Glittering Eyes:  a project between the Roald Dahl Museum and Waterside Primary Academy to explore local places and creativity

The Roald Dahl Museum have been working with Waterside Primary in Chesham over the last few months to explore their local places as somewhere inspiring and somewhere for sharing creativity and culture. 

The Museum team and professional picture-book maker, Rose Feather, have worked with all of Years 2, 3, 4 and 5 to create the Waterside Publishing House Company!  The “Company” has produced 5 different picture books that are the children and staff’s responses to the area around the River Chess (close to the school) as well as the High Street.  By looking at these places in new ways (just as Roald Dahl did), the children have ‘seen’  ice-creams rain down by the clock tower and the river burst its banks at midnight – all details which are included in their stories. 

The project has printed over 1,000 of these special books.    At least some of the books will be available to borrow from a special library cart on Chesham High Street throughout the school summer holidays. The cart has been specially designed by the Waterside children along with Rose.  It will be launched with a special celebratory event which Chesham Mayor Councillor Wilford Augustus will be attending.

The Museum has always intended that ‘Glittering Eyes’ project runs for subsequent years with other schools and communities. 

We are particularly keen to work with those in Buckinghamshire Council’s Levelling Up areas so please do contact natalie@roalddahlmuseum.org if you would be interested to find out more.