Finalists announced for top cultural award

The European Roma Institute for Arts and Culture (ERIAC) has announced the names of five finalists for its €10,000 biennial Tajsa Roma Cultural Heritage Prize Award taking place on Saturday (29 November), at the historic Romanian Athenaeum in Bucharest, Romania.

The finalists are:

·      Lifelong flamenco dancer and actress Coco Reyes from Spain (pictured);

·      prodigy of Italian haute couture Noell Maggini;

·      British singer-songwriter with a regular presence at the Maxim Gorki Theater Riah Knight:

·      Albanian visual artist Sead Kazanxhiu, and

·      artist turned activist Selma Selman from Bosnia and Herzegovina, whose work showcases the survival strategies of Roma families who collect and sell metal. It transforms luxury cars into scrap metal, electronic waste into gold and manual labour into art.

They were selected from over 36 nominations that ERIAC received from across Europe this year.

Their work spans visual arts, performance, fashion, music, and community engagement, affirming the creativity and continuity of Roma cultural heritage across Europe at a time when representation in the region remains scarce.

Celebrating its fourth edition, the Tajsa Prize will honour a Roma individual whose work advances Roma cultural expression and reimagines heritage for future generations.

The Prize embodies Roma cultural leadership, pride, and self-determination.

Speaking about the award, Timea Junghaus, Executive Director, ERIAC, said, “The Prize highlights the brilliance, creativity, and intellectual leadership long present in Roma communities, yet too often overlooked in mainstream cultural narratives.

“The name “Tajsa,” meaning “tomorrow” in Romani, reflects this future-oriented vision. The Prize celebrates today’s excellence while inspiring future generations to inherit a stronger, more confident Roma cultural landscape.”

“The Tajsa Prize has aimed to celebrate outstanding Roma individuals shaping contemporary Roma culture, encourage a new generation of creators through recognition and support and strengthen the international presence and authority of Roma artistic and intellectual voices,” Junghaus added.

Previous winners include Romanian Roma actress, playwright, and director Alina Șerban (2019), Zita Moldovan (2021) Romanian actress, long-time TV host, co-founder of the Giuvlipen Roma feminist theatre company and Małgorzata Mirga-Tas (2023), internationally acclaimed Polish-Romani visual artist, known for reimagining Roma history and identity through large-scale textile works, and the first Roma artist to represent a country at the Venice Biennale.

An ERIAC spokesperson expressed the significance of being nominated for the Tajsa Award:

“Being selected as a finalist for the Tajsa Prize is both an honour and a responsibility. This recognition highlights the dedication of Roma creators and changemakers working across Europe to preserve our cultural heritage and push for inclusion and visibility. We hope that our work inspires future Romani generations to continue shaping a more equitable and vibrant cultural landscape.”

Rooted in ERIAC’s founding principles, the Tajsa Roma Cultural Heritage Prize celebrates the past, present, and future of Roma cultural identity. “Tajsa” means “tomorrow” in Romani—symbolizing continuity, evolution, and hope for generations to come. 

The European Roma Institute for Arts and Culture (ERIAC) is the transnational organization dedicated to the recognition of Roma arts and culture at the European level. Serving as an international creative hub, ERIAC fosters the exchange of ideas across borders and artistic disciplines, promotes Romani contributions to European culture, and documents the historical and contemporary experiences of Roma people.

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