Trials Of Music Within The Gypsy Community example essay topic

Introduction to the "They travel endlessly and seem to appear almost everywhere, yet they are the world's most mysterious people: Gypsies". Moreau, 2002, pp 3. This essay is a description of a proposed community theatre project to be held in Sarajevo (former Yugoslavia) in August next year, touring through Europe and hopefully ending up in Australia. Gypsies or Roms continue to be excluded from our society both culturally and economically throughout the entire world.

This isolation is hardly hidden. Assault and harassment as well as ignorance of this community's situation continues to be accepted and unaddressed (first article). This project aims at tackling this issue of dislocation, celebrating their culture as well as communicating the hardships of their lives. It will combine tragedy and comedy, realism and fantasy, dance and music, as well as many other talents of these people, giving them an opportunity to be proud of their culture and history and tell their stories to the rest of the world.

Firstly, the essay will outline a brief background and history of the gypsies, looking closely at their way of life and challenges they face. This particular section will help justify the purpose of this project. Then, an artistic plan will be outlined describing, in detail the style and character of the performance as well as the involvement of the Roms in the project. A production plan outline will also be included with information about expected size, duration, and attendance of the project as well as an initial project budget.

Next, some of the effects and details of audiovisual technology will be outlined in an attempt to create a picture of the project. Finally, the philosophy of the project will be discussed with a deep focus on the rationale and evidence of its capability to be a success. History, background and lifestyle In justifying the purpose of this project, it is worth introducing the history and facts of Romani people and the uniqueness of their culture. Although this is arguable, evidence indicates that Roms originate from India. Their first destination from India, in 10th century, was what became Former Yugoslavia. Latest statistics show that Gypsies occupy 0.04% of Former Yugoslavia with a population of 421 000.

Throughout their history in this region, Gypsies suffered from varying levels of persecution and racial discrimination. It is reported that even local governments participated in harassment and intimidation, not to mention the discrimination in employment, education and social services. Their living conditions are beyond any human standards and their appearance reveals their hardships, mere struggle for survival and acute malaise. Imagine broken down caravans and clusters of precarious and crumbling shacks, thrown together from material scavenged from dump heaps, in which children cry awaiting a never known destiny of being sold to another family or busking on streets with no education.

This is what the message of Gypsies looks like (see Appendix 1). This is a social emergency and must be treated as such. (first article) Many people cease to care about this urgency due to the incorrect belief that Gypsy people are not trying hard enough to progress. For example, research shows that Gypsy children do not attend school on a regular basis and their attention span is very short causing their behaviour to be disruptive. This in turn creates adults that do not have an education and do not have the skills to pursue a career and create stability. The Gypsies owe this to their culture. It is passed on verbally from one generation to the next.

Their tradition is about learning from stories told by their ancestors and telling them to their children. This is how they learn essentials of life and what it is about. School, to them is like "Utopia". They do not understand such a way of learning, or the point to knowing arithmetic, grammar and science when everything that we need is provided by mother earth. Hence they find it difficult to adapt to this environment.

Secondly, they are usually discriminated against and teased by other children causing general discontent and dislike of school, which leads to a lack of attendance. Gypsy children are used to spending their time outdoors, looking after the younger children, singing, dancing, playing instruments or looking for ways to earn money for some food for the day. Concentration involved in school tasks is foreign to them. In desperation to keep this beautiful culture in existence with all its colours, they are reluctant to adapt to the "civilised" way of life. They continue their lives in their tents and huts that merely protect them from the rain but regardless, they are a much more welcoming home (Mira 1997, pp 39). This way of life means that they can only support themselves by begging, fortune telling and performing arts.

Although some Gypsy families are involved in some kind of trade, many engage in criminal activities in an attempt to make ends meet. However their talents have formed an important part of Europe. It certainly added a unique element to the Yugoslavian culture. The movie "Time of the Gypsies" by Emir Kusturica depicts some of the talents and assets given to Yugoslav culture by the Roms.

