Announcing our exciting program for Gypsy, Roma, Traveller History Month 2023
It’s Gypsy Roma Traveller History Month once again. The month has been marked and celebrated nationally in many ways across the years since 2008. Gypsy, Roma, and Traveller are often put together, but are three distinct ethnic groups with shared roots of being nomadic, however each have their own unique histories and modern day cultures.
Watch Roads from the Past, a fantastic film that explains more about these communities and their history: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1bhBbMrF8Z0
At Leeds GATE, we focus on community celebrations of heritage for our members, educational awareness with others and activities for our young people on sites and at our building.
We’re so excited to bring you our 2023 program across West Yorkshire.
Community activities
We have a packed timetable for June at our Leeds GATE building for all members, including heritage activities, making paper flowers and looking into our archive! We also have a community event in Bradford on Mary Street site on 30th June.
The 29th June will be our community celebration extravaganza, holding our community day at our building and our 20th anniversary party that night! More details coming soon.
You can see our full community timetable here: June timetable
Community activities
Training
On dates across June, we’re offering invited organisations a rare opportunity to take part in our training designed with Gypsy and Traveller communities. Three sessions with focus on three subject areas – including health, inclusion and education.
If you would like to enquire about our organisation training, you can email us on contact@leedsgate.co.uk
Schools Partnerships
Working with schools across West Yorkshire, we’ve developed a resource box for marking History Month with KS1 and KS2 pupils and staff. Boxes include books, a book list, flag, colouring books and so much more.
With these boxes, we are also supporting the Gypsy, Traveller Roma Showmen and Boater Pledge for Schools – a commitment from schools to best practice for access and outcomes and support GTRSB pupils, potential pupils and their families.
If you are a parent wanting support, please call our team on 0113 240 2444.
If you are a school wanting to work with us, email contact@leedsgate.co.uk
Packs for schools
Queenie and the Pooka
Working with Bradford production company Spin Arts, supported by Arts Council, Bradford Council and Leeds 2023, ourselves and our young members in Bradford have been part of developing Queenie and the Pooka – a fantastical show about Gypsy and Traveller cultures using theatre and dance.
Queenie is a settled Traveller girl with a wild imagination. Living in a trailer, she dreams of becoming a famous dancer and musician, travelling the world to tell stories of the Travelling folk through song and dance. One night, a magical Pooka wreaks havoc in Queenie’s spotless trailer. a mischievous faerie that also longs to be out dancing in the wild! Shape shifting and getting Queenie into lots of trouble, the mischievous faerie also longs to be out dancing in the wild and takes us on an adventure!
Queenie and the Pooka is a mesmerising story that celebrates following your heart and teaches us that nothing is ever quite as it seems. Offering an insight into Gypsy Traveller culture and lifestyles, it encourages acceptance of others and the desire to pursue passions that come from the heart.
You can catch Queenie and the Pooka on tour at select Leeds Libraries across June and register for tickets for free. Schools we have partnered with across Leeds and Bradford will also receive private showings, as well as a showing at Leeds GATE!
Register for free tickets here: https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/leedslibraryevents
York Travellers Trust Exhibition
We’ve been so pleased our Lee Gap Horse Fair film from 2019 was requested to be part of York Travellers Trust’s exhibition at York Castle Museum for History Month, with an installation designed by Gypsy and Traveller communities telling their history in York.
The exhibition opened Friday 26th May. You can read more about it here: https://www.yorkcastlemuseum.org.uk/exhibition/celebrating-yorks-gypsy-and-traveller-heritage/