RPOINT

About Us

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RPOINT is a non-profit organization, founded and registered in the UK in 2006. We mainly work in Serbia with the Roma children and young people, by designing and implementing educational and artistic programmes. Our vision is that the young Roma further their education so that they get better access to mainstream jobs. By giving a voice to the Roma, RPOINT shows commitment to presenting a positive image of Roma youth today.

We maintain a small office and employ three full time paid staff. At the moment we have 35 permanent associates, who work either as volunteers or as freelancers. These include teachers, musicians, DJ’s, choreographers, photographers, cameramen, lawyers, project manager, doctors, IT specialists, web designers, PR, video film maker and editor, and accountants.

To see videos of our work please see our Youtube site here.

Contact:

info@rpoint.org.uk

Educational Programmes

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The RPOINT Tutoring Centre in Nis, the second largest city in Serbia. Situated within the Roma settlement, it helps 400 Roma children successfully continue their primary and secondary education in the state schools. Since the parents are mostly illiterate, the school

helps and supports children who would otherwise drop out of school. RPOINT has been involved in the Centre for the past five years and has been entirely running it for the last two years. In the Balkans, around 18% of Roma children enrol into sec

ondary education. Amongst the children helped by our Centre, 90% enrol to secondary education.

Vocational Training for young people, mainly Roma, who having dropped out of school early, do not have any access to a qualification that could lead to a legitimate job.

For the past two years we have run several training programmes each year in Belgrade. The training is followed by three months apprenticeship. After their training we follow each participant for 2 years to make sure that they do not fall back into the gray economy. We work with several partners amongst them the Branko Pesic School and the National Employment Agency.

For the past 3 years we have provided tutoring and psychological support to the children of the Mosa orphanage in Belgrade. Without this support most of these children drop out of school.

We have also provided English workshops run by British students twice a year for two weeks in 2007, 2008 and 2009 at the Mosa Orphanage.

A GSL (Global Students Leadership) training course to empower university students from disadvantaged communities, mainly Roma, and to encourage them to help their communities. In partnership with the AWBC (American Women Business Centre) and the University of Nis, the first training course begins in autumn 2010, Nis.

Arts Programmes

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For the past 4 years we have organised weekly Music workshops, for Roma young people, in Belgrade, Nis and Novi Sad. The workshops are run by professional musicians and DJs. They write their own music and lyrics, strongly rooted in urban global music as well as in their Roma musical heritage.

We have coordinated weekly Dance workshops for the past four years, run by professional dance teachers and choreographers.

Concerts: Many of the bands who formed from our music workshops have gone on to perform all over the Balkans in various clubs, events and festivals most notably at Exit festival where they have performed every year since 2007. They have attracted a lot of media attention and acted as spokespeople for their communities through interviews in both local and international press.

“Romano Hip Hop” a feature length documentary that followed some of our groups from the workshops to their first performance at the Exit Festival in 2007.

An Album, GRUBB, Gypsy Roma Urban Balkan Beats

featuring their music, produced by Tim Oliver. Available on iTunes here.

A choir of 50 Roma children in Belgrade, and a choir of 20 Roma children in Nis. Their repertoire includes traditional songs in Serbian, Romani and Albanian and hip hop songs. Started in 2010.

In 2008 and 2009 we organised a six week long Theatre workshop in English at the Branko Pesic School in Belgrade. The workshops were run by English post graduates. The productions created at these workshops were so popular that the children were invited to perform in many events. This success resulted in the creation of a small theatre in the school which has been running actively ever since.

Several Art workshops at the Mosa orphanage, since 2008, involving young UK artists coming to make murals with the children resident there.

A weekly Theatre workshop activity, started in 2008, at the Sremcica orphanage where the children have mental health problems, some of them very severe.

An Art Therapy workshop in Sremcica and in a day care institution programme in Sremcica, in September 2009.

Photographic workshops in 2008 with simple photo cameras and in 2010 with mobile phones, run by professional photographers.

GRUBB The Musical

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Because those who have no voice should be able to sing.

Because education is the shortest route to emancipation.

Because art is a homeland for those who have none.

Because there should be a dialogue between the Romany people

and the rest of the world.

Because it is high time that Romanies under twenty had the opportunity to tell us what they are and what they aren’t.

Because indifference kills more people than all the bombs in the world.

Because it is no longer acceptable to act as if the segregation of

Romanies does not exist.

Because it is no longer acceptable to act as if they do not exist.

Because it is important to go beyond clichés and trite generalizations.

Because we are not always the Gypsies you would like us to be.

Because we have something to say to you and we invite you to hear it.

For all these reasons…

G.R.U.B.B.

RPOINT is producing this show to give a voice to Roma children internationally. All profits will go to Roma education programmes.

November 2009 to January 2011 – In Belgrade, Nis and Novi Sad 50 Roma young people participate in weekly workshops and fortnightly master classes led by a highly successful international creative team who are donating their time and skills to create the show GRUBB.