This project will aim to create awareness of these assets amongst Yugoslav people encouraging an appreciation of this culture. It is inevitable to consider that a community theatre project may not solve the problem or improve the living conditions of gypsies in Sarajevo or anywhere in the world. But at its worst, it will answer the many cries of Gypsy people and allow them to celebrate their culture with pride. This in itself gives this project a deep meaning, the performers motivation and the Gypsy community a hopeful willingness to participate. Artistic Plan (see page 70) This project aims to explore a theme that is experienced by every person regardless of culture.

Love is a universal theme, time resistant, and everyone understands its intensity and capability. Telling a love story through Gypsy eyes will enable the rest of the world to realise how essentially, we are all the same. The story aims to show a glimpse of the soul of a discarded race - of joy and mourning, of transgression and human decency- a compassionate portrait of Roms. Gypsy love stories have unique qualities that almost resemble the quality of Shakespearean love stories. They are a combination of beauty, sensuality, tragedy, comedy, action, insanity, poverty, politics and many other issues Kusturica, 1989.

The story in this project will attempt to incorporate these components to arrive at a true spectacle. Cameron, 1993 suggests that issues in theatre are not developed by theatre professionals, instead they emerge from real life (pp 68. ). Extensive plot and storyline will be left up to the community members to tell and the style of this show will concentrate on delivering their life in a theatrical way. In order to truly deliver the life of Gypsies in a theatrical way to people, it is only obvious that it should be placed outside. As Cameron indicates, (pp 72), this means that it will have to look at successfully delivering the show outside and hence using techniques that will make it effective.

The show will include large scale images, in particular fire sculptures floating on water and Gypsy Festivals where crowds of Roms bathe in water using fire for light, heat and in this case a beautiful scene (see Appendix 2 a). Setting, costumes and props will depict scenery from Gypsy camps. The show will also utilise specific talents that are discovered during workshops and incorporate them into the production in form of Circus and Stunts which are, as indicated by Cameron, 1993, (pp 72), are also an effective outdoor technique. Cameron, 1993 (pp 72) also suggests that music is "the central and living art". Gypsies are very loyal to their music and instruments, which they sometimes describe as the "mirrors to their souls" (Kusturica).

They are famous for their musical abilities, but many people may not be aware of the extent of this acumen. Many music production companies actually perform trials of music within the Gypsy community to see if music they are considering marketing is going to sell. It doesn't matter if it is pop music, or classical, or folk; if the Gypsies respond well to it, the music company knows it will be a hit. Gypsies love to play the violin and accordion, as well as some of the Gypsy instruments - the c"umb " uo, a type of mandolin with a metal case, the klar inet, and the darbuka (Voss, 2002). While their instruments may not be as refined as those used by a philharmonic orchestra, their music is often world class and can touch the soul of the listener with beautiful stories told through them. It is only sensible then to make music a major part of this production.

The stories will therefore be told through song and dance rather than through a written script which should be rather simple to achieve as it is quite obviously their expertise. Community Involvement In order to achieve the above picture extensive we will approach a Gypsy camp in Sarajevo where most Roms reside. Getting people together should not be difficult as most Roms would love an opportunity to participate in an artistic project. Cameron, 1993, (pp 74) argues that a few people are apathetic when there is an opportunity for them to express themselves in an enjoyable way. There will be no audition as there will be no script until the end. Rather, people's talents and strengths will be observed and the project will be built around this.

A set of workshops will be run with enthusiastic people and those who are willing to take a part. The workshops will not be limited to Roms, instead anyone interested in the culture will be welcomed. Help will be needed with administration and organization hence any help offered will not be rejected. Therefore the community with The show l end with a destruction of the scenery and the set. The story will provide a lyrical glimpse into an exotic, obscure culture, a tragedy of lost innocence, and a reaffirmation of love and family. Production Plan (see page 56 Fire n Water) As mentioned above, the show will take place outside.

The nature of the show will eliminate many problems associated with an outdoor show. No lighting equipment will be needed as fire will be used. However power generators will be needed for sound amplification. Equipment will need to be protected and insured. If it happens to rain, we will try and use it to the show's advantage.

It will further add to the reality of their living conditions and discomfort. The audience, on the other hand will be under shelter. Although the show will tour, there will be only one performance in each country. Cameron, 1993 (pp 58) suggests that a single show can reach a lot of people and allows organisers to concentrate all resources on that show.

