Artur Conka is a young photographer and director. As a Roma himself, Conka was born in Kosice, Slovakia, lived in Lunik IX, and travelled around Europe with his family before eventually settling in England in 1998 when he was eight years old. Graduating from Derby University with a B.A. in Photography, he became a passionate filmmaker with an accomplished record of delivering excellence in each project. He gained experience in self shooting for public and private broadcasters such as BBC Wales, IPPR, and Community Channel. He completed his debut movie »Lunik IX« after graduating from university and has made several great works over the years.

He is driven to create more beautiful projects that he believes in. Conka’s photography canon has focused on the plight of the Roma Gypsies and Travellers in Europe. He feels that it is important to give the Roma a voice, as they have so long been voiceless, without influence or consideration by those in power. He always wanted to return to his roots in the former Czechoslovakia and document the environment and, more importantly, the people at the Lunik IX housing estate in Kosice. He had spent a number of years there before the estate’s tragic decline into Slovakia’s largest ghetto, with an unemployment rate of 99% and an alarming number of those addicted to drugs and alcohol from across all ages.

On his return to Britain, his film project, which was used as his final degree presentation, led to widespread interest and coverage on the topic within the local and national press in the UK. Artur’s work has appeared in various international publications including the »Huffington Post«, »The Independent«, »Vice Magazine«, »Foto8 Magazine«, »Vas.Cas.Sk«, »Creative Boom«, »Lab Kultur TV Magazine«, and the »Derby Evening Telegraph«.

source

http://unframe.com/artur-conka/

Filmography/Awards

2012 - Lunik IX - Short Documentary

Won the Derby Museum and Art Gallery Award for Lunik IX project
Exhibiting at Portrait Salon – November
Exhibiting at Derby Museum and Art Gallery, July – November
Featured at Film Festival in Brno, Czech Republic NAIFF
Featured by AMA (Art Media Agency)
Exhibiting at Wirksworth Festival
Exhibited at Photokina at Cologne, Germany
Exhibited at Free-Range London
Featured by Emma Taylor, Creative Consultant at Emma Taylor
Exhibited at Derby University, May 2012.
Featured by TA3 News Channel and Three Slovak National Papers
Exhibited in Berlin for the Hungarian Culture Center 2013.
Featured by Ciara Leeming, Photo Blog 2013.

2014 - Migrants Rights Network - Promo Film
2015 - IPPR - Promo Film
2015 - Music Beyond Barriers - Documentary
2016 - AIRE center organization - Promo Film
2016 - Polyland - Documentary
2016 - Norman - Short Film
2016 - Emily – Short Film
2017 - Bruises Edge – Short Film
2017 - EAL Academy – Promo Video