BRADFORD-BASED photographer Cath Muldowney has spent more than five years taking portraits of members of the district’s Gypsy and Traveller communities.
The images are the focus of a photography exhibition - Dreams, and Songs to Sing - at Cartwright Hall, which has had more than 10,000 visits since it opened in May.
Created in partnership with Leeds GATE (Gypsy and Traveller Exchange) and Bradford District Museums and Galleries, the exhibition includes images of fairs and drives such as Lee Gap, as well as at people’s homes. Personal objects shared by community members, and photographed, offer a glimpse into the lives and culture of Gypsy and Traveller communities in Bradford. It’s the first time these communities have been part of an inclusive photography display in the region.
Taken from a line in Irish folk classic Fields of Athenry, the exhibition title was chosen by Cath when she heard a Gypsy man, Bernard Cunningham, sing an emotional a cappella version of the song at a Leeds GATE event. His singing is featured in the exhibition.
To close the exhibition, an event called Writing our Dreams, Singing our Songs will showcase Gypsy and Traveller writers, poets, performers and storymakers and the dreams and songs they want to share and carry forward for future generations.
Violet Cannon, whose life story is featured in the exhibition, is the author of Gypsy Princess and will be sharing excerpts from her book and poetry. Senior Researcher, writer and ambassador Chelsea McDonagh will represent Write into Culture, a writing collective made up of Gypsy and Traveller women. Jo Clement, a poet and interdisciplinary maker, of Gypsy, Roma and Traveller ethnicity, will read from her acclaimed work Outlandish, shortlisted for the John Pollard International Poetry Prize and longlisted for the Michael Murphy Memorial Prize 2023.
Gypsy and Traveller people are often seen as one group, with much about their heritage and lives unknown. Both the exhibition and closing event showcase these communities’ diverse traditions and cultures, and their place in Bradford, past and present.
Kathleenanne Boswell lives on a Traveller site in Bradford and works at Leeds GATE as a Senior Youth Worker. Her family, like many others on the site, have lived there for four generations. The life stories of Kathleenanne, her Mam and Granny are told in the exhibition.
“Exhibitions like this are so important,” says Kathleenanne. “Our culture and traditions are dying out. We have never had anything like this all the years I’ve lived in Bradford. It is important for our kids to see this. When you walk in it’s like being a kid at Christmas. You don’t know which way to turn. You want to look at everything at once to take it all in.”
She adds: “As a Leeds GATE staff member and from the Traveller community, I’m privileged we get to do this exhibition.
“I and others have been so proud to be part of planning and design of it. I hope it raises awareness for our communities across Bradford and gives people a clearer understanding of our heritage.”
Cath Muldowney is a documentary photographer with a passion for photographing people and their stories. She prefers to work on long-term projects, to get to know the people she’s photographing. Self-taught, she is more interested in capturing the moment and telling a story than the technical aspects of photography.
“It has been a privilege to be allowed a glimpse into a way of life that has existed for centuries and is very much a part of the tapestry of the Bradford district,” says Cath. “The people I have met have been warm and welcoming, honest, and funny.”
Rachel Trafford from Leeds GATE says: “Gypsy and Traveller communities certainly face challenges and discrimination in our society or being made invisible in our British history. However, this exhibition is about finding and sharing Gypsy and Traveller hope, joy and beauty. "Over 10,000 recorded visits is an incredible achievement and shows the value and impact of inclusive arts and culture. Our thanks go to our members for sharing their likeness and a small part of their experiences with us, the photographer Cath as well as Cartwright Hall Gallery.”
* The closing event is at Cartwright Hall on Thursday, September 5 from 6-8pm. Visit bradfordmuseums.org/event/finale-event-dreams-and-songs-to-sing/
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