Tag: Buckinghamshire Culture

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A new Chesham Cultural and Creative Plan

buckinghamshireculture
Illustration promoting the creative community in Buckinghamshire, featuring elements like a town charter, marketing strategies, and celebration of local talent with decorative banners and symbols.

Chesham’s New Cultural Plan outlines a shared vision for a creative, connected, and vibrant Chesham. Chesham Town Council and Bucks Culture are proud to present the new Chesham Cultural Plan—a community‑driven roadmap shaped through months of collaboration, creativity, and conversation. This place-based approach to strategy connects directly to the county-wide Buckinghamshire Cultural Strategy.

Developed with invaluable input from local artists, organisations, cultural leaders, educators, businesses, and passionate residents, the plan reflects Chesham’s unique identity and sets ambitious priorities for the years ahead. Together, we have defined a vision that supports culture to flourish, strengthens community life, and champions the creativity that already makes Chesham special.

How the Plan Was Created

The Cultural and Creative Plan emerged from a series of focused workshops held in Autumn 2025. These sessions brought together a diverse group of cultural stakeholders who contributed their experience, insight, and aspirations for the town’s future.

The Process Included:

  • Understanding Chesham’s current cultural landscape, strengths, and challenges.
  • Identifying possibilities for growth, innovation, partnership, and community engagement.
  • Agreeing the strategic direction, key themes, and practical actions that will guide implementation.

Each session fostered lively discussion, collaboration, and idea‑sharing—ensuring the final plan is rooted in community voices and real local need. We were supported in this process by Bucks-based live illustrator Elly Bazigos, who captured the conversations and process through colourful illustrations.

An illustrated graphic promoting resilience and sustainability, featuring text and imagery related to nurturing a creative ecosystem, investing in leadership, growing creative talent, strengthening partnerships, and safeguarding the future, with playful elements like trees, birds, and smiling faces.

What the Cultural and Creative Plan Aims to Achieve

The Chesham Cultural and Creative Plan sets out a bold yet achievable vision, that builds on great work already taking place in the town. It focusses on these priorities:

  1. The Cultural and Creative Town of Bucks
  2. Opportunity and Participation
  3. Resilience and Sustainability
  4. Places and Hubs

You can see the full plan here:

Chesham Cultural and Creative Plan 2026 FinalDownload

A Plan Built on Collaboration

Illustration promoting creativity and participation, featuring diverse individuals holding a sign that reads 'Opportunity & Participation' with playful graphics and phrases like 'Quality Experiences' and 'Capacity for All'.

This plan would not be possible without the dedicated community members who contributed their time, energy, and creativity throughout the workshop process. Their commitment has shaped a shared vision that belongs to the whole town.
We extend our heartfelt thanks to everyone who participated, supported the discussions, and helped set Chesham on a path towards a vibrant cultural future.

What’s Next?

The Cultural and Creative Plan now moves into its implementation phase. Chesham Town Council and Bucks Culture have already begun work with local partners to:

  • Develop and ratify a Creative and Cultural Charter for Chesham
  • Develop a partnership logo to endorse the Charter with students from Buckinghamshire New University
  • Draft and submit an Expression of Interest to the Town of Culture 2028 competition.

Next steps include:

  • Rolling out the Cultural and Creative logo
  • Seeking funding and resource opportunities
  • Creating partnership networks
  • Shaping new cultural initiatives and community programmes.

Progress updates will be shared regularly—as this is just the beginning.
Chesham’s new Cultural and Creative Plan represents our collective belief that creativity enriches lives, strengthens communities, and shapes a thriving town. We look forward to continuing this journey.

An illustration showing two buildings labelled 'Places & Hubs' and 'Fill Cultural Venues', with people interacting and symbols indicating exploration and mapping of spaces.
news

Stories 2: Call out for Expressions of Interest

buckinghamshireculture
outdoor performance with fire and an audience

We are excited to invite organisations and creatives from across Buckinghamshire to share their ideas and express their interest in collaborating in an innovative developmental partnership that explores co-creation as a powerful way to bring local stories to life through creativity. Building on the success of Together We Build, this initiative will explore new creative approaches to storytelling. Heritage and cultural organisations will be paired with artists and creative practitioners to uncover and share important local stories in fresh, engaging, and imaginative ways.

This project does not yet have funding. The Expression of Interest (EOI) process will help shape the application that Bucks Culture submits to the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

We want to support innovative collaborations that bring locally significant community memories, cultural traditions, and heritage to life. By capturing and sharing these stories, the project aims to safeguard them for future generations, ensuring that lived experiences continue to inform, inspire, and strengthen our local communities.

Oral histories are a rich source of knowledge, insight, and creativity, and they will sit at the heart of the Stories 2 project. Through meaningful partnerships, the project will enable organisations to uncover, amplify, and celebrate hidden local stories and engage under-represented audiences using creative and inclusive approaches to storytelling, participation, and interpretation.

Projects may draw on existing oral history collections or generate new recordings. All activity should be rooted in co-creation with communities, ensuring that participants help shape both the process and the outcomes. Outputs could include exhibitions, installations, performances, digital works, workshops, or public events designed to engage diverse audiences and extend the reach and impact of these stories.

Programme Aims

To protect and celebrate Buckinghamshire’s community heritage by:

  • Uncovering and safeguarding oral histories that reflect and celebrate Buckinghamshire’s diverse communities, particularly community memories, cultural traditions and stories at risk of being lost.
  • Championing inclusive creative practice in working with oral histories and community memory, enabling under-represented or under-engaged audiences to shape, interpret, and share their heritage.
  • Fostering meaningful collaboration between heritage organisations, artists, and communities.
  • Building skills and confidence in cross-sector partnership working to strengthen sustainable, long-term relationships.

Who Can Apply

We welcome applications from arts, heritage, and culture organisations that want to explore stories and oral histories.  Eligible applicants include formally constituted organisations and community-led heritage groups. To apply, groups must have:

  • A governing document (e.g., constitution)
  • A committee or Board
  • A bank account in the organisation’s name with two signatories

Applicants may apply either:

  • With a creative or heritage partner already confirmed, or
  • Without a partner, in which case the project team can help broker a suitable collaboration.  Please reach out for a conversation to Guy: Guy@buckinghamshirecuture.org

All collaborations must work with a specific under-engaged audience group—people who currently have limited access to or participation in heritage activities due to factors such as geography, age, ethnicity, disability, socio-economic background, or cultural relevance.

What We’re Looking For

Successful proposals will:

  • Clearly explain which community memories, cultural traditions, and stories will be uncovered and why they matter locally. Priority will be given to stories at risk of being lost.
  • Focus on oral history, whether drawing on existing collections or generating new recordings.
  • Provide a compelling idea for creative collaboration with an artist or creative collective that empowers communities and brings local stories to life.
  • Identify a specific under-represented or under-engaged audience and a thoughtful plan for reaching and involving them in co-creation.
  • Evidence a commitment to inclusion, ethical practice, and community voice.
  • Demonstrate organisational capacity to host and support the project successfully.

Projects can be of any scale appropriate to your organisation and community and should be achievable within the available budget and timeframe.

Support Available

Assuming our funding application is successful, each selected partnership will receive:

  • Project grant: £2,000-£10,000 tbc (to cover artist fees, materials, production costs, engagement activities, and evaluation) for a 6-12 month delivery period.
  • Overarching Project Co-ordinator to oversee and assist with troubleshooting and engagement.
  • Training and professional support for both heritage and creative partners – likely to cover co-creation, inclusive practice, oral histories, ethics.
  • Access to a learning network of participating organisations and artists.
  • Opportunities for showcasing and shared dissemination at regional and national level.

Indicative Project Timeline

Call-out opens                                               30th March 2026

Expression of Interest deadline                    30th April 2026

Funding application submission date           Summer 2026

Decision-making period                               8 weeks

Project delivery period                                 Autumn 2026-Summer 2028 tbc

Expression of Interest Form

Please find the Expression of Interest form here:

Stories 2 Expression of Interest Form FinalDownload

Completed Expression of Interest forms should be returned to Guy: Guy@buckinghamshireculture.org by 9am, 30th April 2026.

Contact Details

If you have questions about this invitation, wish to discuss your project with a team member, or need help to find the right partner, please reach out to Guy: Guy@buckinghamshireculture.org

Please contact us if you require this information in alternative formats.

We are happy to accept applications through alternative formats suited to your needs including a film (no longer than 10 minutes) or an audio recording (no longer than 10 minutes).

news

Arts Council England Independent Review Published

buckinghamshireculture
A close-up of a hand holding a pen, writing on a page filled with sketches, with a coffee cup and notepad in the background.

Bucks Culture welcomes the Arts Council England review from Baroness Margaret Hodge. We are delighted that the suggestion we made in response to the consultation, to devolve funds to local and regional decision making boards, has been put forward. We believe this will ensure that investment in Buckinghamshire is effectively distributed to artists and cultural organisations across the county. We also support the recommendation that Councils should produce a Cultural Plan and note that Buckinghamshire has one which Bucks Culture is engaged in delivering.

We look forward to the response from central Government and exploring how we can support those recommendations that are adopted, and resulting plans, as they are implemented.

You can find Baroness Margaret Hodge’s full report here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/arts-council-england-an-independent-review-by-baroness-margaret-hodge

news

Stories 2 – A New Collaborative Journey in Creative Storytelling

buckinghamshireculture
artists looking at objects from NDACA
Archive Stories workshop with NDACA

We are inviting organisations and creatives across Buckinghamshire to join an online meeting to explore our proposal for Stories 2, an innovative developmental partnership that explores co-creation as a way to share local stories through creativity.  Building on the success of Together We Build but continuing to explore creative approaches to stories and storytelling, this model will see heritage and cultural organisations paired with artists and creative practitioners to explore and share local stories in fresh and engaging ways.  This project does not yet have funding, but Bucks Culture is proposing to lead a partnership application for funding. 

This project will support innovative collaborations that bring personal stories and community memories to life.  Oral histories are a rich source of information and inspiration, and we want to put them at the heart of this project.  The Stories 2 project will enable organisations to connect with, and amplify, hidden stories and under-engaged audiences through creative approaches to storytelling, participation, and interpretation.  Projects may explore existing oral history collections or generate new recordings, co-creating outputs with communities that could include exhibitions, installations, performances, digital works, workshops, or public events.

Programme Aims

  • Reveal and celebrate diverse voices and lived experiences within our county through inclusive creative practice.
  • Engage under-represented or under-engaged audiences in shaping, interpreting, and sharing heritage.
  • Test creative methods for working with oral histories and community memory.
  • Foster meaningful collaboration between heritage organisations, artists and communities.
  • Build skills and confidence in cross-sector partnership working.

Who Can Apply

We are beginning this process by inviting anyone interested to attend an introductory meeting, where you can learn more and explore the idea with us.  A formal application process will follow.  We welcome applications from arts, heritage, and culture organisations that want to explore stories and oral histories.  Each application must outline a collaboration for a heritage partner and a creative/artistic partner working together.  Eligible applicants include formally constituted organisations and community-led heritage groups. To apply, groups must have:

  • A governing document (e.g., constitution)
  • A committee or Board
  • A bank account in the organisation’s name with two signatories

Applicants may apply either:

  • With a creative or heritage partner already confirmed, or
  • Without a partner, in which case the project team can help broker a suitable collaboration.

All collaborations must work with at least one under-engaged audience group—people who currently have limited access to or participation in heritage activities due to factors such as geography, age, ethnicity, disability, socio-economic background, or cultural relevance.

Support Available

Assuming our funding application is successful, each selected partnership will receive:

  • Project grant: £2,000-£10,000 tbc (to cover artist fees, materials, production costs, engagement activities, and evaluation) for a 6-12 month delivery period
  • Overarching Project Co-ordinator to keep everyone on track and assist with troubleshooting and engagement
  • Training and professional support for both heritage and creative partners – likely to cover co-creation, inclusive practice, oral histories, ethics
  • Access to a learning network of participating organisations and artists
  • Opportunities for showcasing and shared dissemination at regional and national level.

What We’re Looking For

Successful proposals will demonstrate:

  • A clear oral history focus, whether based on existing collections or new recordings.
  • A compelling idea for creative collaboration with an artist or collective that empowers communities and creates vibrant local storytelling.
  • Identification of a specific under-engaged audience and a thoughtful plan for reaching and involving them in co-creation.
  • Evidence of commitment to inclusion, ethical practice, and community voice.
  • Organisational capacity to host and support the project.

Projects can be of any scale appropriate to your organisation and community and should be achievable within the available budget and timeframe.

Indicative Project Timeline

Information/Exploration Meeting – 9th February 2026

Call-out opens – Spring 2026

Expression of Interest deadline – Late Spring 2026

Funding application submission date – Summer 2026

Decision-making period – 8 weeks

Project delivery period – Autumn 2026-Summer 2028

Find Out More

Join us on 9th February, 11-12.30 on Teams to find out more, RSVP via this link: Stories 2 Discussion – Fill out form

Culture

Seeking a Project Manager

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We are seeking a highly organised, creative and collaborative Project Manager to lead the emerging High Wycombe Place Partnership Programme – a three-year initiative funded by Arts Council England, The Rothschild Foundation and Bucks Council. Running until March 2028, the programme aims to strengthen the local creative sector by building a more connected, inclusive and sustainable network that nurtures talent, supports creative leaders and increases opportunities for communities to engage with arts and culture in High Wycombe.

Bucks Culture will host this freelance opportunity, supporting the Place Partnership project in our role as project partner.

Deadline for applications: midnight, 17th September 2025.

For more information and details of how to apply, please see our full Job Description below.

Place Partnership PM JD Aug 25 FinalDownload
Culture

Explore creativity, stories and nature this August with Bucks Open Weekend

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Open Weekend banner

Taking place 28th-31st August, Open Weekend is a celebration of creativity and an invitation to explore! Take a look at our What’s On to find out what exciting activities are happening across Bucks.

You are invited to enjoy creative projects, performances, workshops, exhibitions and much more taking place across the county over a long weekend.  This year’s events are themed to ‘stories and nature’ and aim to inspire you, your family and friends with experiences that bring creativity to life.  From ancient folklore and myth to personal reflections and artistic expressions, stories shape the way we experience nature—and nature, in turn, fuels our imagination and creativity.

Over the four days of Open Weekend groups, organisations and creatives will hold over 50 events, so you can take part in activities from tree drawing workshops to dance exploring nature, wellbeing and personal stories, from photography to tell your story, to Opera combined with circus!  From immersive music to growing and cooking, from woven stories using upcycled materials to snake stories and snake sculpture – there’s so much to discover.  Events will take place across the county, some outside in nature and others inside. 

If you have never been to Aylesbury Waterside Theatre you can take a tour to hear how its design is inspired by the Chiltern’s natural landscapes.  Visit Discover Bucks Museum for a multi-sensory story time sharing how Bucks has changed from a watery world of undersea creatures to our modern landscape.  Or take a trip to Wycombe Museum for a magical day of stories with a ‘Choose Your Own Adventure’ story trail, book-making, storytelling, face painting, and character games.  And many of our Libraries are hosting a range of storytelling events and creative workshops.

