A campaign to end the extreme prejudice against Gypsy Roma and Traveller children and rapidly improve their achievement in school has begun with the launch of a national art competition.
Education Leeds – which runs the city’s frontline education services on behalf of the council – has joined forces with the Department for Children, Schools and Families ( DCSF) to launch the first ever Gypsy Roma Traveller History Month this June, and invited children, young people and adults from across the country to design a poster to promote it.
It is hoped that raising awareness of the communities’ achievements, culture and history will overcome the prejudice which sees - according to figures from the children’s society – nine out of ten children of Gypsy background racially abused, and nearly two-thirds bullied or physically attacked.*
The campaign will also focus on ways to improve the achievement of Gypsy Roma Traveller children, which is currently the lowest of any minority group in the UK.
Education Leeds launched the poster competition at the House of Lords on Tuesday 19 February, at an event hosted by international human rights campaigner Lord Avebury.
The winning entry will be printed and available for purchase, while the most interesting work will be selected for a special exhibition during the history month.
For ideas on how to explore these rich cultures for inspiration for your poster, visit the website of Education Leeds’ groundbreaking Gypsy Roma Traveller Achievement Service (GRTAS) website
The four art works are:
Damian Le Bas piece 'Travellers' Ireland' Mixed media on printed map 92.5cm x 80.5cm
Delaine Le Bas 'We're Moving To Our Future' 95cm x 96cm Mixed media on fabric
Daniel Baker 'Kushti Chavi'
Ferdinand Koci 'Jek kotor akatar i rromani paramisa' (One Part of Romani History )
You can find details of the artists and their work on the Gypsy Roma Traveller Achievement Service website.
The Gypsy Roma Traveller communities
Gypsies, Roma and Travellers are the largest Ethnic Minority community in the European Union with over 12 million people. In the UK, they are recognised ethnic minority communities and number 300,000.
*The Children’s Society report that nearly 9 out of every 10 children and young people from a Gypsy background have suffered racial abuse and nearly two thirds have also been bullied or physically attacked.(November Report 2007)
The achievement levels of the Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities are the lowest of any of the BME communities and the gap is widening (December 2007 DCSF national figures).