A huge thank you to everyone who made WhizzFizz On Tour such a success this summer, with free cultural events and activities taking place in High Wycombe, Chesham and Aylesbury - including Treasures and Tales events, Chesham Library Grand Re-opening, and a brand-new festival, Wycombe Celebrates!
We are delighted that hundreds of families were able to join in, thanks to the amazing collaboration of funders, community groups, businesses and individuals.
Our final event is Aylesbury Sci-Fi Day on 19 October, a celebration of sci-fi, fantasy and superheroes – it’s going to be out of this world! Follow us @WhizzFizzOnTour on Instagram and Facebook for all the latest news.
Aylesbury Sci-Fi Day
When: Saturday 19 October
Time: 10:30am to 4pm
Where: Aylesbury Library and town centre
Aylesbury Sci-Fi Day promises to be an exhilarating event for families and enthusiasts alike, offering a blend of activities that cater to all ages.
This free, family-friendly day includes a variety of workshops and exhibitions that will spark the imagination. Look forward to artist workshops, engaging digital workshops, and the chance to design your own superheroes with the assistance of Bucks New University.
The event will also feature comic exhibitions and film props exhibitions, adding a touch of nostalgia and wonder. The excitement will spill out into the town with cosplay activities, where you can meet your favourite superheroes.
Local businesses are joining in the fun, with comic shops and Warhammer hosting activities including a mini game. The library will be a hub of activity with a quiz in the Library Room and various comic vendor stalls.
Aylesbury Sci-Fi Day is set to be a memorable event that celebrates creativity, community, and the joy of science fiction.
Brought to you by Buckinghamshire Council’s WhizzFizz, The Rekindle Project, Bucks New University, Aylesbury Library and community groups and businesses.
Chesham Library Grand Reopening
Over 800 attendees!
We were delighted to welcome well over 800 people on the day and had the great pleasure to share a host of free events and activities for the local community!
The children’s library was transformed into a theatre for the day; High Wycombe based Dread Fall’s Theatre Company’s puppets included a dragon who delighted all the families and of course the whole library team!
Storytellers from St Francis Hospice’s Chapter Two Bookshop came with special guest Nellie the Elephant in attendance! Melanie Chennells brought the party vibe with a Zumba Disco with surprise guest, Miss T-Rex! - proving there’s ‘no party like a library party’! Then local musicians Rosy Le Good and Linda Miller brought to life the story of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons with violin and viola. The children got to experience the music and then take part in the story of the seasons using percussion instruments.
Alongside performances we had lots of interactive activities on offer. Chesham Museum brought a sensory sensation to bring the history of Chesham to life, including the opportunity to try fresh watercress which used to grow in the many cress beds of Chesham.
Keeping the celebration local, we welcomed poet and founder of the Chesham Literary Festival Ben Batten with his ‘Poet Tree’ which is now full of verse. The Eligiva’s Creative Hearts Arts and crafts facilitator Mitika made beautiful bears with a Goldilocks theme. We rounded off the day with our champion Pete Morrisby, helping inspire players old and new to enjoy an afternoon of Gambits, advantages, and chess mates!
There wasn’t a moment without magic for all who attended, ensuring that no matter what time visitors arrived they were greeted with the opportunity to experience, explore, and engage with different creative activities.
Wycombe Celebrates
Despite thunderstorms threatening the festivities, the sun did shine on Wycombe Celebrates, and a glorious celebration of all things special to Wycombe took over the town on Sunday 8 September.
It started with a bang with the Pathfinder Marching Band, and a wide range of dance, spoken word and music including gospel, pop, and reggae entertained the crowds over the day, closing with a triumphant choir performance with all welcome to join in.
Family-friendly crafts inspired by many cultures included rangoli and weaving, and street performances featuring storytelling, vegetables being juggled and cuddled, a wagon of dragons, and bees! wowed children and adults alike.
Thousands of visitors thronged the streets, enjoying the food, music, arts, heritage, and crafts, with 22 stands from local craft and food businesses, community groups, public services added to the buzz.
Exhibitions including local art, textiles and photography, the mayor’s regalia, and Islamic calligraphy, and not forgetting guided history walks, inspired many.
A special thanks goes to The Rothschild Foundation and High Wycombe Community Board who helped to fund this amazing day. Plus many others who played a key role in the success of the event – it was a real community effort!
Treasure and Tales
A day of laughter and sharing
Across the summer, Pond Park in Chesham, Mapledean in High Wycombe, and Elmhurst in Aylesbury played host to Treasures and Tales sessions.
WhizzFizz aims to let all children have a chance to be inspired by culture and creativity, and over 300 children and parents from these Opportunity Bucks wards enjoyed these special sessions.
The families enjoyed live performances of Unbound Theatre’s latest comedy, the Hay Wain Heist about a pair of bungling art thieves, captivating story telling from Janina Vigurs, and artist workshops to make paper treasures to take home.
Janina commented on her experience of one of the days:
“Children of many different backgrounds told stories with me at Mapledean Family Hub in Bucks. It. Was. Gorgeous.
“None of them knew each other, yet they played, shared stories of food, made paper crafts, planted seeds, laughed, watched theatre and coloured together. It was beautiful.”