Carlisle celebrates it's Gypsy community
The border city of Carlisle has taken the diverse culture and history of Gypsies, Roma and Travellers to it's heart. A field on the outskirts of the city, beside the new Low Harker Dene travellers site, came alive with colour, music and smells as hundreds gathered for the event, which was organised by members of the Federation of European Romany Young People (FERYP).
Photo: Ciara Leeming / www.ciaraleeming.co.uk
Mayor Mary Styth (above) officially opened the event on Friday night before the main attractions drew in the crowds over the weekend. She danced to Gypsy Rumba after revealing that her own grandmother was a local Romany woman.
Photo: Ciara Leeming / www.ciaraleeming.co.uk
Top of the bill on stage on Saturday night was an appearance by the Polish Roma band Romany Diamonds (above) who were joined by Gypsies and Travellers from countries including Portugal, Spain, Belgium, Bulgaria, Lithuania, Poland, Sweden, Ireland and France.
Up to 900 tickets were sold before the start of the Gypsy, Roma, Traveller History Festival, which was also open to the public.
As well as live music by Romani performers, the festival boasted craft sessions, history workshops and talks about how the culture has adapted to the modern world.
The festival boasted the best of British Gypsy and Traveller Talent like the G Salford Rappers above and Doyle Family below. Photos: Ciara Leeming / www.ciaraleeming.co.uk
Organisers hope it will become the first of many and will help break down barriers and people will learn more about their history and culture.
Joe and Jane Hurn run Home Space and manage the new 15-pitch site at Lower Harker. The pair organised the £32,000 festival, with financial support from the Big Lottery and a European youth fund.
Joe said: “We wanted to do something to celebrate the history and the culture and show Cumbria that gypsies and travellers are not just about what you hear and read about at Appleby, horses and fighting.
“There is a rich heritage and history to our culture. We’re not just an English phenomena. We speak our own language, Romany, and Roma originated from India.
“We’ve received grants from the lottery and Europe but we hope this will also put £20,000 into the local economy because we like to use local suppliers wherever possible.”
Those who appeared at the festival included the Romany Theatre Company and Devon-based Catalonian singer Cristofe Sors.
Unesco ambassador Melanie Price, a gypsy Christian missionary who has orphanages around the world, was also at the festival.
Melanie, who also visits children in schools to talk about Romani history and culture, said: “This is the most wonderful thing. It shows you can all come together for common things like music, dancing, food.
“I’m representing the old fashioned Romani way in the workshops. My family still has wagons and horses.
“People can be a bit wary but with all of this on show it is going to present our people in a positive way. We love music, dance and good food. We love our families, we love our children. We’re not the negative people that others think we are.”
Mirelle Gyllenback, 24, travelled from Stockholm in Sweden to take part.
She said: “I’m doing a round-table discussion about traditions versus modern life. You can’t forget what you are and you have to adapt.”