42 hrs +
We spent 2hrs every fortnight having lunch with a group of fascinating Roma women. Led by Rosie Gray and Jameela Khan from Barrel Organ, we spent sessions exploring the women’s experiences and journeys, specifically through the lens of the five senses. We also explored the word Jilo (meaning ‘heart’ in Romanes), treating it almost as a sixth sense, and discussed how the idea of the heart manifested for the women in their everyday lives. European Drom (our Roma partners) gathered the women and organised the lunches, we caught up (& smoked), and as we listened, we began to conjure up an exhibition that would represent the group's experience of being a Roma woman living in the UK today.
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For example, the group were inspired by the portraits at Impressions Gallery after we visited one Wednesday afternoon, as part of the Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture events, and we subsequently organised a photoshoot with a renowned photographer, and placed their powerful, contemporary portraits centre stage in the exhibition.
The Sessions
Audio was recorded across certain sessions, which you can hear on this website (see below). The majority of it is in another language, because that's how we experienced it too - we'd ask questions in English, the questions would get translated, the question would be answered, the answer would then be translated back to us. Often, the ladies understood our questions without the need for translation. We sometimes also understood Czech/Slovakian in the same way, even though neither of us spoke their languages.
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Our designer, Sascha also spent time with them and looked over our notes. Together with Barrel Organ, an exhibition began to take shape. We knew we had achieved our aim of giving the women a voice when they recognised themselves and their words in each element of the exhibition. They felt listened to, and understood that they had ultimately designed it themselves.
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The exhibition page describes what was created and the sessions that inspired them. We hope this gives you a taste of the contemporary Roma lives we were lucky enough to be privy to and the kindness and resilience of the women we got to know during the sessions.
Thank you!
Katie Moule & National Lotter Heritage Fund
Iveta Bangova & Katerina Dome from European Drom
The Roma Ladies of Bradford