The East European Roma community who have settled in Gateshead have bought a distinctive culture with them. This is a culture which can enrich the culture of the town. By exploring this culture, we can help to bring it to a wider audience and help to embed it in the wider culture of Tyneside. The Roma community is also a very marginalised community who are still suffering the effects of huge discrimination and ill-treatment in Eastern Europe. This project will seek to help the Roma community to feel part of the wider community in Gateshead and to help them to feel accepted in the town. We will use artefacts from the community to help them tell their story. We will take stories from the community about their lives both here and in Eastern Europe. We will seek to help the community to explain their heritage and their culture to the wider public. We will also ask members of the Roma community about their hopes and aspirations for the future.

What we'll deliver:

• We will deliver an exhibition about the culture of the Roma living in Gateshead.
• We will deliver illustrated talks to community groups in Gateshead, telling the stories of the Roma community.
• We will speak to 10 community groups and take our exhibition to 12 venues in Gateshead.

Why it's a great idea:

The project is a great idea, because it will help people to have a better understanding of Roma community and their culture. It will help to integrate the Roma community into the wider community and so enable them to play a larger role in the community of Gateshead. It will help in the development of a more cohesive and safer society. It will give members of the Roma community greater confidence and so help them to make a more positive contribution to the wider community in Gateshead.

Steps to get it done:

• A major exhibition developed which can be taken around the borough.
• We will speak to 10 community groups and take our exhibition to 12 venues in Gateshead.
• We will speak to 200 members of the wider community in Gateshead.

We will develop an exhibition which helps people in Gateshead to have a better understanding of the Roma community in Gateshead. We will deliver talks to community groups helping people to have a better understanding of this group of people. We will work with Gateshead Diversity Forum to ensure that as many people as possible find out about this work and can benefit from it. We will help the Roma community to have higher self-esteem and to feel part of the wider community in Gateshead.