ACERT is a key partner in running the successful event “Education on the Hoof” at Appleby Horse Fair each June in Cumbria.
Education On The Hoof brings together information and cultural talks to provide both day visitors and Travellers attending the Fair the opportunity to learn and share information that is significant to the Travelling and housed communities. The project is coordinated by Cumbria County Council’s Community Unit working with ACERT. This year the project has also had funding from Celebr8, a North West Development Agency funded initiative to emphasise that “diversity is an economic, social and cultural asset to the region”.
For more information please contact Susan Smith at Cumbria County Council
Email: susan.l.smith@cumbriacc.gov.uk
Telephone: 01228 226 747
Visit: www.applebyfair.org
Visit: www.cumbria.gov.uk
Appleby Fair is a unique experience and through the Education On The Hoof project, visitors to the area are invited to explore the cultural aspects of this traditional Horse Fair and the Travelling community.
The Education On The Hoof activities will be focussed at two venues, Centre 67 in the town and Salttip Corner near Fair Hill.
Centre 67 Activities
For this year there is also the opportunity to receive vital First Aid training in the form of Heartstart – Cumbria Fire and Rescue Service will provide the two hour training session to get qualified in Emergency Life Support. For more information follow the link below.
British Heart Foundation Website
Simon Evans is a photographer, film maker, writer and broadcaster whose films and books include “The Vardo and the Grai”, “The Roads we Roam” and “Stopping Places”.
Watch Simon’s film about Education on the Hoof from Appleby Fair 2009
Thursday 2pm – Simon will be talking about and showing extracts from recent film projects which have involved building links between Travellers and other communities and agencies.
Friday 11am – Simon will be introducing and showing extracts from films which give a voice to young Travellers. This will include looking at the lifes of young Travellers living on the roadside.
Candy Sheridan the Vice-Chair of the Gypsy Council and an Irish Traveller will lead a discussion on the issues facing Travellers in the country on Friday at 2pm. Candy has personal experience of the difficulties facing Travellers and has campaigned for authorised site provision for the Travelling community.
New to the Education On The Hoof work this year is a showcasing of the musical talents within the Community. During a Friday lunchtime session some local Cumbrian artists will give an introduction to the musical traditions and then local Cumbrian Bill Lloyd will lead an open mic session from 4:30 featuring artists from the Travelling community.
Listen to Bill Lloyd on MySpace
On Saturday Caroline Binch – Children’s author and illustrator, will be delivering a workshop on her new book “Road Horse”. On the Saturday afternoon Caroline will be reading to children from her book at Salt Tip corner on Fair Hill. The book is aimed at children of 7 and older. It tells the exciting story of a Traveller boy and his search for a trotting horse which he dreams of training to win road races. Road Horse will be published by Janetta Otter Barry at Frances Lincoln Children’s Books on the 3rd of June.
To round the programme up on Saturday afternoon Jake Bowers will lead a panel of local Travellers in a discussion on the issues that face Travellers of all ages today. Jake Bowers is one of the top Romani journalists. After growing up as one of 17 children the impending arrival of the first of his own three children pushed him into a more settled life. He now runs the Gypsy Media Company, providing education about Gypsies and Travellers through the media and presents Rokker Radio, a BBC programme for the travelling community.
Salttip Corner Activities
Education on the Hoof MarqueeA marquee will be the centre of the activities which will include a range of information available from agencies about health issues, education, family support, Horse Passports, Animal welfare, Fire safety advice and activities for young people via the Cumbria Travellers Truck Project and Lancashire Surestart. These activities are coordinated and supported by a number of Travellers Education Services across the country working together through ACERT. These activities are focussed on to Travelling community but day visitors will also find something of interest as they pass between the town and Fair Hill. The Office of National Statistics will also attend to advise Travellers on how to be included in the coming National Census which is critical to address the shortfall of site provision nationally.
Travellers Times magazine will also be providing facilities for people to get on line and register while the Stroke Association and the RSPCA will provide advice and support.
All the activities on Salttip corner will be withdrawn on the Saturday afternoon to hand over the area to the traditional horse trading that begins in the late afternoon prior to the Sunday.
The Education On The Hoof project also supports a programme of work with local schools. This year, due to half term, this work will be taking place the week before and the week after the Fair. The schools benefitting from this work will include the 6 schools:
- Appleby Grammar
- Appleby Primary
- Kirkby Stephen Grammar and Primary
- St Catherine’s
- QEGS in Penrith
This will follow on from the work done last year which included work with Radio Cumbria at Appleby Grammar school and Kirkby Stephen Grammar school in 2009:
