Gypsy Roma Traveller Leeds
The permanent site of the Gypsy Roma Traveller Communities
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Roma/ Gypsies
The Roma originally came from the Indian subcontinent, which they left about a thousand years ago. They entered Europe in the 13th Century. When they arrived in Europe they were thought to be from Egypt and were called Egyptians, which is where the word "Gypsy" comes from.
Storytelling project
The Return of the Romani Storyteller
I grew up listening to stories, mostly men telling us about things that had happened to them when they were younger or things that had been passed down from their parents and grandparents and so on.
Richard introduces his work at the launch of the storytelling project in the West Park Centre
You see we didn't have history books in our caravans and houses, there would be the occasional picture of a relative in a book written by some historian or academic. But it didn't tell us anything about us, the information was probably wrong anyway, the wrong words the wrong ideas, no life no real feel for us and our culture.
Our way of being was and still is very speech orientated very few people could read and write so most information had to be passed orally. These skills were deployed and honed virtually everyday trying to earn your living, hawking your products or services, trying to get a few more days parked on a piece of ground. My father was born and brought up in a horsedrawn Romany wagon a Vardo, I was born and brought up in a modern caravan and latterly we lived in houses and then back in caravans and houses again.
Weddings, funerals, christenings and horse fairs were always a great opportunity to hear some really good stories old and new. It was a way of teaching as well as entertaining. It was just as likely that stories would be told in someone's front room near a fire as around one outside.
When I went to school, I was amazed by how little attention my teachers were able to get from the children in the class compared to the storytellers I listened to. I started to see that story tellers broke the rules, they didn't control the words or worry if they put a Romani word in here and there or made up a new word, people knew what they meant.
As things changed in the Romani Gypsy community as in others the TV started to take over from the storyteller, horse fairs were closed down, travelling even in summer was difficult. As the old storytellers passed on very few new storytellers took their place. I was no exception I didn't want to talk about the old days I wanted to get out there in the world and make my mark.
I found though that as soon as I had children I couldn't help telling them stories trying to bring to life the adventures of my ancestors, I gained quite a reputation in my family, community and the wider community as a story teller, my talents were used on numerous occasions when we went to someone's house or caravan for something to eat as the person who could get children to sleep. I never really thought about doing storytelling elsewhere especially in public places.
As I became a cultural awareness trainer for lots of different organisations health, education, Police and government departments, I often found myself telling stories about my upbringing my own personal story from being born in a caravan to working in the family business to becoming the head of the family at 21 after the death of my father. Having to get a job and then starting my own construction and leisure companies and then training to become a therapist and motivational trainer working in fields as varied as professional football and community business.
I am keen that Romani Gypsies are seen as contemporary people as well as historical ones, this is what prompted me to write Travellers Tales a collection of short stories and monologues about the issues and experiences of Contemporary Romani Gypsies. The tales were performed at the Royal Exchange Theatre Manchester in 2004 and some have been published in a medical humanities journal.
But why in this hyper IT driven 24/7 world would we need storytelling I ask my self, because we are realising how valuable it is, how good it makes us feel how much we can learn from it.
My preferred storytelling is to children between the ages of I would have said three years up to eleven years but at a recent storytelling session an eleven month old girl sat with her mother for over 15 minutes listening to the adventures of the Rokkering Dakker (Talking Toad).
Why do it? Because the buzz I get from storytelling is tremendous and there's an honesty you don't get from other audiences. You know with children that they either like or don't like what you are doing if they don't they walk off.
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Dragonory
An audio CD of seven stories called Dragonory has been specially prepared by Jess Smith the Scottish Storyteller for the Travellers Storytelling Project.
The CD is available to buy from the Gypsy Roma Traveller Achievement Service.
Listen to one of stories to whet your appetite.