Julius Weinberg, Buckinghamshire Culture Co-Chair said: “This year’s theme of stories and nature has inspired many great events, we are really excited to see so many groups, organisations and artists come forward to nurture the creativity of our county in this way.  Thank you to everyone that has chosen to take part in Open Weekend 2025!“

Peter Brazier, Buckinghamshire Council’s Cabinet Member for Culture and Leisure, added: “We are delighted to give our support to Buckinghamshire Culture’s Open Weekend once again this year.  It is a fantastic way for everyone to get their creativity flowing and enjoy the wide range of fun activities on offer.  With events and activities taking place across the whole county, I’d encourage everyone to take a look at the programme of events and get involved.”

A child smiling while participating in a crafting activity, surrounded by adults, working with decorated sticks at a table.
Community Sculpture at Chiltern Open Air Museum

The idea behind Open Weekend is to showcase the range and breadth of creative opportunities available Buckinghamshire and to encourage as many people as possible to get involved, go somewhere new or try something new.  Open Weekend is organised by Buckinghamshire Culture and supported by Buckinghamshire Council and the Rothschild Foundation.

Special thanks to our Communication Sponsors: Bucks Radio, Hiya Bucks, High Wycombe Life, My Wycombe.

Buckinghamshire Culture acts as an umbrella organisation for independently planned events by partner organisations. You can find out more and help spread the word by visiting: www.buckinghamshireculture.org, Instagram @bucks_culture and @BuckinghamshireCulture on Facebook – look for #BucksOpenWeekend and please like and re-share!

Culture, news

Summertime Get Together

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Join us for an afternoon of connection, creativity, and collaboration at Discover Bucks Museum, designed to bring together creative professionals and cultural organisations from across Buckinghamshire.

Event Details:

Date: 10th of July 2025
Time: 1:00 PM – 3:30 PM
Location: Discover Bucks Museum, Aylesbury

This welcoming and purpose-driven session will begin with a light lunch and networking opportunity, followed by a short update from Bucks Culture on this year’s Open Weekend and the Wycombe Place Partnership. We will then be joined by special guest speaker who will introduce the work of Outdoor Arts UK and share inspiring opportunities for creative engagement in public spaces.

The afternoon will include opportunities to connect with peers, explore ideas for shared marketing and collaboration, and contribute content for Bucks Open Weekend. Participants will also be invited to take a guided tour of the museum’s current exhibition, Beyond the Stars, for inspiration and reflection.

This event is an excellent opportunity to:

  • Exchange ideas and explore joint opportunities for Open Weekend 2025
  • Learn from national insights on outdoor cultural programming
  • Build sector connections and share best practice
  • Inspire new approaches to audience engagement

Book your place using the form here:
https://forms.office.com/e/MqLjhDVs1d

We look forward to welcoming you.

Culture

Championing Culture

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Each year we ask our resident Buckinghamshire creative and cultural organisations to share some data about their work with us. We aggregate this and use the resulting headlines to advocate for culture in the county.

This year we’re changing the way we collect the annual snapshot from Bucks-based cultural organisations.  We have built a new questionnaire to make it easier to share your data and stories, which all help build a collective picture of our impact. This will help us advocate for investment, partnership and recognition – and to shout about our collective achievements. We are sharing this now, encouraging organisations to think about their responses for the period from April 2024 – March 2025.

The Championing Culture Questionnaire can be found here:

Championing Culture Questionnaire
Culture, news

Help make Bucks Open Weekend 2025 bigger than ever!

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Open Weekend is back for 2025 – we want as many businesses, groups and organisations as possible to take part.  Join in the fifth year of our vibrant, Bucks-wide event full of creative activities to try out and have a go!  This year we will hold Open Weekend at the end of August – 28th-31st August 2025.

Are you a creative business, cultural organisation or artist looking to reach new audiences, test fresh ideas, and connect with like-minded organisations? Open Weekend is your opportunity to showcase your work, engage with communities, and grow your presence across Buckinghamshire.

With stories and nature as this year’s theme, you can inspire audiences with unique experiences that bring creativity to life.  From ancient folklore and myth to personal reflections and artistic expressions, stories shape the way we experience nature—and nature, in turn, fuels our imagination and creativity. For creative businesses, this is more than an event—it’s an opportunity.

