+, disabilities, etc. are made visible and have their own spaces, and their connections and projects with other international Roma NGOs.
The day concluded with a concert by GAB and Hegedűs Józsi, two excellent Romani musicians. The event was advertised as a “Roma ball,” so we anticipated hearing “traditional” Hungarian Romani music. However, the artists performed more contemporary pop and jazz-inspired pieces, which didn’t align with our preconceived notions of “traditional” Romani music. This experience prompted us to reflect on what defines Romani music and who gets to define it. It was a great way to challenge our own assumptions of Romani music being “archaic” and “traditional” and think of it in a more fluid and ever-evolving manner. Ultimately, the concert highlighted how Romani artists use music as a form of self-expression and as a platform to confront and dismantle prevailing stereotypes.
Not only is the music a tool to challenge stereotypes, but also the work of UCCU Roma informal Education Foundation, an organization that offered us, on the second day of our study trip, a walking tour of the 8th District (Józsefváros district). This district is considered by many as not safe, dangerous, and a criminal district, mostly because of racist views since it is a multicultural district. However, Norbert Horváth, our tour guide from UCCU, showed us the neighborhood along with a funny and dynamic presentation of Hungarian artists, the Roma, and their challenges such as school segregation and the low effort of institutions to combat it. All prejudices of this district can be revoked by simply going to the area and learning about its history.
To conclude the second day, we visited Bura Károly Gallery, a progressive Roma art gallery that considers critical art narratives as part of Roma culture. Clara Farkas, our tour guide, and her colleagues, explained the different parts of the visit, with various projects of artists such as Balázs Kitti, Farkas Aliz, Várhelyi Valentina, and an animated video called “The Cure of the Black Rose” by Bárány Lili.
On our final day, we visited the Romano Kher Roma Cultural Centre, located in the heart of Budapest, where we were warmly welcomed by the director, Melinda Rézműves. Melinda shared the mission of Romani Kher, which is to celebrate and promote the contribution of Budapest’s Roma community to the culture, success and achievements of Hungary and Europe. She outlined the wide range of activities organized by Romano Kher, including dance workshops, art exhibitions, podcasts, and scholarship programs, all aimed at empowering Roma artists and enthusiasts while serving as a vibrant cultural and community hub in Budapest. The Romani Kher is a cultural institution where every idea is welcome. To quote Melinda’s words “You bring the idea; we make space and time for it!”. Her words were inspiring to all of us who are passionate about culture, art, and Romani emancipation but may feel uncertain about how or where to bring our ideas to life.
The study visit was enriching and insightful, encouraging us to continue working on Romani activism and to have hope that things will change. It also prompted us to reflect on our own perspectives, deepened our understanding of the contemporary challenges faced by the Roma community in Budapest, and highlighted the ways in which Roma individuals and organizations are fostering change through self-organization, self-advocacy, self-expression, and awareness-raising initiatives. We are grateful for all those activists and organizations who have dedicated their time and energy to tell us about their work.
This article was written by:
Maria Aguilera Martin, MA student in Critical Gender Studies
Nora Gulyas, MA student in Human Rights
Photos by: Noelia Barbero, Réka Boglárka, Marton Rovid.