Fizzgigs fills Ellesmere's Mere with flying creatures for the town's first arts festival

For more than a decade, Fizzgigs has been the creative spark behind many of Ellesmere's best-loved community moments. The not-for-profit community arts group aims to create arts events that are open to everyone and encourage people of all ages to share skills.

This spring the group took on something new. For Ellesmere's inaugural Arts Festival, held from 2 to 4 May, members built a flock of hand-crafted flying creatures and placed them among the trees and undergrowth around the Mere, creating a visual trail for visitors over the bank holiday weekend.

"We're really excited about this one," said Fizzgigs chair Ian Andrew before the festival. "We know for sure there'll be an eagle in its eyrie, a swimming swan, and even an owl. There will be other flying, flapping fabrications, too!" The organisers promised the displays would be exciting in daylight and especially thrilling at dusk.

The weekend finished with spoken word. On the evening of 4 May, Fizzgigs hosted a 'Stories, Poems and Pints' night at the White Hart, open to anyone with a poem or story to share. Group member Kate Westgate asked readers to keep their pieces to a maximum of five minutes.

The festival continued a long tradition. The group's website records Winter Festival lantern parades going back to 2012, Merefest lantern processions, carnival entries, ceilidhs, a 2022 celebration ceilidh marking ten years, and productions such as Bridging the Gap in 2023 and Gruelling Times in 2025. Its lantern workshops have become a regular part of Ellesmere's winter.

Some projects have become local legends. The group's own list of favourite events includes The Angel in 2020, The Magical Plantation in 2021, The Rocket at the 2022 Winter Festival, Bridging the Gap in 2023 and George and the Dragon in 2024. Other years brought Canal Boatwomen: Romance and Reality, Jubilee Crowns, Fairy Folk in the Plantation and Kidnapped.

Anyone can join in. Fizzgigs invites people to help build puppets, lanterns and figures, carry the builds in processions, act in mummers plays and other performances, or play with the band.

To find out about upcoming events or get involved, visit fizzgigs.co.uk.