And the winner is......
Write you are: two youing entrants to the national Gypsy Roma Traveller History Month storytelling competition in Leeds Civic Hall
The national Gypsy, Roma and Traveller History Month in June 2009, saw hundreds of events across Britain celebrating the history of Britain’s most misunderstood and marginalised communities. As part of the celebrations, children from 3 to 16 years old across Britain were invited to create a story inspired by Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities, which could be written, recorded and drawn, but last no longer than 5 minutes.
A separate international competition entitled “O Baro Dive”, meaning “The Big Day” or “Celebration” in Romani, invited children from across the world to describe in no more than 100 words a poster montage of Gypsy Roma and Traveller images, representing the culture, music and some of the important events in the community’s year. Entries were received from across Britain and Europe.
On November 17th, the winners and the highly commended entrants of both competitions came to Leeds to receive prizes for their efforts at an Awards Ceremony in The Banqueting Suite of Leeds Civic Hall. Many read their winning stories, and all received prizes for the efforts from Taffy Thomas, the first storytelling laureate, Deputy Lord Mayor of Leeds Andrew Barker, Scottish Traveller storyteller Jess Smith and Roma artist Ferdinand Koci.
Listen to lower Key Stage 2 winner Freya Barrass read her story “A Journey to Appleby” below or in the audio player at:
[audio]
The winners were:
Foundation Stage winner: Henry Jones
- 2nd place Marion McCarthy
- 3rd place Alicia
Highly commended
Sam Price, Teresa Evans and Ricki Price
Key Stage 1 winner Aisha Adams-Hanson
- 2nd place Lucy Lee
- 3rd place – William Collinson
Highly commended: Gurpriya Dhami, Kira Davis, Frank Smith and Mosey Buckley
Lower Key Stage 2 winner Freya Barrass
- 2nd place – Jean O’Brien
- 3rd Place – Ishita Saxena
Highly commended: Tomas Gabzor, Isabella Cebula, Simon Gabor, Molly Batley and Grace Wilks
Upper Key Stage 2 Winner Minnie Smith
- 2nd place Joanne Smith
- 3rd place Jamie Maughan and Frances Maughan
Highly commended: Shannon Teresa Mills, Amanda McCarthy, Charley-Marie Moore, Zoe Tempest-Mitchell, Lesley Pilkington, Michael Connors, Miley Doran, Jimmy O’Brien, Carmel Harrison
Key Stage 3 winner John O’Brien
- 2nd place Shane Thomas Foster
- 3rd place Michael Burnside
Highly commended: Lucy Manion, Betty Smith, Louise Marie Elliott, Emily Swaddlind
Key stage 4 winner Shannon Mackay
- 2nd Place - Katherine Moloney
- 3rd Place – Nancy Stevens
O Baro Dive competition winners
Key Stage one Winner Hannah Frost
- 2nd place Adam Cunningham
- 3rd place Leah Thourgood
Highly commended: Sean Stevenson, Connor McDonald and Emily Shute
Key Stage 2 winner Chelsea Barron
- 2nd Lauren Berry
- 3rd Class 2JS
Highly commended: Abigail Lucy Simons, Charlotte Moloney, Ewan Cartwright
Key Stage 3 winner Shannon Locke
- 2nd Nicole Evans
- 3rd Erika Holubova
Highly Commended: Charlotte Davis, Emily Marie Smith and Peter Gilheaney
Key Stage 4 winner Bobby Frankham
- 2nd Emma Smith
- 3rd Andy Price
Open Age winner Donegal Travellers project
- 2nd Mrs Jill Hollingsworth
- 3rd Elona Memaj
Highly commended: Nicki Parsons
Photographs of many of the winners will soon be available online at: