Since 2008, communities across the UK have marked Gypsy, Roma and Traveller History Month (GRTHM) every June. Through celebration, education, and awareness, GRTHM seeks to challenge prejudice, amplify Gypsy, Roma and Traveller voices, and reshape public understanding (Friends, Families and Travellers (gypsy-traveller.org). To mark the month we will be flying the GRT flag over Sussex House.
At Sussex, we are committed to being an equal, diverse, and inclusive community. Our Inclusive Sussex strategy prioritises race equality, as reflected in initiatives such as our Race Equality Charter Bronze Award, Anti-Racist Pledge, and our Gypsies, Travellers, Roma, Showmen and Boaters (GTRSB) Pledge.
By signing the GTRSB Pledge in June 2023, we reaffirmed our commitment to tackling inequality and fostering inclusion. Our 2024/25 achievements include:
- Holocaust Memorial Day: We embedded 'Remembering the Roma Holocaust' into our annual event with an exhibition, academic panel, and a screening of The Deathless Woman (2019, dir. Roz Mortimer).
- Public exhibition: A parallel 'Roma Holocaust' exhibition was hosted at Brighton’s Jubilee Library.
- Widening Participation initiatives. Throughout the year, the Widening Participation team, led by Chris Derbyshire, has supported learners from GTRSB backgrounds in primary and secondary schools, with a focus on attainment and progression. Undergraduate students from the School of Media, Arts and Humanities have also contributed to this work. Outputs include:
- Support for GTRSB-heritage learners in primary and secondary schools
- GRT History Month activities in schools
- Provision of culturally relevant reading materials
- CPD resources for educators
- School audits on equality practice
- Development of tailored careers support
- Access to a Level 2 qualification through Friends, Families and Travellers
- Inclusion recognition: We were proud recipients of the 2025 ‘Inclusive Sussex’ University Award.
- Student support: Ongoing collaboration with the Student Wellbeing Team.
- Community representation: Our Traveller-heritage learner work will be showcased at the forthcoming Seafront Gallery.
- Symbol of commitment: Hosting of Prissy, the Gypsy Cob Horse sculpture, on loan from the National Trust's ‘Changing Chalk Partnership, and currently stabled outside Jubilee Building. Prissy is a visual testament to our inclusion work. We are hopeful that Prissy’s loan to us will be extended into 2026.
- Academic research: Ongoing work by researchers including Emily Danvers, Roberta Piazza, and Amy McGourty which includes workshops, publications, and public exhibitions.
- School and social work collaboration: Joint projects with the School of Law, Politics and Sociology and School of Education and Social Work.
- National impact: Sussex staff provide national consultative expertise to Local Authorities and other universities on GTRSB-related practice.
To get involved, or for further information on GTRSB communities you can contact Dr Emily Danvers or Chris Derbyshire. The following links may also provide useful resources:
- GRT History Month resources produced by Friends, Families and Travellers
- A reading list formulated by Leeds Beckett University