Culture centre gets Lottery boost to chart travelling community culture
The Maltings Trust in Berwick has been awarded National Lottery funding to work with gypsy, Roma and traveller communities in North Northumberland.
The cash will be used to acknowledge and document the cultural heritage of gypsy, Roma and traveller (GRT) members, with a particular focus around food cultures.
The project has been developed with Newcastle University PhD student and artist Sneha Solanki who is undertaking a collaborative doctoral award with The Maltings, to explore culturally diverse individuals and communities in rural communities.
It will enable the partners to develop new methods of engagement with GRT groups and understand how this can be supported in the long-term.
James Lowther, head of visual arts at The Maltings Trust said: “We’re delighted that The National Lottery Community Fund has recognised the importance of this work.
"Thanks to National Lottery players we can develop meaningful ways of working alongside GRT communities who are often excluded from society to embed these new ways throughout the work of The Maltings and the redevelopment of Berwick Barracks”.
Sneha Solanki said: “With a long and cultural history in Northumberland, Berwick-upon-Tweed and the Scottish Borders, GRT communities have traversed borders and boundaries, returning to well-known stopping places to cook, work and to join their families and community, leaving agricultural, medicinal and food-led knowledges.
"I am thrilled to start this work alongside GRT communities and to understand how we can continue this work long-term with The Maltings and Berwick Barracks”.
The Maltings says that, as it continues its journey as the cultural home for arts and culture in Berwick-upon-Tweed, this project represents an important opportunity to ensure that the stories, traditions and knowledge of GRT communities, who have long been part of North Northumberland’s history, are recognised and reflected in the region’s cultural future.
By highlighting shared experiences centred around food, memories and places, the project aims to build lasting relationships, create new opportunities for participation, and help shape a more inclusive approach to cultural and heritage engagement across Berwick-upon-Tweed, including the ongoing redevelopment of Berwick Barracks.