Gypsy Arts Festivals have previously been held at the Museum of East Anglian Life in Suffolk in 2006 and 2007. The Museum has a large Gypsy caravan collection as well a collection of other Gypsy Traveller items of great interest. The Museum is open to the public all year round.
To find more details
of the Museum go to:
www.eastanglianlife.org.uk
Some highlights of the first Festivals were -
Second Site
A national art exhibition featuring the work of four UK based Roma, Romany and Traveller artists: Delaine LeBas, Daniel Baker, Ferdinand Koci and Damian LeBas, was on display in Abbot's Hall for 2 weeks leading up to the Gypsy Arts Festival. Delaine LeBas and Damian LeBas also went into local schools to run art workshops prior to the Festival.
Gypsy Waggon Painting
Local Traveller Felix Jardine demonstrated the traditional art of Gypsy wagon painting alongside the permanent and temporary display of Gypsy Traveller wagons in the Museum's Home Close area. This was particularly popular with the local Gypsy Travellers.
Photography:
A photographic exhibition of the work of BBC Radio Kent broadcaster and Gypsy Traveller activist Simon Evans was held in Abbott's Hall to complement the Second Site visual art exhibition.
Daytime performances included:
Newmarket Gypsy Gospel Choir - there was a short Gospel service led by local Gypsy Travellers in the Museum's Tin Tabernacle Chapel to bless the Festival.
William Langton - A 20-year-old Romany Accordionist from Blackpool, William Langton is an internationally acclaimed musician who won the Virtuoso Entertainment Solo category at the NAO Championship 2003, performed two solo sets.
Elsa Arcaute - a Flamenco dancer and dance teacher, with Alan Ward and Stuart Reynolds on Flamenco guitars, performed Spanish style Flamenco music and dance.
Los Gitanos - Ely based band Los Gitanos, Graham & Matthew Austin on Flamenco guitar and Crispin Semmens on percussion, performed the Gypsy music of the Carmargue.
Jim Eldon - Hull based musician Jim Eldon's work features music of Gypsy Travellers. His performances included step dancing, brush dancing, fiddle tunes and narrative songs.
Gypsy Voices - the Festival was delighted to welcome the Polish Roma family band Gypsy Voices, who are based in London and have been performing for 7 years at a variety of events and festivals throughout the UK. Their music and dance has influences of Roma, Polish, Hungarian folk music with jazz and Flamenco style. Dazzling hand made costumes!
David Smith - puppeteer extraordinaire UK Gypsy Traveller David Smith teamed up with his fiddle player to transfix his audience young and old with his traditional Gypsy stories and puppets.
Other daytime events included:
Traveller Craft Workshop with Sylvia Parker & Sandra Buckley
Modern Living & Craft Displays with Rodney & Ivy Buckley
Bender Tent making with David Downie
Traditional Wagon Painting demonstations with Felix Jardine
Film:
The Gypsy Arts Festival included a small Film Festival during the day.
The films shown at this were:
Pavee Lackeen - Traveller Girl by Perry Ogden
Be Roma or Die Tryin' by Simon Brown for the Roma Support Group
Taraf De Haidouks - Live at the Union Chapel by Marc Allen
Atch by Jake Bowers
Workshops:
Drama workshop with Romany Theatre Company
Music Workshops with Gypsy Voices
Flamenco Workshop with Elsa Arcaute
Gypsy World Music Concert:
Terrafolk Is a BBC Radio 3 award winning World Music band from Slovenia, commanding a wide following throughout the UK and mainland Europe. Songlines - World Music Magazine describes them as "Central and South European music played with an attitude to terrorise the complacent authentic folk brigade - Brilliant!"
Kal are a Roma band from Serbia who hit the top of the European World Music Charts in April 2006 which was very good news for the Gypsy Arts Festival! However, they are not only excellent musicians and performers, but leaders in the push to bring Romani Culture and Custom back into the foreground of European multiculturalism. Dragan Ristic, the singer and main songwriter runs a Romani Language School in Serbia.
Gypsy Arts Festival Scotland
Monday 25 to Sunday 31 August 2008
August is Festival season in Edinburgh. Hundreds of thousands of people travel from the four corners of the Earth to perform, participate in and savour one of the many festivals exploding around the city. So we decided to add our Festival to the mix!
Gypsy Arts Festival Scotland took place at three different locations across Edinburgh to highlight three different aspects of Gypsy Traveller Culture.
Click here for details
Gypsy Arts Festival South East
Saturday 6 & Sunday 7 September 2008
The Hop Farm, Paddock Wood, Kent, England
Set in 400 acres of Kent countryside, this once working Hop Farm is one of Kent’s most popular tourist attractions. The spectacular Oast village provides the perfect setting for a great family day out in the Garden of England. With over 30 special events, The Hop Farm is one of the South East’s premier event venues!
Click here for details
|
