New video produced for Traveller Pride Week

To celebrate Traveller Pride Week (June 8 to 12), artist Breda Mayock has created a video highlighting her work with women in Mayo Traveller Support Group.

The result of their work was revealed earlier this year in a project entitled Crown - Hair & Identity in Traveller Culture.

“It's an exploration of the customs, identity and adornment of hair in the culture,” explained Breda, who put the video together with photographs from the project (see below). The photographs were taken by Orla Sloyan. You can see the video here.

Hair is a powerful symbol of individuality for Irish Travellers or Mincéirí. It is intrinsically linked to identity, ethnicity, culture and gender.

“Mincéir women’s hair as a subject of elaboration symbolises a unique form of creative expression and identity,” added Breda.

How Traveller women express themselves and their sense of identity through their hair has long been a source of intrigue for Breda. “Why this long, luxurious flow in all its glory – plaits, rolls, ribbons, top knots and curls? What have the women to say about their hair, its physical appearance, its traditions, its rituals, and what it means to them?”

To find out the answer to those questions, Breda got in touch with Traveller girls and women to talk to them about hair, and worked with Orla to photograph them.

Breda has launched a website (www.crowncloseup.ie) where you can see and read what Traveller women and girls have expressed, both visually and in their own words, about their hair.

*Pictured above, some of the girls who took part in the exhibition Crown – Hair & Identity in Traveller Culture. Photo: Orla Sloyan