Andre Miri Cipa

Andre miri cipa / In My Skin is an educational, narrative game about the experiences of young Roma women and men with racism and discrimination in contemporary Czech society. The outcome of a research project, it was made primarily for teaching in grades 8 and 9 of Czech primary schools. Each chapter (up to 15 minutes of play), together with a reflection led by the teacher, fits into a single lesson. The game is also available to the public for free.

• Three chapters with interlinking stories based on participatory research: the stories of Robin, Vanessa and Marie

• A methodology for teachers and an encyclopedia of related terms with quotes from the research

• Full Czech voice-over with lines in Romani; Roma characters are voiced exclusively by Roma actors

• English subtitles

Three stories

Players follow the stories of three characters who encounter prejudice in everyday situations:

• Robin experiences racism during an ordinary trip to a grocery shop

• Vanessa faces discrimination because of her style of dress

• Marie and her family try to find a new home and face discrimination in the housing market

Utopia in the game

The three chapters of the game are linked by the legend of the magic mirror Romano Gendalos, a monument in a utopian future where racism and discrimination exist only as bitter memories. Once upon a time, conflict shattered the mirror into thousands of pieces. Legend says that if the shards are reassembled, the Roma will find the peace and quiet they deserve. Robin, Vanessa and Marie make a pilgrimage to the mystical monument. Accompanied by their friends Dejv and Kája, they return to unpleasant memories of the old world – the painful experiences of our present.

The utopia of a hopeful future serves as the starting point of the game. From this safe distance in time, players can see discrimination as something that should not be accepted as normal and can be overcome, and think about what could change to make that happen. The game also lets players look at our reality from the perspective of Roma characters.

A game for the classroom

The format of the game is based on research and on collaboration with educators from the Faculty of Education of Masaryk University and from partner primary schools. The game was tested with teachers and pupils at primary schools. The aim of bringing the game into primary schools influenced the form of the dialogues and the game mechanics. The graphics are optimised so that the game runs even on less powerful devices, including the phones and tablets schools commonly use.

Research and real experiences

The project consisted of two parts: research and game development. The experiences of racism and discrimination captured in the game are based on authentic accounts of Roma respondents, gathered in current participatory research by the Faculty of Social Studies of Masaryk University and in workshops run by the Faculty of Fine Arts of Brno University of Technology.

Among other things, the research activities confirmed that young people deal with similar problems and topics regardless of their ethnicity or skin colour, and that the differences that are often emphasised are mostly much more connected to social class. Paradoxically, middle-class Roma, who more often integrate into the life of mainstream society, face much greater prejudice, stereotyping and distrust, even though they live in a way materially and culturally very similar to the majority.

The game was created by an interdisciplinary design team that brought together Roma and majority artists with researchers. Both Roma and majority artists were represented in the key creative positions: art direction, scriptwriting and the soundtrack.

About the project

The project aims to overcome anti-Roma discrimination and to foster mutual understanding and solidarity with others – not only among pupils, but also among the wider public.

The digital game Andre miri cipa / In My Skin was created with state support from the Technology Agency of the Czech Republic (project TQ01000081) under the SIGMA Programme, in collaboration with the Faculty of Fine Arts of Brno University of Technology, and the Faculty of Social Studies and the Faculty of Education of Masaryk University.

More information for teachers and the public is available on the game’s official website.