We are currently holding rehearsals in Belgrade.

Our first show is at the Bitef Theatre, Belgrade at the end of May. Tickets go on sale shortly.

We will be performing at the Indigo2, London 11th June. You can buy tickets here.

GRUBB opens at the Montreal Jazz Festival in June, you can buy tickets here.

CREATIVE TEAM

Serge Denoncourt, Canadian Director and Writer

His love of theatre and versatile creative talent have led him to an international career, from directing for the Cirque du Soleil show (Criss Angel Believe) to operas, to highly extravagant and poetical magic shows (Arturo Brachetti, Gaetano Trigliano) to pop star tours (Eros Ramazotti world tour) to musicals (le Blues de la Metropole).

Michael Curry, American, Set Designer

Michael Curry is one of the world’s leading production designers. He works widely in both conceptual and technical development with the foremost entertainment companies such as Cirque du Soleil, the Metropolitan Opera, London’s Royal National Theatre, Disney Theatrical Productions, LA Opera, and Universal Pictures. He collaborates regularly with directors such as Robert Lepage, Nicholas Hytner, Julie Taymor and William Friedken. Michael owns and operates Michael Curry Design Inc, which designs and creates live-performance oriented dimensional characters and productions, such as those seen by world-wide audiences in the 1996 and 2002 Olympics opening and closing ceremonies, Superbowl 2000, and New York City’s epoch 2000 millennium event.

Patrick Woodroffe, British, Lighting Designer

Patrick has lit and directed the concerts of many of the top names in the music world including Bob Dylan, Peter Gabriel, Michael Jackson, Elton John, The Police, The Rolling Stones, and Take That. He was also responsible for the theatrical lighting of the three feature films - Shine A Light (Rolling Stones/Scorsese), High School Musical 3 for Disney and This Is It, the film of Michael Jackson’s last rehearsals.

Francis Collard, Canadian, Music Producer

Francis Collard is a gifted musician whose talents range from composing and arranging to production and sound engineering. He has contributed to many successful albums, remixes and films with celebrated Quebecois artists such as Ariane Moffatt, Stéphanie Lapointe, Brigitte Boisjoli and Brazilian sensation Paulo Ramos. Francis has also collaborated on the production of several television shows, radio broadcasts and live performances. In 2004, he was also invited to join Cirque du Soleil's ‘Delirium’ team as a musical director, composer, producer and arranger.

Olivier Goulet & Gabriel Coutu Dumont, Canadian, Video Designer

Olivier Goulet & Gabriel Coutu Dumont started the multi-media design company Geodesik two years ago. They have designed videos and visual effects for many artists including Justin Timberlake, Pink, Cher, and The Killers.

Francois Barbeau, Canadian, Costume Designer

Francois Barbeau has participated in the creation of more than 500 productions worldwide for theatre, opera, ballet and film as costume designer, artistic director and director. Amongst many other prestigious awards he has won two Emmy awards for the artistic direction in the films ‘Kamouraska’ and ‘Eliza’s Horoscope’

Menno Meyjes, Dutch, Script Advisor

Menno was nominated for an Oscar for his screenplay for the 1985 film The Color Purple, directed by Steven Spielberg. In 1989 he co-wrote Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade with George Lucas. He wrote and directed ‘Max’ starring John Cusack, ‘Martian Child’ starring John Cusack, Joan Cusack and Anjelica Huston and ‘Manolete’ starring Penelope Cruz and Adrian Brody.

Arturo Brachetti, Italian, Magic Effects Advisor

Arturo is an illusionist, director and actor with an impressive international career. His one man show has been touring the world for the last ten years. He has directed many shows, concerts and events. His acting credits include films, sitcoms and his own TV show in Italy.

Wade Robson, Australian, Choreographer

Wade has choreographed and directed music videos, commercials, award shows and world tours for artists such as Britney Spears, NSYNC, Usher and Pink. He created, produced and starred in MTV’s hit series, The Wade Robson Project. Since then he has created commercials, award winning short films and groundbreaking choreography for Fox’s ‘So You Think You Can Dance’.

Nico Archa mbault, Canadian, Choreographer

Nico is a versatile dancer and choreographer, proficient in a mix of styles, including contemporary, hip-hop, jazz and tap. Winner of the first season “So You Think You Can Dance Canada”. Nico has performed and choreographed in countless Canadian TV shows and music videos.

Natalie Meyjes, American, Choreographer

Natalie joined the San Francisco Ballet in 1979. Her repertoire included principal and soloist roles in Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty, The Nutcracker, Les Sylphides, and contemporary works by Lew Christensen, George Balanchine, Jerome Robbins, Arthur Mitchell, George Balanchine, Jerome Robbins, Elisa Monte, Jiri Kylian, James Kudelka, Michael Smuin, David Bintley, and William Forsythe.