12) Research: Gypsy, Roma and Traveller information from Bristol City Council - 15/2/18

I found a really informative leaflet on the Bristol City Council website, giving information on who they really are, and underlining the myths about them from the media. Some screenshots of the leaflet can be seen below:

I thought the 'What do Gypsies and Travellers want?' bullet points really great, just highlighting that they want their way of life to be accepted and their want to live peacefully with fair representation in the media and a solution to their current living problems.

I also didn't know what 'nomadic' meant, so looked up the definition to further understand what their lifestyle is, and it's described as 'wandering'.

The leaflet also highlighted that there are a few different types of gypsies: Romany Gypsies, Irish Travellers, New Travellers and Circus / Fairground families, who all share a high level of discrimination and lack of access to healthcare, education and a secure place to live.

The leaflet went on to say that Romany Gypsies have been in Britain for at least 500 years, and 200 years for Irish Gypsies, yet still so little people understand their culture. I think this is just crazy, and this is an indication that we should take more interest in this communities' history, because of how long it's been around for and because of how little people know about it.

Myths and Facts were also illuminated within the leaflet, displaying that crime rates are no higher among Gypsies and Travellers, and the media is often incorrect. Another myth is that gypsies are dirty, but they cannot be completely clean when a quarter of them are homeless, and where they're living in a place that doesn't dispose of their rubbish like everyone in homes. Another significant fact was that since 1994 it hasn't been the council's duty to provide authorized sites, leaving Travellers no choice but to stay in unauthorized areas. Another myth which many people believe is that they don't pay any tax, however Gypsies and Travellers pay VAT on goods like everyone else, as well as road tax and income tax when employed. The final myth was that they don't care about society, however many are involved in volunteer and paid work to support the local community they live in, and want to engage with the wider community.

To conclude, I think finding this research on the Bristol City Council website was really insightful, teaching me about different types of Gypsies and Travellers, how long they've lived in Britain, as well as some important myths and facts about them. I will ensure that these facts can be seen throughout my own work, which will also hopefully change people's opinions on the myths they believe about these communities.

#creativeinteractions #research