Romani youth including actor from "The Painted Bird" want to fundraise for Czech hospital treating serious COVID-19 cases

The regional daily paper Českobudějovický deník reported on 5 March that a group calling itself Držme Spolu Za Jeden Provaz (“Let’s All Pull Together”) wants to aid those who are fighting for their lives against the novel coronavirus. The group was set up by local Romani youth including Petr Kotlár, the actor who starred in the Czech film “The Painted Bird“, and others living in the towns of Český Krumlov, Větřní, Černá v Pošumaví and Květušína.   

The group is planning to contribute to the hospital in Český Krumlov so it can acquire ventilators and plan to raise the money through charity fundraising performances. Romani community members Pavel Cina, who is blind, Katka Knihová, who leads a group of young dancers, musicians and singers, and Robert Kotlár are behind the idea.   
 
“The children were inspired by this idea and want to work on it, so we put it together. We have planned the program and how to make it possible and we would like to launch it,” Robert Kotlár told the daily.

The group is planning to perform a skit set in a hospital that is dealing with the novel coronavirus, followed by a dance performance with live music. The youngest member of the ensemble is 11-year-old Marián Gábor.  

Under normal circumstances the group rehearses at the Rovnost (“Equality”) Community Center’s club room in Větřní several times a week. The ensemble has a broad repertoire of numbers it performs, a large number of which are Romani songs.