The idea was to intergrate the Gypsy Travellers, in particular Gypsy Travellers Youth Groups into the Larkhall community.

Gypsy Girls Beauty Salon is a work made in collaboration with the Gypsy Travellers Youth Group and the Gypsy Travellers Women Youth Group based in Universal Connections in Larkhall. The idea of Gypsy Girls Beauty Salon came about after a few meetings with the Gypsy Travellers Women Youth Group. They wanted to create a salon and get training on hair styles, make-up and nails . A caravan was bought and together we turned it into a beauty salon.

I contacted South Lanarkshire College and asked if any of their students were interested in taking part in a work placement on the project. Four of their students with their tutor came for two days to give lessons on hair styling and make-up to the girls. For Health and Safety reasons the students could not practice their work in the caravan, so the training for the beauty salon operated inside Universal Connections Larkahll.

The artist photographer Ruth Clark came on the second day and took portrait photographs of the girls with their hairstyles and make-up which they had done on each other with the assistance of the students. (Cushty, eight portrait photographs)

A fun day was organised by Universal Connections Larkhall on the gypsy traveller council run site in Swinhill, Larkhall. This was the first time a fun day has ever been hosted on the site. I brought the Gypsy Girls Beauty Salon and the older girls practiced hair styling and make-up to the younger girls on the site.

The idea was to travel around South Lanarkshire Council in Scotland and Glasgow delivering beauty therapies by the Gypsy Travellers Women Youth Group and the girls in the Youth Group, to promote and make visible the Travellers way of life and intergrate the Travellers, in particular Gypsy Travellers Youth Groups in South Lanarshire and Glasgow. I also wanted to encourage and promote opportunities for the Gypsy Travellers Youth Groups.