Workshop in Aarau – August 2011

As part of their senior thesis paper, Anja Klauser and Corina Noetzli, students from Neue Kantonsschule in Aarau, invited Ida Kelarová and her artistic team from MIRET to participate in the vocal workshop with a follow-up concert performance.

Aarau (Switzerland),  26.–28. August 2011

Ida Kelarováand her team taught a group of students from Neue Kantonsschule many Romani songs and prepared this choir for a performance in the municipal church as part of a fundraiser event for MIRET.

The event also featured talks and powerpoint presentations about history, politics and social issues, together with photographic documentation.

Corina and Anja travelled to East Slovakia in July to study the living conditions of the Romani minority in this area. They stayed in the settlement over the weekend and visited other settlements in the village, including the municipal ghetto Luník IX i Košice. They conducted interviews with social workers and with journalists from the Roma Nevo Lil journal in Prešov as well as other Roma living in this area. For their project they used materials from different sources, such as Amnesty International.

Together with Ida they created the idea of a programme which later evolved into a fascinating evening. The raised funds and sponsor donations were used to organize the 2012 youth summer camp held by MIRET.