Behind every cultural event lies the effort and enthusiasm of those who bring it to life. In more than 25 years of organizing the World Roma Festival Khamoro, we have accumulated a wealth of experience – and now, we are passing it on. We provide young Roma man and women not only with knowledge but also with real-life practice in cultural management, so that they can one day confidently and professionally carry out their own cultural projects in the future.
• The program is designed for young Roma aged 20-30 who are involved in artistic and cultural activities.
• Training takes place throughout the year, but its highlight is the Khamoro Festival, where participants tare directly involved in the organization – they assist with concert production, prepare Children’s Day, and help coordinate the spectacular parade through the center of Prague.
• In 2024, we trained 20 graduates from various regions of the Czech Republic.
Theory or Practice?
What works better – first talking about cultural event management or jumping straight into action by helping organize a festival? For us, the second approach has clearly worked. Young Roma first get involved in preparing the Khamoro Festival, and only afterward do we analyze different aspects of event organization. This method not only keeps them motivated but also minimizes the risk of them dropping out of the program. At the same time, hands-on experience helps them to become more familiar with the theory through direct experience on the ground.
Cultural Management
What are we actually passing on? We teach how to create an attractive programme, put together a dramaturgy and select the right artists. We show how to secure funding - whether from grants, subsidies or private donors. We also focus on effective communication, from social media to working with the press. And last but not least, we cover every detail of production so that our participants know exactly what to watch out for when organizing an event.
Our graduates' events
It all starts with our training. We motivate participants to organize cultural events themselves, and we also provide them with financial support. In 2025, two joint events took place, for which the graduates of our cultural management course made full use of the experience they gained while working on the Khamoro festival.
The first event was a literary and musical evening with authors Stanislava Miková, Ilona Ferková, and Marie Siváková, which took place at Božská Lahvice in Prague and offered visitors powerful stories about family, memory, and hope. There were readings from the short story collection Fameľija nadevše, which brings together the voices of fifteen Roma authors from the Paramisara literary club, and the atmosphere was complemented by musical accompaniment from Jan Hron, Vladimír Demeter, and Vojtěch Lavička, who also hosted the evening together with Marlon Ferenc. Guests enjoyed stories connecting generations and examples of how literature can bring people together, open dialogue, and strengthen understanding, with the subsequent discussion also focusing on the important topic of anti-Gypsyism.
The second event was a charity concert called Zorale Lavutara, organized by a group of our graduates—Roma students from Ústí nad Labem—with the aim of supporting 16-year-old Darinka, who is bravely battling a serious illness. The concert combined music, solidarity, and the energy of the younger generation, whose commitment showed that culture can be a powerful tool for helping and connecting people across society. The evening also included a discussion on anti-Gypsyism, which provided an opportunity to reflect on the problems that Roma people face on a daily basis. During the event, almost CZK 50,000 was raised, which was subsequently handed over to Darinka and her family.
The Khamoro program shares experiences and is financially supported by Bader Philanthropies, the City of Prague, and ČEPS, a.s. Follow-up cultural events by graduates took place as part of the Cultural Management Training project in cooperation with ERIAC (European Roma Institute for Arts and Culture).
