DROM Association

Welcome to the home pages of Finnish Association for Romani arts and culture, DROM.

At present:                                     

Miranda -  a travelling exhibition about the Roma holocaust

Drom Association has recently produced a travelling exhibition "Miranda". The exhibition presents recent European history from the perspective of the Roma as well as the vivid and rich Romani culture in the past and present. "Miranda" raises the topic of the Roma holocaust in an honest and direct way. It focuses on the so called civilized world which did neither know, see nor hear, what happened, but which however regulated laws that led Roma to concentration camps and gas chambers. The exhibition discusses in a dynamic way the problems of racism, persecution and ethnic relations.

"From Miranda’s eyes one could see a fighter, which she had been through her life. But was she a winner as well? Gypsies are survivors, that’s for sure. Miranda proved as much when she brought with her from the past a living message to the present. – Do me a favor. Bring to this world, to this new generation, from the depths of the past, from our souls and thoughts, from our lifestyle, beautiful memories, so that the world will remember the sufferings of the gypsies in the Second World War." (Veijo Baltzar)

Veijo Baltzar has acted as the director of the exhibition production. Anne Frank House (Karen Polak), Czech Museum of Roma culture and PhD Miika Tervonen (University of Helsinki) have participated in making the exhibition. The exhibition has been supported by the Dutch Embassy and the Finnish Ministry of Education.

The exhibition currently travels in different cities and provinces in Finland. It will also start touring European countries since 2013.

Artistic design and implementation - Veijo Baltzar

Graphical implementation – Christian Willför (ADD) and Esa Toppila (Drom)

Production assistants – Nina Castén and Aino Sederholm

Team – Kim Seppälä, Nina Castén, Aino Sederholm, Karen Polak, Esa Toppila, Carmen Baltzar, PhD Miika Tervonen

Exhibition experts – Esa Toppila, Sami Virta

Publicist – Nina Castén

"After the war hardly anybody knew about the Roma holocaust. It took a very long time before I dared to speak about Auschwitz."                      

Lily Franz, a German survivor of Auschwitz

I travel across the time of dreams,

play music, sons, play,

sing along, women, sing.

Yesterday my soul was like a young dream,

today my mind is as churning as the sea,

On dangerous roads my brothers fled, and my joy fled too.

Yesterday I sang from my heart like a gypsy,

today my voice is as coarse as rusty iron,

carried by the storms, my sisters have tired in the night.

Yesterday I danced with a young bride’s heart,

today my soul is sour like wine,

into the darkness of night the caravans have passed.

I travel across the time of dreams,

play music, sons, play,

sing along, women, sing.

                                             (Veijo Baltzar)

Drom Association is also working on an educational project "intercultural experience-based pedagogy" with the aim of responding to the needs of multicultural societies. Project’s patron is former prime-minister of Finland Mr. Paavo Lipponen.