A TALENT show for travellers is to come to Christchurch tomorrow for one of its regional heats.

Travellers Got Talent will take place at East Christchurch Social Club in Grange Road from 11.30am to showcase talented entertainers from the British traveller and gypsy communities.

This is the third year the competition will have taken place. It is held throughout June as part of the Gypsy Roma Traveller History Month.

And although public funding for the contest has been removed, organisers at the Gypsy Media Company Ltd have secured private support to put the competition on again.

Following programmes such as My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding, the organisers are hoping the contest will show the other side of a community which has survived by entertaining others for more than 1,000 years.

The finals are being filmed for an eight part television series on Sky’s Biography Channel.

Tracey Nedic, one of the organisers of this year’s contest said: “It is for everybody. Anyone who wants to come and watch are also welcome.

“Every day of my life I try to change people’s perspective about our community and break down the barriers.

“We can all learn a lot about each other and I think the younger generation is mixing more now than ever before.

“This contest is a celebration of our traditions and also quite groundbreaking and unique.

“It is how we express ourselves suppose.”

Tracey, who is also chairman of the Leicestershire Gypsy Liaison Group, said everything from flamenco dancing to hip hop and stand up comedy and gymnastics will be accepted.

The competition is open to anyone over the age of 11 performing in any way they like.