Media Release (23/05/22)
The ACERT Showmen’s Working Group is a newly formed network of community members, researchers and educators, dedicated to advancing educational opportunities for Showmen throughout the UK and Ireland. Inclusive of all persons who identify as “Showman”, “Show-woman” or “Show person”, regardless of business practice, independent of the Showmen’s Guild of Great Britain or heritage.
ACERT’s charitable objectives are: 1) advance the education and the protection and preservation of the health of travellers; (2) promote good community relations by a) endeavouring to eliminate discrimination against travellers on racial or other grounds; b) encourage equal opportunity between travellers and other groups in a multi-cultural society.
The ACERT Showmen’s Working Group have chosen to uphold these charitable objectives, in additional to the following aims: 1) to establish network which can act as a collective voice with regards to improving educational practice and outcomes for Showmen; 2) to provide an additional platform which will allow Showmen to be included in consultations with the department of education or UK parliament; 3) to highlight and promote educational projects designed for Showmen; 4) to expand our individual resources by creating a shared archive and CRM; 5) to create a space in which we can provide mutual peer support; 6) to champion our individual identity, whilst working within the broader GTRSB collective; and 7) to generate/publish and publicise accurate, reliable information about Showmen’s education within the collective.
The current members of the ACERT Showmen’s Working Group: Candace Thomas (ACERT Vice Chair), Colin Clarke (ACERT executive committee), Valdemar Kalinin (ACERT executive committee), Siobhan Spencer (ACERT executive committee), Mitch Miller (Fair Scotland), Natalie Cowie-Kayes (Fair Scotland), Joannie Peak (Future 4 Fairgrounds), Colleen Roper (Future 4 Fairgrounds), Tyler Hatwell (Traveller Pride), Sheldon Chadwick (Showmen’s Mental Health Awareness), Kath Cresswell (Teacher), and Samantha Heeson (Showmen’s Guild member).
The ACERT Showmen’s Working Group meet via zoom on a regular basis (approx. every 6 weeks) and have a rotating chair, which allows for collective responsibility and ensures an equitable environment for all members. If you are involved in education, are a showmen or parent looking to join our group please contact: candace.thomas@acert.org.uk