Tag: Open weekend

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, 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.

news

Discover Something Extraordinary

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Discover something extraordinary this July with Open Weekend

Everyone is invited to explore their creativity, and our varied county, during our jam-packed Open Weekend, 25th-28th July. With 34 contributors running 54 events across Bucks, there is plenty to enjoy. You can take part in free or low-cost activities and maybe try something new or go somewhere you have not been before!

Photograph shows four musicians dressed as superheroes and all carrying instruments
Vache Baroque, History of Sounds

Whether you are looking for something to do with little ones, a chance to try a new artform, time to learn, or time to chill out – there is plenty to choose from. This year’s fantastic programme includes opportunities to watch or join in with singing, dancing, music-making, crafting and much more. You might also visit an exhibition, listen to an author interview, enjoy live music, join a themed tour or explore local heritage. Events are taking place in person across the county, and online too.

See the Buckinghamshire Culture website for the full listing: www.buckinghamshireculture.org/open-weekend-whats-on and follow #BucksOpenWeekend and #TogetherWeCelebrate for social media updates.

This year organisations will be offering a wide range of activities on the theme of Together We Celebrate, inspired by the Paris Olympics and Paralympics 2024. Buckinghamshire has an extra special reason to celebrate as it is the proud birthplace of the Paralympic movement, and this year we have asked our event organisers to think about how they can honour this heritage. This year Open Weekend will be part of Buckinghamshire Council’s wider Together We Celebrate programme of activities and exhibitions themed around our shared advocacy of diversity, inclusivity and accessibility taking place throughout the summer.

A celebration of togetherness runs through all of the 2024 Open Weekend events, and some are offering particular activities to make your own medal (at Hughenden), design a Paralympic poster (at Aylesbury Library), or explore Paralympic artefacts and stories through a new Virtual Museum (online via the National Paralympic Heritage Trust). Please join us in celebrating the power of art and culture to bring people together and develop inclusion and understanding.

Photograph shows five participants from Missenden Walled Garden sitting on wooden benches and showing the vegetables they have picked
Missenden Walled Garden

Bill Morris, Buckinghamshire Culture’s Chair says: “We are so pleased and proud that once again organisations and individuals across Bucks have put together a programme of fantastic events. It is wonderful to see so many activities promoting inclusion and togetherness, and in a Games year, its extra special to celebrate our unique role in creating the Paralympic movement.”

Ruth Page, Buckinghamshire Council’s Head of Culture said: “Open Weekend is a brilliant way to celebrate the range of creative and cultural things you can do in Bucks. It is great to see so many activities taking place with the theme of ‘Together We Celebrate’ and showing how we can lead the way for access and inclusion.”

Open Weekend is made possible thanks to funding from the Rothschild Foundation and Buckinghamshire Council. It is co-ordinated by Buckinghamshire Culture and is delivered in partnership with organisations and creatives across the county.

Garden stepping stones containing mosaic and gem stones on a bed of bark chippings
Garden Stones created by Feedback Global

Further Information

Buckinghamshire Culture

Buckinghamshire Culture is the creative and cultural partnership for the county, developed to drive forward the Buckinghamshire Cultural Strategy. Building an inclusive, uplifting and supportive creative hub, we connect, build and nourish creative individuals and organisations. We share and celebrate the value of creativity and culture to everyone’s lives – embedding it across essential agendas. We harness the power of working together through collaboration and partnership, shaping joint projects that support happier and healthier lives for our residents. Together, we can better celebrate and share stories of our communities and county. More information on Buckinghamshire Culture: https://buckinghamshireculture.org/

Together We Celebrate programme coordinated by Buckinghamshire Council

To mark the upcoming Paris 2024 Summer Paralympic Games, we are once again asking Buckinghamshire’s communities to join us and our partners in celebrating the county’s unique and proud Paralympic heritage. Our collaborative approach aims to bring like-minded partners, organisations, and communities together to recognise Buckinghamshire as the birthplace of the Paralympic movement. A series of activities and exhibitions themed around our shared advocacy of diversity, inclusivity and accessibility will take place throughout the summer as Together We Celebrate. More information on Together We Celebrate: https://www.buckinghamshire.gov.uk/events/together-we-celebrate-2024/

Culture

Open Weekend – submissions open 25th April 2022!

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The Big Picture – Queen Ælfgifu, by Emily Brown & 39 artists from Chesham

With the warmer months approaching, and July already coming into view, organisers of Buckinghamshire’s Open Weekend celebration of creativity and culture are inviting submissions.

It is the second time the Open Weekend has taken place and this year will happen over four days, from 28th-31st July. Organised by Buckinghamshire Culture with the support of Buckinghamshire Council and the Rothschild Foundation, it is an opportunity to showcase the range and breadth of creative events, activities and initiatives taking place in Buckinghamshire.

