Gypsy Arts Festival wins national accolade

A pioneering festival aiming to break down barriers between the Gypsy and gorgia (non-Gypsy) community has won a national award, reports Jake Bowers.

Hungry Arts, the organisation behind the Gypsy Arts Festivals held in Suffolk, Kent and Scotland was one of 9 organisations nationwide commended for its work at the Awards for Bridging Cultures, which were held at the Royal Society of the Arts in London this week.

Established by iCoCo, the Institute of Community Cohesion, and The Baring Foundation, the Awards promote the work of the many diverse organisations across the UK, which encourage intercultural dialogue between communities. Hungry Arts was shortlisted out of 160 organisations.

Hungry Arts set up the first Gypsy Arts Festival with members of the Suffolk Gypsy Traveller community in 2006 to provide an opportunity for Gypsy Travellers to meet non-Gypsy Travellers in an inspiring environment at the Museum of East Anglian Life in Stowmarket. The Festival included live performances from international Roma bands, dance and music workshops, art exhibitions, craft and food demonstrations, and additionally, highlighted the extensive Gypsy Traveller heritage collection at the Museum (the largest of its kind in the East of England).

It also aimed to provide a professional forum and showcase for UK and International Gypsies, Travellers and Roma musicians, artists, filmmakers, dancers and actors. Following two successful Gypsy Arts Festivals in Suffolk in 2006 and 2007 funded by Suffolk County Council, Mid Suffolk District Council, Arts Council England and the Heritage Lottery Fund, new festivals were set up in the Hop Farm in Kent and at the Edinburgh Festival with funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund, and much appreciated support from the Scottish Storytelling Centre, the Edinburgh Mela and The Famous Spiegeltent. Hungry Arts now hopes to bring the Festival back to Suffolk for July 2010.

Ros Green, the Director of Hungry Arts says:

“We were really thrilled to be commended for our work with the Gypsy Arts Festivals. The Festivals grew out of a conversation in Suffolk at a conference set up by Suffolk County Council in 2005. A group of likeminded people got together and made them happen at the Museum of East Anglian Life, but we never in our wildest dreams expected to go on the road with them to Kent and the Edinburgh Festival.

"It’s been a fabulous journey to date and confirmed our belief that the arts are an excellent way of not only bringing communities together but also celebrating cultural diversity. Our main ambition now is to bring the Gypsy Arts Festival back to Suffolk with an eye to developing into a national event during the London Cultural Olympiad in 2010.”

For more information click on www.gypsyartsfestival.co.uk