Storytelling | Colours of My Wagon

26 October, 16 November, and 7 December 2024  | Worcester City Art Gallery and Museum

Colours of My Wagon is a storytelling and woodcraft performance which brings to life the ever-changing and adapting culture of Romani people, from the significance of the colour schemes of the wagons and the symbols painted on them, to the crafts that were made to pay the wagon-builders.

Using wooden toys, including Romani dancing dolls and a new story created for the exhibition the aim is to once again put Romani makers and performers back in front of intergenerational audiences in the museum.

Colours of My Wagon will give people an understanding of how important storytelling and nomadic movement was to the people who lived in the wagons and how local materials like willow were used to make much-loved toys.

Richard’s aim is to create pictures in the mind of the visitors with the vibrancy of the story created especially for the exhibition, Atchin Tan. Children and adults will be invited to create the artwork to accompany the story.

The exhibition, Atchin Tan – Travelling Through Art, is free to visit at Worcester City Art Gallery and Museum from Saturday 26 October 2024 to January 2025.

About the sessions

Richard’s storytelling will take place over three informal sessions in the exhibition:

• • Saturday 26 October: 11am, 12pm, 1pm
  • Saturday 16 November: 11am, 12pm, 1pm
  • Saturday 7 December: 11am, 12pm, 1pm

Free to attend. They are suitable for all ages and there’s no need to book.

About Richard O’Neill

Richard O’Neill is an acclaimed and accomplished creative professional based in the North of England. He has achieved success as a storyteller, author, playwright, animation scriptwriter, workshop leader and traditional Romani toymaker. He conducts nomadic storytelling skills training sessions across Europe, engaging with various institutions such as schools, universities, leading museums, and cultural spaces.

Born into a traditional nomadic Romani family and brought up in various locations across the North deeply influences his work, inspiring him to leverage the power of storytelling in various formats to promote inclusion and acceptance.

Find out more about Richard O’Neill.