Self portrait

Project duration
2008
Responsible for the project
Mészáros Attila
Supporter
Európai Unió és a Magyar Kormány

The aim of the project is to help the integration of the migrants and gypsy people to the society and increase the number of the organizations which deal with the different groups of the society.

To frame it in the public sense, we chose a new model which was established in England and not yet used in Hungary. Under this process we disapprove of the original way that we show the discriminated groups in the sense of the majority of the society, but rather assure them of the opportunity to introduce themselves realistically and genuinely.
The self-portraits and messages, which were made by different artistic levels, were shown in many various mediums to help these groups get introduced without stereotypes.

With the trainings for the members, who are a part of the organizations which deal with the eliminated people, or endangered with elimination, the integration or re-integration of the groups, the aim is that the process of this project become widely well-known and also through the media to call the attention of the specialists who can help. The project was established in seven different locations. In the capital city of Hungary lives the greatest number of immigrants. That is the reason why we announce for the migrants the creator workshop in Budapest. Our aim is to pass the opportunity to more and more people, in order to produce a varied and multinational policy. The workshops of the gypsies will be organized in dormitories and in gypsy parks to provide the participation of the different ages and different cultures created in the work. The migrant groups will be announced in both three migrant camps and in the composition of the groups.  The main point is the variation. We use this English model to naturalize a new process which formulates the view of the society to use this process now and in the future. We publish the effects of the process in order to review the main features of the method.We organize trainings to the specialists and this is how they can pass on the steps and features of the process to later users. The creator process consists of three basic steps: the preparation work, the creator phase and the after work. The aims with it are to involve the discriminative groups to the common work, to improve their skills and abilities, and to revise their social and psychological condition. Also to establish creations which are truly representative of the groups and to relay a view for the society without stereotypes.  We make four portrait films which reduce the rejected attitudes against the groups participating in the common work. We make the spreading through websites, organizing exhibitions and press conferences, screening the films in civil services and in internet shop-fronts and also buying commercial in order to pass the message to one and a half million people. The aims of the campaign are to enlarge the sensitivity of the society, to formulate the view of the people and to favour the dialogue among the society while reducing the discrimination. Giving and changing experiences help to raise the capacity of the supporting civil services and other organizations. The aim is to introduce the new process and the use of the press, media and PR instruments. Further goals are to humanize the relation between the civil services and the media, and to make their “helping role” more effective.