2026 | INTERNATIONAL CULTURAL OUTREACH PROGRAM

Building on the achievements of previous years, ERIAC continues its International Cultural Outreach Program in 2026 with the support of the German Federal Foreign Office. In a European context marked by growing political polarization, shrinking cultural funding, and increasing challenges to democratic values, the program supports ERIAC’s role as a key platform for Roma arts, culture, and knowledge production.

Roma communities and cultural practitioners continue to face structural exclusion, limited access to institutional resources, and underrepresentation in mainstream cultural ecosystems. In response, ERIAC works to expand visibility, strengthen international partnerships, and secure sustainable opportunities for Roma artists and intellectuals across Europe and beyond.

The International Cultural Outreach Program 2026 builds on this foundation to further consolidate ERIAC’s position as a leading transnational institution for Roma cultural advocacy, foster international cooperation, and ensure sustained visibility and recognition of Roma arts and culture within global cultural discourse.

Romani Language Initiative and Romani PEN

ERIAC will continue advancing its Romani Language Initiative as a key strategic component for improving language rights, cultural identity, and access to education. In 2026, this includes the completion, production, and distribution of the B2 Romani language textbook, adding to the A1–B1 series and aligned with the Council of Europe’s Curriculum Framework for Romani. In 2025, ERIAC completed the first five chapters of the book – in 2026 the remaining five chapters will be finalized, and the book will be completed and printed. The process is led by Mihaela Zătreanu, Coordinator of the Romani Language Initiative, who plays a key role in developing the educational framework, coordinating international experts, and integrating linguistic, cultural, and methodological components at all levels.

In parallel, ERIAC will organize the annual international conference on the Romani language, inviting researchers, policymakers, educators, and cultural practitioners to advance dialogue on language education, policy developments, and the role of language in identity and inclusion. The conference will also host the annual official meeting of the Romani PEN Centre, marking its transition into a fully functional transnational literary platform.

Supported by PEN International and hosted by ERIAC, the Romani PEN Centre initiative unites authors, poets, translators, and language experts to promote Romani literature, protect the language, and advocate for freedom of expression. Formal recognition during the annual PEN Congress and the annual official meeting create the foundation for a sustainable international network that supports Roma authorship and consolidates the role of language and literature within ERIAC’s broader cultural and educational mission.

Roma Pride Curriculum and Community Outreach Programmes

ERIAC will develop and pilot a structured and replicable “Roma Pride Curriculum” dedicated to Roma history, identity, and cultural pride. Under the leadership of an external expert, the process includes mapping existing bodies of knowledge, educational materials, and cultural resources within ERIAC relevant to Roma identity and history, incorporating both institutional outputs and broader expert knowledge. In addition, thematic modules and methodologies will be developed to create a practical tool for community-based cultural education and for future measurement of pride and belonging. The educational product will be implemented in local Pride and community outreach programmes.

The first community-centered cultural outreach event will take place in Šuto Orizari, North Macedonia. The programme will activate ERIAC’s cultural materials through participatory formats such as film screenings, creative workshops, and performances, with a strong focus on engaging children and young people. It will strengthen social cohesion, foster a sense of belonging, and serve as a starting point for activating ERIAC membership in North Macedonia and building partnerships with local authorities.

Commemorating 2 August: Exhibition Opening at ERIAC

Presented on the occasion of 2 August, the European Holocaust Memorial Day for Roma and Sinti, You Are All Our Children in One examines the persistence of eugenic ideologies after 1945. Emerging in the late nineteenth century, scientific racism and eugenics legitimized policies of racial exclusion and served the foundations of the modern nation states. They culminated in the racial laws of National Socialism and the genocide of Roma and Sinti during the Holocaust.

The defeat of Nazi Germany did not end these ideologies. They persisted, mutating into new forms through postwar legislation, welfare systems, and medical practice. The coercive sterilisation of Romani and Traveller women in countries including former Czechoslovakia, Sweden, and Norway remains one of the clearest examples of this continuity.

Rather than reconstructing this history through official archives, the exhibition brings together artists whose works expose histories omitted from institutional memory. Through painting, installation, performance, and testimony, they reveal the violence concealed behind the language of welfare, medicine, and progress. Together, their works create counter-archives, where bodies, family histories, and artistic practice become repositories of historical truth.

Through the works of Lindy Larsson, Emília Rigová, and Zsófia Takács the exhibition presents three artistic responses to these silenced histories. Its title borrows a sentence from Emília Rigová’s childhood, one whose meaning only became clear years later: “You Are All Our Children in One.”

ERIAC Film Initiative

ERIAC will support Roma filmmakers through strategic participation in major international industry platforms, including the Marché du Film in Cannes and selected European festivals. The initiative focuses on expanding professional access, visibility, and positioning of Roma creatives within the international audiovisual sector.

