S t G e o r ge m e d a l l i o ns by t he ‘Go rja ’ ( n o n- t rave l le r ) co m m uni t i e s, t he gold a n d j e we l - e nc ruste d a r t i cul a te d clowns a n d do l l s. Eve n now I se e peo p le wa l k i ng a ro und Do nca ste r goi n g fo r t he ‘ G y p sy st y le ’, a nd I do n’t me an p e asa n t sk i r t s a nd b o ho to p s. I m e an m e ssy b u ns a nd sho r t sho r t s - o u r ‘ washi ng down ’ lo o k - o r L o ui s Vu i t to n b a g s, m i n k ca p e s a nd sup e r s ty l i sh he e l s, a lo ng si de a n o rna te pra m a n d b a by wi t h a 9-ca ra t go ld du m my ho lde r. As o t h e r co m m u ni t i e s a ro und us beg i n to u se o u r st y le we m ove o n a n d c h a n ge . We wa n t to st a nd o ut , we w a n t to b e d i f fe re n t a nd t he sup e r s ty l i sh ‘ go r j a s’ o f D o nca ste r ca n m a ke i t m o re d i f f i c u l t . Cu l t u ra l a p p ro p r i at i o n ha s di l ute d ou r c u l t u re , a n d I have to a sk t he q u e st i o n : do t hey k n ow who t hey a re em u l at i ng ? T h e P ro u d G y p sy Trave l le r Pro je ct se t s ou t to o p e n u p t he cul t ure s a nd p ut a s po t l i g ht o n t he m . The b i g di ffe re nce i s t ha t t hi s t i m e , t he sp o t l i g ht i s bei n g d i re c te d by t he co m m uni t i e s th e m se l ve s. T h ey a re t he o n e s de ci di ng wha t ele m e nt s o f t he i r l i ve s a re p a r t o f t he cu l t u re s a n d wha t t hey wa nt t he wo rld to k n ow. S o yo u wi l l se e so m uch m o re t ha n f la m b oy ant d re sse s . Yo u wi l l se e i ma ge s t ha t have no t b e e n shown ou t si de t he co m m u ni t i e s. Yo u wi l l h ea r vo i ce s a n d sto ri e s t ha t wi l l o p e n you r eye s a n d yo u r he a r t s. We a re a l so co l le c t i ng t he sto ri e s o f th o se who have G y psy o r Trave l le r h eri t age a n d we lco me a nyo ne wa nt i ng s om e i np u t i nto t he exhi b i t i o n. We a re c u r re n t l y b ui ldi ng o ur blo g , whi c h c an b e fo und a t www. pro u d g y p sy t rave l le r.co.uk, a n d t he t wo ex h i b i t i o ns a re p l a nne d for S at u rd ay 13 t h Aug ust a t Do ncaster M u s e u m a n d S u n d ay 16 t h O cto b e r a t DARTS . Prou d G T wo uld l ike to take t hi s op p o r t u n i t y to ask fo r do natio ns o f old s u i tcas e s fo r the exhibit io n. p r o u d g y p s y t r a v e l l e r. c o . u k E nd
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