The theme for 2022’s Open Weekend events will be ‘trees and green’, building on the celebrations for the Queen’s Jubilee in June, with suggestions including:

  • A local tree, wood, park or garden – telling stories, delivering creative workshops, outdoor performance, or transforming spaces
  • Stories about trees – encouraging people to think about our landscape heritage, exploring folk tales, sharing stories and memories linked to trees
  • The environment and green agenda – encouraging people to think about re-use, recycling and sustainability
  • The colour green itself – monochrome painting workshops, nature inspired creativity, green objects from collections to base activities around.

Organisers are encouraging organisations and groups across the county to submit their ideas for creative and cultural events and activities they plan to run in Buckinghamshire over the Open Weekend.  

Submissions for events/activities can be made between the 25th of April and 1st June via the online form at www.buckinghamshireculture.org/Open-Weekend

where there is also more information and FAQs, including the criteria for events.

As in 2021, Buckinghamshire Culture will be able to give out a limited amount of micro grants for implementing projects/activities. More information on how to apply will be coming soon.

Bill Morris, Buckinghamshire Culture Co-Chair said: “In light of the enjoyment and support that Open Weekend received in 2021, we felt we had no choice but to bring it back as annual event – we can’t wait to see what people put on!  We are also really pleased to share that Visit Buckinghamshire will be supporting our What’s On listing this year. “

Clive Harriss, Buckinghamshire Council’s Cabinet Member for Culture and Leisure, added: “We’re excited to be teaming up again with Buckinghamshire Culture to run this year’s Open Weekend, which includes Buckinghamshire Day on 29th July. It’s a fantastic opportunity for local groups and organisations to run their own cultural and creative activities and events. They can submit their ideas for these via the Open Weekend webpage.”

During the first successful Open Weekend event for Buckinghamshire in July 2021, residents and visitors had the chance to take part in over 70 creative and cultural activities across the county. 

Back then, activities were themed to stories and storytelling and included literary and heritage walks, performances, open days, trails, concerts, film screenings, exhibitions and story-telling events. There were opportunities to undertake creative activities at home and online. Overall 3,500 people took part in activities.

Look out for further info on Open Weekend at www.buckinghamshireculture.org, on Twitter @BucksCulture or Instagram @Bucks_Culture. 

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

-ends-

Notes to Editors:

Buckinghamshire Culture is the cultural partnership formed to drive forward the Cultural Strategy for the county. We aim to work together with the sector and stakeholders to shape, build and celebrate a bright cultural future for Buckinghamshire.  Open Weekend is just one part of wider plans to develop a range of county-wide creative and cultural projects for Buckinghamshire, as part of the Buckinghamshire Cultural Strategy. 

The Rothschild Foundation is a charity that supports arts and heritage, the environment, education and social welfare by awarding grants, fostering dialogue and debate, and through our support of Waddesdon Manor. Support for arts and cultural organisations is made available through our Strategic Fund.

Culture

Open Weekend Returns!

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For four days in 2022, Open Weekend will return!  Open Weekend, Buckinghamshire’s celebration of creativity and culture, will take place 28th-31st July.

The first ever Open Weekend event for Buckinghamshire took place in July 2021.  Over four days Buckinghamshire residents took part in over 70 creative and cultural activities across the county.  Open Weekend was co-ordinated by Buckinghamshire Culture in partnership with Buckinghamshire Council.

In 2021, activities were themed to stories and storytelling and included literary and heritage walks, performances, open days, trails, concerts, film screenings, exhibitions and story-telling events.  There were opportunities to undertake creative activities at home and online.  Over 3,500 people took part in activities.

In light of the enjoyment and support that the Open Weekend event received in 2021, we are extremely pleased to announce that in 2022 Buckinghamshire Culture and Buckinghamshire Council will be teaming up to run Open Weekend again.  The dates for 2022 include Buckinghamshire Day on 29th July.

The theme for 2022 Open Weekend events will be ‘trees and green’ building on the celebrations for the Queen’s Jubilee in June.  We’ve shared a few starting points for ideas below – you might be inspired by:

  • A local tree, wood, park or garden – telling stories, delivering creative workshops, outdoor performance, or transforming spaces
  • Stories about trees – encouraging people to think about our landscape heritage, exploring folk tales, sharing stories and memories linked to trees
  • The environment and green agenda – encouraging people to think about re-use, recycling and sustainability
  • The colour green itself – monochrome painting workshops, nature inspired creativity, green objects from collections to base activities around.

We encourage organisations and groups across the county to start thinking about creative and cultural events and activities they could run in Buckinghamshire over the Open Weekend.  Submissions will open in April. 

Bill Morris, Buckinghamshire Culture Co-Chair said: “It is brilliant to be bringing Open Weekend back for 2022 – the first event in 2021 was a bit of an experiment, but we feel it was a real success and we have heard how much enjoyment people got from it.  It is also great to hear how many event contributors enjoyed taking part and being involved in something bigger than themselves.”

We will be publishing the Open Weekend timeline on our website soon and we are excited to see how many people will take part this year!

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

Look out for Open Weekend updates on our website: www.buckinghamshireculture.org / Twitter: @BucksCulture / Instagram: @Bucks_Culture.  We’ll be using the #BucksOpenWeekend for Open Weekend content.