YOUNG people celebrated the rich and vibrant culture of their Gypsy, Roma and Traveller community — and there was not a wedding in sight!

Bolton College students staged a two-day spectacular to break down cultural barriers.

There was fashion and dance show, as well as arts and crafts stalls.

The spectacular event, the first-of-its-kind in the area, was held to mark the unique heritage and culture of the Gypsy, Roma and Traveller culture.

Bolton College student, Denisa Tokorova, aged 20, said: “It’s been a really fantastic project and the event was a great way to show the travelling community in a positive light.

“We all had so much fun getting involved and hopefully we’ve opened up people’s eyes to what our unique culture has to offer.

“There are so many negative stereotypes around the gypsy and travelling communities, and we really wanted to demonstrate there’s so much more to our way of life than what people may have seen on their television screens.”

Peter Griffiths, head of English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) at Bolton College, added: “I am very proud of Bolton College’s involvement in the GRT project.

“We currently have a number of young adult learners from local traveller communities studying here and are committed to fostering inclusion across all ethnic and social groups within the college.

“The project has given these students an outlet to express their identity and dispel some of the negative stereotypes others may have about them. In the past, I have known the families of some students to be shy and embarrassed about their origins, which is why I think this work is so important.”

He said: “I have loved seeing the parents get involved and seeing the pride they have in their children.

“It has also been brilliant because quite a few non-Roma students have signed up, because they can see it is just a lot of fun — there is a real buzz around this project.”