Project Outcomes

In February 2005 the Planning Group met to discuss how to further the good work achieved by A Gypsy’s Wish. It was decided that a website be set up to share as widely as possible the achievements of the Project, and so enable anyone wishing to set up similar ventures to have foundations on which to build further.

Building Trust

The Project respected the lives and wishes of all the young people involved, as well as demonstrating the unique power of drama in building trust between groups of people who have traditionally been very much excluded from each other. The objective was to create trust/cohesion/bridges between Traveller and non-Traveller communities, demonstrating the following points;

  • our joint aspirations at the outset and our fears/risks;
  • what we learnt throughout the Project;
  • what we believe can be achieved with the right approach (introducing innovation, flexibility, leadership and risk; whilst reducing bureaucracy & local authority control); and
  • what the Romany Travellers involved in the Project wish to share with other Travellers, encouraging similar work because of the personal and cultural benefits.

    • Comments

    Here are a handful of comments made by both non-Travellers and Travellers on the Project:

  • “I feel privileged to have had the chance to see this film and meet Silvie and Pamela. I enjoyed the frankness and lack of self-pity they shared with us”
  • “I can’t remember a time when I have been so touched”
  • “Thanks for making the effort – it takes people with a vision to make a change”
  • “I want things to improve for the younger generation who are shy, scared and with no rights”
  • “Before I went to see the film I did not know what to expect, but afterwards I felt very proud to be a Traveller”

    • Joanne's Review

    Joanne was a 14 year old local Traveller and "budding journalist" when she wrote the attached article about the project (with the help of Alison Blake, an Advisory Teacher for the Suffolk Traveller Education Service).

    Joanne's review is avaiable in Adobe PDF format.

    Traveller Education Support (TES)

    A main frustration expressed by many young Romany Travellers is that “gauges” – settled people – do not understand them or prejudices they have to face every day.

    Their voice, the resulting film A Gypsy’s Wish, can be used in schools to promote understanding of Traveller culture and values, and the problems they face that has lead to the communities marginal positionin society.

    The PHSE and Citizenship curriculum provides opportunities for teachers to include the film at KS3 and KS4, for example, to ‘explore attitudes and values, and to develop knowledge, skills and understandingthat support inclusion, challenge racism and value diversity’. The film might be used to promote learning in the Citizenship KS3 Unit 04 ‘Britain – a diverse society’ and the Citizenship KS4 Unit 03‘Challenging racism and discrimination’.

    The film can also be shown to school staff to raise awareness and promote debate about the inclusion and achievement of Gypsy and Traveller pupils. For instance, discussion arising from the film mightinform the schools policy regarding dealing with racist incidents.

    ‘A Gypsy’s Wish’ has been shown to groups of pupils in Suffolk high schools at county ‘MINGLE’ conferences. The conferences are aimed at Yrs 9/10 pupils and promote awareness of racism. The TravellerEducation Support Service used the film to raise debate among young people concerning the culture of Travellers, the prejudice they experience, how this affects their life chances and how pupils and teacherscan challenge racism in their schools.