The Touring Gypsy Festival will begin on April 16th which is the St George celebration - a major Gypsy celebration. It will take place outdoors and will use weather to its advantage. The show duration will not exceed 1 hour and will be repeated twice a day in each location. The tour will begin in Sarajevo where we will become acquainted with the community from the gypsy camp and work on putting the show together.

The journey will continue through Italy, Turkey and Romania throughout which our group will hopefully grow and we will involve people from these parts also. Finally, the complete troupe will travel to Australia (provided there is sufficient support) where the show will be repeated in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. We will tour in carriages similar to the ones in (appendix) and thereby symbolism the neverending journey of Gypsies and every person in search for oneself and survival. The nature of the show will also evoke the feeling of displacement allowing this community to express their lifestyles in the way. At the end of each show, the set will be destroyed by a crane that will lift it in the air and dum it into one of the carriages. It is expected that the audience in Australia especially will be quite substantial.

We may face problems of venue as it will require presence of water and fire. Work Breakdown Structure Budget Most of the Funds for the project will come from UNICEF, Roma Rights Centre and World Union of Romanies who will sponsor the show. Rajkot Djurie, the president of World Union of Romanies said that the organization would be more than happy to fund such an interesting project and is looking forward to its impact on the Gypsy community as well as the community they are amongst. Please see appendix for closer details about the Cost and Expenditure. Effects and Technical Information Lighting- fire - no artificial lighting- outdoor performance Sound- amplified Special Effects Fire on Water - Lit up - celebration of St George- Performance on water - dam. Philosophy of the Project The possibility of complete failure of this project is inevitable.

The issue is sensitive, and there is a chance of the Roms unwillingness to participate or to participate completely. However with careful planning of the structure and timing of the show, the chances of its success increase. Cameron (1993) in Fire on the water describes a project where they examined "the community's rhythm" so that the show was timed in order to attract a wide range of audience (pp 26). In addition, the show was designed so that they did not rely on the story because different members of the audience would arrive at different times. The show had an exciting story but was divided in clear and related parts. As mentioned above, the themes will be universal portraying the similarity of this community to other communities yet, its neverending inability to be understood and to fit in.

This should make the story come alive, its magic touching the souls of many people especially at a time when this part of the world is experiencing hardship recovering from war and political instability. Cameron (1993) describes this technique as an "Everyman" theme (pp 27). He also indicates that stories about birth, love, death and individual's struggle in the community they live in is the essential themes that interest people. These can be found and built up in the workshops (pp 68 - 69) He also suggests that touring shows involve a lot of work and hence it is important to slow down and take things one step at a time (27).

Also, the approach of the community would be informal and less publicised because these people are used to prosecution and mistreat, they are probably unlikely to trust that the project will benefit them in any way. Cameron suggests that a public meeting is not an effective way of canvassing local views for an arts project and that he personally prefers approaching the community informally. He adds that it is important to search for the real representatives. Overall the project will act as a political practice that works towards social justice and change by influencing the government of each country to come up with a solution for this minority group that are in urgent need for help and assistance. It will also seek of the communities that surround the Roms to be less reluctant to accept them as a part of their home country and begin to understand and appreciate their culture. Through its story, it will reflect and validate the reality of experience of the Roms.

Finally it will provide a channel for them to express their culture and identity by allowing them to participate and tell their story. Conclusion APPENDIX 1 (a) - These pictures show the conditions that Roma live in. sca. lib. liv. ac. uk / collections / gypsy / photo ind. htm web new / people /str / str. htm - Begging for money web APPENDIX 1 (b) Above left, mother with a child begging for Saying goodbye to family / money to feed her child. And friends who are probably being sold for slavery. web Romania / Roma/Roma. htm APPENDIX 1 (c) Above: Home to a Gypsy family Below: Destruction of Gypsy homes in Italy approved by the government. web field 1. shtml APPENDIX 2 (a) - Gypsies Celebrate -Not much else to do but sing, dance and celebrate This is a Gypsy Festival "Djurdevdan". Everyone bathes and sings in the water using fire as a means of heating as well as to create this beautiful effect. web kinoeye 14 horton. html APPENDIX 2 (b) - Gypsies dancing web cig ani. html web web gypsies-istanbul-turkey. htm web kinoeye 14 horton. html APPENDIX 3 - Poem by Isabel Fonseca The time of the wandering Gypsies Has long passed. However, I see them, They are bright, Strong and clear like the water. You can hear it Wandering When it wishes to speak.

