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Interview with the young Roma artist Ionuț Niculae: “My script for Ferentari is one in which there will be workshops given by actors in collaboration with psychologists to help more these young people”

Ionuț “Jean” Niculae is one of the most gifted young Roma ethnics in Romania, a man who clawed his way up from the gutter, going through all the stages of a childhood marked by uncertainties but who managed to fulfill his dream of becoming an actor. Sensitive to the dramas and difficulties of young people in the Capital’s poorer and more marginalized neighborhoods, Jean Niculae set up a theater laboratory (Brightside Drama) for high school students. You can see him on the stages of various theaters in the Capital (Point, TNB) and in recent film productions (Netflix), where he’s always surprising and willing to adapt his repertoire.

Meșteshukar ButiQ — The success story of traditional Roma craft

Very little is known about Roma craftsmen and their ancient skills. Yet, it is a cultural heritage that can change negative attitudes toward Roma, providing the families of these craftsmen with the financial impetus to lift themselves out of poverty. At Meșteshukar ButiQ, a social enterprise network, all these artifacts of Roma culture are revalued and reinterpreted from the perspective of modern design

Andrei Șerban, on political actor’s mission: “I think that one of the main stakes of the kind of theater I practice is to give voice to communities and people who are ignored and pushed to the sidelines by the system”

Andrei Serban actor

Andrei Șerban is one of the leading actors in the local political theater and one of the co-founders of Macaz, the most important political theater platform in Romania. For him, acting is art with direct social stakes, an instrument through which people become aware of the problems faced by specific segments of the population. His Roma origin didn’t prevent him from pursuing his artistic dreams but made him aware of the persistent inequalities and discrimination that certain social categories must face. He’s very fond of PlayHood and is currently working on “Povestea Gaborilor din Telciu,” where a few members of this theater group will perform.

“Here, in Ferentari, is easy to be influenced/ But I go my way, no their way” – Mario Fabrika, a young man of 17 years old who firmly believes in his artistic star.

Mario Răducanu, or Mario Fabrika, is an artist from Ferentari at the beginning of his career. He discovered the passion for music while trying various sports and realized his scope in life are actually lyrics and sounds. His biography is a complicated one, with no difference from any other young man in Ferentari, but this did not make Mario give up his dream that one day he will be able to help himself and others. Despite the artistic success that he is dreaming about, Mario intends to remain modest and oriented to social volunteering.

Ferentari Studios: A discussion with actor Sever Bârzan about what it means to be a volunteer mentor in the hood

Sever Bârzan

Sever Andrei Bârzan graduated from the UNATC acting department in 2010. He met Ionuț Oprea a year later when the latter had come to Bucharest for a master’s degree. That’s how the two of them came to strike up not just a friendship but also a shared passion for artistic volunteering and other forms of social involvement. So when Ionuț, originally from Sibiu, decided to move to the hood and set up the theatre group PlayHood and Studiourile Ferentari, Sever joined him, first as a member of the improv theatre group Backstage Boys.

Young authors: Georgiana Vatală

I am 19 years old. My passions are dancing and acting. I am a first year student at Bucharest University, Information and Documentation Sciences. Even if this is a good university, I don’t feel this is my calling and, in the future, I plan to start Psychology University and/ or Pedagogy.

Geno’s dream: “I strive to keep in check both the man and the artist, to keep my feet on the ground.”

Geno didn’t have an easy life. He thinks he’s a bit of “a wild kid” only because this life forced him to—because it’s not easy to grow up alone in a foster home. However, compared to other children, Geno feels fortunate: “God took care of me with certain gifts and talents so that I could steer myself in the right direction.” That’s how Geno got rid of a lot of troubles, that’s how he rejected the harmful influences of his neighborhood, and that’s how he managed, as he says, to save himself.