Past Projects
The Buxton ‘Our Street’ programme kicked off with the amazing pilot project ‘Capturing a Moment’ in October 2021.
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The Heritage Action Zone scheme runs until April 2024. As we build upon the events and activities taking place in Buxton, we’ll curate an archive for all to enjoy.
Illuminate Buxton:
a place we call home
A grand finale to the Our Street programme, Illuminate Buxton took elements and ideas from previous projects and wove them into spectacular projections of light and sound onto local landmark buildings.
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Over four evenings in February, internationally-renowned projection mapping company Illuminos lit up the town with their animations.
Gargoyles and Grotesques
The many faces of Spring Gardens
Look up as you wander down Spring Gardens and you will discover faces looking back at you. Buxton's architecture boasts many gargoyles and grotesques. In this project storyteller and artist Creeping Toad joined forces with theatre company Babbling Vagabonds to draw attention to these often overlooked (!) features of our town. Through art and craft workshops with schools and community groups they engaged people with the built heritage of the town and the sense of surprises and unexpected wonders that can be hidden in plain sight.
Photo: Buxton Museum/ Buxton Advertiser
Resonate:
Women of Derbyshire
Stories from our history; inspiration for our future
Performances devised by local young people including members of REC Youth Theatre Company and Mad Hatters Music to celebrate the stories local women.
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Through song, dance and drama, the achievements of famous names such as Bess of Hardwick, Florence Nightingale, Allison Uttley and Dame Ellen MacArthur as well as lesser-known folk such as the striking shoe-makers of Eyam are celebrated.
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Photo: Jo Williams
Floella
A flying visit
Buxton's favourite feathered friend, Floella Flapalot, landed in The Springs!
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She brought a colourful display to a quiet corner of the shopping centre, before migrating off to pastures new.
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Many thanks to artist Andrea Lewis and engineer extraordinaire Dave Goodway for guiding Floella to her temporary home.
Photo: Jo Williams
The Wye Dragon
The spirit of the street
The waters of the River Wye run unseen below Spring Gardens. What might lurk there? What form might the spirit of the spring take? Local group Two Left Hands conjoured up a giant dragon - the Wye Dragon - a beast that navigates the waters beneath our feet, flies unseen through the air above us and breathes the fire in the ground far below.
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The dragon made itself visible for Buxton's Spring Fair, and entertained the crowds together with our fantastic samba band.
Photo: Jo Williams
Orchestras Live
Young people's music workshops and performances with Northern Chamber Orchestra
Working with young musicians from Peak District Music Centres, the Northern Chamber Orchestra brought classical sounds to Spring Gardens!
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Their performances were on 29th April and 20th May, to much acclaim!
The Lost Cats of Buxton
January-March 2023
A joint project with Buxton Museum and Art Gallery, The Lost Cats of Buxton took a dive into deep history. Through looking at museum artefacts children (and adults!) learnt about the animals that were found here many years ago and wondered what it would be like if they were to return ...
The Word
on the Street
FEBRUARY 2023
Storyteller Gordon MacLellan, aka Creeping Toad, gathered poems, snippets and short stories celebrating (or disturbing ...) Buxton's Spring Gardens, to be shared and enjoyed by all. Click through to his website to find out more details!
Image: Spring Gardens from Terrace Road c1910 via Buxton Museum and Art Gallery
Fun Palace
OCTOBER 2022
Babbling Vagabonds, Two Left Hands and Buxton Crescent Heritage Trust came together to create a Fun Palace in The Pump Room. Throughout the day there were free, family, led activities to get involved in. Over 100 participants had drew, designed, built, played and generally had a whale of a time.
