GRTHM Eastern Region Meeting; 17th March
Cambridge PDC
The conference was co-presented by Tim Everson, Traveller Education Support Service Team Leader for Suffolk, and Thomas Acton Professor of Romany Studies at Greenwich University. Tim gave an overview of the background of and funding for the GRTHM.
Tim outlined the following possible activities for the month that were planned in Suffolk ie Jess Smith, storyteller, to visit schools, Delaine Le Bas, artist, workshops in schools, exhibition re Gypsy Heritage compiled from family reminiscences and photos to tour libraries plus CD ROM with lesson plans for schools, festival of GRT films. A GRT planning group, that includes Travellers, has been formed in Suffolk to develop further ideas and source funding.
The discussion was then opened to the floor.
There was recognition of concerns that there is very little time to organise for this year. A positive start has been made and we can also plan and build a template for the future. Some projects are already happening and can be included in the month. Events and activities taking place at other times could be promoted through the month and through the website. Thomas suggested that we should report any such events and activities directly to Patricia Knight, who will hold a calendar. A range of exciting events and projects are already being planned or considered across the region, including music, theatre, activities for children, reminiscences, websites, DVDs, school assemblies, and photo archives. An important job for this year will be to report back really well so that DCSF understands that it is worthwhile to build this project in the future.
Appleby Fair and Cambridge Midsummer Fair both take place in June. Allison Abdelal from Cambridgeshire TES (01223 508700) is organising the Education on the Hoof project this year and would be pleased to hear from any Traveller community members who would like to take part. History exhibitions are ongoing at Appleby. This is an outstanding example of how existing events can be linked to the Month.
It was hoped that the emphasis would be on projects and activities which would be sustainable and enduring and have a life outside the History Month as well as within it.
Time to seek additional funding is also prohibitively short and this will also be something to consider for the future. Tim suggested approaching local funding providers including local authorities.
Consideration might be given to moving the Month to April to coincide with International Roma Day
There was a strong feeling that the project should be owned and controlled by the Traveller communities from the outset. Some community members are already involved and it is hoped that good progress in this area will be made in the short time available, forming a solid groundwork for the future. Patricia Knight’s role as co-ordinator is a very positive asset to this process.
Showman, Circus, Scottish and New Travellers need to be involved and represented as well as Roma, Irish and English Gypsy Travellers.
Individual reminiscences are part of a larger history. A discussion between Thomas and Gloria Buckley, a Traveller, underlined how what happened to an individual or a family is part of what happened to whole communities and part of wider history. Thomas described the process whereby Traveller individuals become passionate and then expert regarding Traveller history. A job for the Romany Traveller Family History Society would be to get Traveller speakers out into local history groups.
A focus on current sporting personalities such as Freddy Eastwood could lead to wider work on Travellers in sports and other areas in history. Thomas underlined the power of linking current events with events in history.
A suggestion was made that work in schools could be facilitated by providing a DVD of Travellers talking and telling stories. The Month will be promoted through the Poster Competition and Prizes Galore. Schools can also use the website. It would be useful if the website could provide links to the excellent websites available (eg Gordon Boswell’s Romany Museum and many, many others.) Teachernet is flagging up GRTHM.
Individuals as well as organisations can take part in the Poster Competition. Gloria Buckley offered to promote the Poster Competition on the sites she manages and it’s hoped that it can also be promoted on other sites. Candy Sheridan will promote on Dale Farm.
The project is aimed at the wider community, not just education, and development of the website or other resources would facilitate the process for all organisations. Libraries are an obvious outlet and local and county history societies could be engaged. Several suggestions and examples were given of how the police could be involved. GRTHM could also be represented at existing high-profile events such as county shows.
There are many excellent resources already in existence. For example, Steve Capes (Libraries and Learning) works on an Online Archive on 50 Cambridgeshire communities including Travellers. This is sustainable and ongoing. He hopes to widen this through Dan Allum’s, Romany Theatre Company, ‘Atchin Tan’ project. Margaret Woods mentioned that Rose Cunningham Wilkinson has a Photo archive. Andrew Ryder hopes to have a DVD of Traveller role models’ personal histories available by the end of June. Others, such as a filmed version of “Home on the Road, Gypsy Life Past and Present” are planned or being developed. What will be important is to list these resources with a brief summary and contacts and get this information onto the website as soon as possible, so that everyone is aware of what is available.
Pameline Oakley, a Traveller, stressed the importance of taking events and activities to smaller communities, where prejudice can be very strong. A tour vehicle was suggested. Exhibition material such as Thomas Acton’s work on Brentwood might be fairly readily available.
From the opposite angle, Thomas hoped that local exhibitions could be taken to the national concerts. These events will be fronted by a Romany academic.
The session ended with a buffet lunch giving an opportunity to continue informal discussion.
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