Taking part in Open Weekend is a great way to celebrate creativity, encourage people to try something new and be part of a county-wide showcase. How will you tell your story? Join us and make your mark on Open Weekend 2025.

Submissions for events/activities can be made from Thursday 15th May to Monday 30th June, using the online form at https://buckinghamshireculture.org/be-part-of-open-weekend/

Buckinghamshire Culture is pleased to be able to give out a limited amount of micro grants to support Open Weekend activities and to help make them accessible to all – find out more on our website.

Buckinghamshire Culture acts as an umbrella organisation for independently planned events presented by partner organisations. Getting involved and registering an event brings advantages for the organisers, including: a central ‘What’s On’ page, hosted by Bucks Culture, umbrella marketing, being part of a county-wide event. knowledge exchange and networking with other organisers.

This programme is supported through funding from Buckinghamshire Council and Rothschild Foundation and is delivered with support from Buckinghamshire Council.

Culture

Strengthening Partnerships & Supporting Collaboration 

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Our pool of connected creative and cultural organisations, creatives and freelancers has grown considerably since Bucks Culture began in 2019. In light of this we have been reviewing the best way to work together and support collaboration within the county.

Bucks Culture is excited to propose a refreshed partnership structure aimed at fostering deeper collaboration and amplifying the impact of the cultural sector in Buckinghamshire. This strategic evolution provides a dynamic framework to convene cultural leaders, organisations, and creatives, enabling a robust and thriving cultural landscape. 

Introducing: the Bucks Cultural Consortium 

At the heart of this renewed approach is the Bucks Cultural Consortium, a think-tank designed to provide strategic sector input, leadership, and support for creative delivery. This consortium brings together leading cultural organisations, venues, health partners, educational institutions, local councils, and independent creatives. 

The Consortium aims to: 

  • Enable cross-sector collaboration and strengthen existing networks. 
  • Elevate the profile of Buckinghamshire’s cultural sector, attracting funding and investment. 
  • Support talent development from grassroots to established professionals. 
  • Develop funding relationships and explore new opportunities 
  • Foster creative partnerships that drive innovation nurturing access and inclusion. 

In time we aim to establish two dedicated working groups focussed on: 

  1. Strategic Development & Best Practice – Showcasing cultural excellence, identifying thematic conference content and advancing equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) initiatives. Linking to Access and Inclusion Manifesto, Stories and our regular Conference.
  1. Funding, Outreach & Commercialisation – Exploring fundraising strategies, creative collaborative projects and embedding work in community settings. 

Introducing: the Creative Culture Network

Recognising the unique challenges faced by small-scale arts organisations, micro-businesses, and independent creatives, Bucks Culture’s Creative and Cultural Network provides structured opportunities to build capacity, develop income streams, and enhance digital presence. 

The network will operate through a number of open Sector Networking events each year, alongside two dedicated, peer-development workstreams: 

  • Marketing & Digital Strategy – Helping participants craft compelling pitches, navigate digital tools, and optimise online presence. Linking to Sector Development Sessions. 
  • Fundraising & Commercialisation – Equipping creatives with the skills to secure funding and develop new revenue streams. 

Session dates are released over the year, blending online and in-person formats to maximise accessibility and engagement. 

This evolution and formalisation of our network and partnership model does not preclude ad hoc meetings, forming project or issues-based groups or meetings, or other ways of working. We hope it will make communications more relevant and ensure that we are offering different services and opportunities relevant to need and capacity.

Let us know what you think... 

Bucks Culture invites strategic partners, cultural leaders, and creatives to commit to these initiatives, attend working groups, and actively shape the cultural landscape of Buckinghamshire. By working together, we can increase sector impact, attract investment, and build a sustainable future for culture in the county. 

To express interest or suggest topics for upcoming sessions, please get in touch. We look forward to collaborating with you to create a vibrant and inclusive cultural ecosystem in Bucks.