A key component is the further development and promotion of the ERIAC Film Pitch Deck, which presents selected projects by Roma filmmakers and facilitates connections with potential partners for co-production, funding, and distribution. In parallel, ERIAC will support the development of the Rolling Film Festival programme, including programming and coordination, and ensure Roma representation in panel discussions, increasing the visibility of Roma voices within industry dialogues.

The initiative also includes targeted support for emerging Roma filmmakers through scholarships enabling participation in professional training programmes such as the Midpoint Institute, providing access to mentorship, project development, and industry visibility, while enhancing recognition of their work.

Through these activities, ERIAC will help develop a stronger pipeline of Roma talent, improve access to industry networks, and expand the presence of Roma voices in European and international film ecosystems.

Amaro Kino and Community Screenings

ERIAC will continue its film programme through curated screenings and outreach activities aimed at broadening access to Roma cinema and deepening engagement with local communities. Implemented in partnership with the Eastern European Film Festival Network (EEFFN) and ERIAC Romania, the initiative will extend its reach through community-based screenings and travelling film caravans in selected locations, including various regions of Romania.

The programme includes the travelling short film format Amaro Kino, presenting contemporary films by Roma filmmakers and artists working with Roma communities, as well as selected feature film screenings such as “Caliu” and “Gypsy Queen.” ERIAC will also support special community screenings of works by Roma filmmakers, including Alina Șerban, bringing contemporary Roma cinema directly to local audiences and creating spaces for dialogue and reflection.

A dedicated strand, Amaro Kino for Kids, will introduce younger audiences to Roma stories through age-appropriate films and interactive formats, enabling early cultural engagement, identity awareness, and creative inspiration.

Through these activities, the initiative will increase the visibility of Roma filmmakers, promote youth engagement, and expand access to Roma cultural narratives across different local contexts.

ERIAC Public Cultural Conference

In 2026, ERIAC will organise a public conference in Berlin bringing together leading Roma and non-Roma artists, researchers, journalists, educators, cultural practitioners, policymakers, and representatives of civil society for a day of public lectures and discussion. The conference will be curated by ERIAC’s five Thematic Section Coordinators, who represent the Institute’s core areas of work: Arts and Culture, History and Commemoration, Research and Publication, Media and Information, and Romani Language.

The conference responds to an increasingly challenging European context, marked by growing nationalism, culture wars, shrinking space for independent cultural institutions, the spread of disinformation, and attempts at historical revisionism. Against this backdrop, it reflects ERIAC’s strategic commitment to strengthening Roma knowledge production, cultural leadership, and public engagement as essential contributions to democratic, pluralistic, and inclusive societies.

Each Coordinator will develop and moderate a public lecture dedicated to a contemporary topic relevant to their field, inviting distinguished speakers and experts from across Europe to contribute to the programme. Together, the five sessions will explore current developments in Roma artistic production, cultural memory and remembrance, media representation, academic research, and the promotion of the Romani language, creating opportunities for interdisciplinary dialogue and exchange between experts and the wider public.

The conference programme reflects the breadth of expertise represented within ERIAC’s membership. The Arts and Culture section will be curated by Miguel Ángel Vargas, an art historian, theatre director, and independent researcher whose work examines Romani history, flamenco, and contemporary artistic practices. The Media and Information section will be led by Dalibor Tanić, an award-winning journalist and editor with more than twenty years of experience in independent media, investigative reporting, and strategic communication. The Research and Publication section will be coordinated by Dr. Maria Bogdan, a media and cultural theorist specialising in cultural memory, representation, racism, and the Roma Holocaust, as well as founding managing editor of Critical Romani Studies.

The History and Commemoration section will be curated by Tetiana Storozhko, a Roma civic leader, researcher, and educator from Ukraine whose work focuses on Roma remembrance, historical documentation, and human rights advocacy, including the development of the Digital Roma Archive and international research on the impact of war and displacement on Roma communities. The Romani Language section will be coordinated by Mihaela Zătreanu, a leading Romani language expert and educator who has dedicated more than twenty-five years to advancing Romani language education, policy, and teaching materials across Europe.

Beyond serving as a platform for public dialogue, the conference will channel the expertise of ERIAC’s members into international cultural, academic, and policy debates, strengthening connections with European institutions, cultural diplomacy actors, and expert networks. It will also provide a space for identifying emerging priorities and setting the agenda for ERIAC’s future work across its five thematic sections. By bringing together leading practitioners and decision-makers, the conference will help define how ERIAC’s members can collectively generate greater cultural, intellectual, and societal impact for Roma communities and for Europe as a whole.

The conference will reinforce ERIAC’s role as the leading European platform for Roma arts, culture, history, language, and knowledge production, contributing to a more inclusive, democratic, and culturally diverse Europe.