But poor thing it has no speech... the water does not look behind. It flees, runs further away. Where eyes will not see her, The water that wanders. Isabel Fonseca, Bury Me Standing, op. cit., pp. 4-5. APPENDIX 4 (a) - BUDGET - REVENUE Revenue Source Cash Donation In kind Total Local Government Funding: Bosnia, Turkey, Italy, Romania Total: 10,000 10,000 Sponsors: Airlines (Jat, Qantas) Hotels Total: 4,000 2,000 6,000 Philanthropic Trusts and Funds: Philanthropic Soros Foundation World Union of Romanies Roma Right Centre The Gypsy Research Centre Total: 12,000 5,000 5,000 6,000 28,000 Special Fund: Project Donation Hotline Total: 5,000 5,000 Audience: Contribution Fee (24 shows @ 100 people x $3, 00 AU (or equiv.) Donation Total: 7,200 2,000 9,200 Other Sources of Income: Volunteers Donated Props, costumes and Instruments Media Publicity Total: 5,000 1,000 2,000 8,000 REVENUE GRAND TOTAL 66,200 APPENDIX 4 (b) - BUDGET- EXPENDITURE Expense Amount Total Expense Travelling Expenses: Return Airfares Train and Bus FaresAccommodationTotal: 8,000 1,000 6,000 15,000 Venue Expenses: Rehearsal HallOtherTotal: 800 600 1,400 Equipment Expenses: Crane Instruments Hire Amplification Fire sticks Other Total: 8,000 1,000 2,000 300 2,000 13,300 Costumes, Makeup and Props Expenses: Costumes and Makeup Tents Rugs Begging Baskets Other Total: 200 200 100 100 500 1,100 Tools Expense Setting Up Tools Total 500 500 Gypsy Wagon Hire Approx total hire cost Total: 2,000 2,000 Insurance Expense Travellers Insurance Workers Compensation Equipment Insurance Total: 1,000 2,000 500 3,500 Security Expenses Guards during each show Total 2,000 2,000 Wages and Fees Director Other Administration Total: 5,000 5,000 200 10,200 Post Show Expenses Volunteer and Participant after party Sponsor package and attention (media) Total: 1,000 1,000 2,000 Publicity (10%) MediaOtherTotal 2,000 3,000 5,000 Contingencies (10%) Miscellaneous Total 5,000 5,000 EXPEND. GRAND TOTAL 61,000 APPENDIX 4 (c) - BUDGET - SUMMARY Activity Revenue Expenditure Revenue Sources: Local Government Funding 10,000 Sponsorship 6,000 Philanthropic Funds 28,000 Special Fund 5,000 Audience 9,200 Other Revenue 8,000 Total Revenue 66,200 Expenses: Travelling Expenses 15,000 Venue Expenses 1400 Equipment Expenses 13,300 Costumes, Makeup and Props 1,100 Tools 500 Gypsy Wagon 2,000 Insurance 3,500 Security 2,000 Wages 10,200 Post Show Expenses 2,000 Publicity 5,000 Contingencies 5,000 Total Expenditure 61,000 PROFIT / LOSS 5,200 APPENDIX 5 (a) - WORK BREAKDOWN STRUCTURE It's a Gypsies' world - project breakdown structure Director Show Coordination Travelling Sponsorship Project Philanthropy.

Research & Publicity Show And Management Funds Admin Accommodation Proposal etc Flight Tickets Proposal Plan Proposal Treasuring Media Set Relations Design Other Tickets Package Schedule Communi- Letters PR Sound Cation Design Discount Hunt Communi- Reminder Collection Mailing & Posters& Stage Cation Networks Website Crew Hotel Book Collection Timetable Contact Research Sponsors Makeup, & check in Involvement. costumes Timetables Recruitment Props Staff Info & Lighting details Design Survey prep Fire & analysis Design Work- shops Story Venue PERSON A PERSON B PERSON C PERSON D PERSON E PERSON F PERSON A, b, c, d, e, f.