Meet the Govanhill Open Museum Team!

We represent four organisations, working together under the Thriving Places banner. Between us, we speak at least 9 community languages, and we all share a commitment to making heritage inclusive and accessible for all. If you’d like to get in touch with the whole team, please email gom@govanhillha.org

Dana BalogovaGovanhill Open Museum Slovak Roma engagement facilitator

Originally from Slovakia, Dana has lived in Govanhill for several years and she leads a Roma dance group as part of Community Renewal. As part of Govanhill Open Museum, she engages the Slovak speaking community so that their views are represented in the project. Contact: gom@govanhillha.org

Jennifer Ferguson –  Govanhill Open Museum community engagement facilitator

Jennifer is currently the Tenant Participation Worker for Govanhill Housing Association. Prior to this she had 27 years experience as a community development worker in both education and social work settings. As part of Govanhill Open Museum, she supports the involvement of local people with the project. Contact: jferguson@govanhillha.org

Razvan Kim – Govanhill Open Museum Romanian engagement facilitator

Kim comes from a predominantly multi-cultural and artistic background, shifting between communities in Germany and Romania, and currently working for Community Renewal Scotland as a community facilitator for IT and Digi. He hopes to best represent the culturally diverse interest of the Romanian community in Govanhill through his participation in Govanhill Open Museum and believes in community regeneration through artistic means.  (www.razvankim.com) Contact: razvan.kim@communityrenewal.org.uk

Sabrina JanickaGovanhill Open Museum multilingual engagement facilitator

Sabrina has lived and worked in Govanhill for several years and is a polyglot able to communicate in numerous languages. She puts her language skills to use in her work with Community Renewal. Contact: sabrina.janicka@communityrenewal.org.uk

Iulia Isar – Govanhill Open Museum Romanian engagement facilitator

Iulia is a Romanian actor based in Glasgow. Her work is often a subject of tragicomedy, political theatre, Theatre of the Oppressed and the buffoon. iulia is part of the youth work team at Govanhill Roma Youth Project (Community Renewal) and works as a seasonal welfare adviser and interpreter with the New Migrants Action Project (at Positive Action in Housing). She is a Romanian Engagement Worker as part of the Govanhill Open Museum team. Contact: iulia.isar@communityrenewal.org.uk

Liz Ely – Media and Communications

Liz works for Govanhill Housing Association as well as Govanhill Community Development Trust leading on communications. She is the media contact for Govanhill Open Museum. Contact: lely@govanhillha.org

Marion Eele – Govanhill Open Museum project worker

Marion has been involved with the Thriving Places Govanhill strategy since August 2020, supporting a variety of activities including communications, event organisation and project development work. She has previously worked in Jordan, Italy and Scotland as a writer, editor and contemporary art curator. Her experience, which she brings to Govanhill Open Museum, includes curating an international touring exhibition featuring first-person artistic responses to the experience of migration, and editing a national art and design print magazine. She also brings a passion for making art accessible and inclusive, and for bringing untold stories to light.Contact: meele@govanhillha.org

Marzanna (Mana) Antoniak – Govanhill Open Museum founder & coordinator

Mana has worked in Govanhill since 2015, first as an ESOL Integration Worker with Govanhill Community Development Trust, and then moving on to her current role as a Community Connector leading on the Thriving Places strategy for the neighbourhood. She is a culture animator, community development worker, trainer, and a language teacher with a special interest in working with people who have had little experience of formal education. She has worked on numerous projects celebrating cultural connections through art, music, poetry, and languages, and programmed cross-cultural festivals and events around Scotland and beyond. Mana can communicate in several languages and is a well-known face in the community. Govanhill Open Museum was her brainchild and she coordinates the pilot phase of the project. She is the main contact for the project: mantoniak@govanhillha.org, 079 7589 4393

Chris Jamieson of Glasgow Museums and Ann Hyde of Community Renwal are also involved in the project.