Space Transcribers

PT/EN

October 2017

You Tell Me

Roma Women's Socio-Spatial Stories in Braga's Social Estates

‘You Tell Me’, proposed to map socio-spatial stories of 9 selected and anonymous Roma women tthrough the study of their spatial fluxes at 3 scales: the domestic scale; the neighbourhood´s public space´s scale and the city´s scale. 

 

‘You Tell Me: Roma Women´s Socio-Spatial Stories in Braga’s Social Estates’ was an activity forged with Roma women in three Social Housing estates of Braga, Portugal: Bairro das Enguardas; Bairro de Santa Tecla and Complexo Habitacional do Picoto. This activity was developed through a socio-spatial and ethnographic research, which was focused on understanding towards a feminine perspective, the existing heterogeneity within the Roma community of these neighborhoods. ‘You Tell Me’, proposed to map socio-spatial stories of 9 selected and anonymous Roma women (3 per neighbourhood), towards a study of their spatial fluxes at 3 scales: the domestic scale; the neighbourhood´s public space´s scale and the city´s scale. Therefore, this activity was developed over several phases. The first phase was catalyzed through an open and informal dialogue with each women. Here, we started by questioning and trying to represent their (hi)stories through drawing and media recording, giving special attention to their spatial and emotional mobility within the spaces that are close and familiar to them, such as: their home, their neighborhood and their city. Questions such as, "What is your daily routine?", "What spaces do you (not) use in the neighborhood?", "How do you move through the city?" allowed us to explore and deepen the symbolical aspects related not only to the ethnic traditions beared by some of these women, but also to listen to their daily routines, their spatial appropriations in their neighborhoods, their fears and even their desires. The second phase was defined as a production phase, where we edited the recorded contents. The main objective of this phase was to create 9 socio-spatial maps (one per women), and subsequently to analyse and to compare the different and diverse specificities of each map/story/woman. Lastly, the third and last phase, expects to disseminate through an exhibition these 9 socio-spatial maps and a procedural documentary video. This exhibition aims to bring this socio-spatial and gendered subject to debate not only for the community of these neighbourhoods, but also for the rest of inhabitants of Braga.
The ethnic and symbolic representation of these specific and existing feminine stories in Braga´s social housing neighborhoods does not intend to end or close in itself. Instead, it seeks to become the beginning of another dialogue that is focused on questioning stabilized and homogenized notions of the Roma culture, specifically the socio-spatial position of the contemporary Roma women of Braga. The woman, the daughter, the mother, the wife, and the grandmother who are living according to contradictory ambivalences between: the persistence of symbolic heritages, ethnic traditions, political/social issues of negligence, which are still present in the city of Braga.

 

PROMOTER

Braga's City Council
 

ORGANIZATION

Space Transcribers
 

DATE

Outubro a Dezembro de 2017
 

LOCATION

Braga, Portugal
Bairro Social das Enguardas
Bairro Social de Santa Tecla
Complexo Habitacional do Picoto

 

COORDINATION

Fernando P. Ferreira

 

SUPPORT

Maria Lima

Maria Maia

Pétilin Souza

Datasheet

ACTIVITY

“YOU TELL ME”: ROMA WOMEN'S SOCIO-SPATIAL STORIES IN BRAGA'S SOCIAL HOUSING ESTATES
OCTOBER TO DECEMBER 2017
 

PROJECT

(RE)ESCREVER O NOSSO BAIRRO
 

PROMOTER

BRAGA´S CITY COUNCIL
 

ORGANIZATION

SPACE TRANSCRIBERS
 

COORDINATION

FERNANDO P. FERREIRA (SPACE TRANSCRIBERS)
 

PARTICIPANTS

9 ANONYMOUS ROMA WOMEN FROM 3 SOCIAL HOUSING ESTATES: ENGUARDAS; SANTA TECLA AND PICOTO.

 

SUPPORT

RED CROSS — GERAÇÃO TECLA (PROGRAM ESCOLHAS)
MARIA LIMA

MARIA MAIA

PÉTILIN SOUZA
 

FUNDING

PROGRAMA OPERACIONAL REGIONAL DO NORTE – NORTE2020
EUROPEAN SOCIAL FUND