I Am Wycombe: Free films now available to watch online

Cultural and the Arts

Since October 2020, Lasana Shabazz has been working with local communities and the staff at High Wycombe and Micklefield libraries, talking about their stories of living in Buckinghamshire. Drawing on experiences shared by participants and the artist’s own story, Lasana has created a series of seven films, now showing on Vimeo and essexcdp.com.

With common threads running through, each film tells a different story from a unique perspective. Each film stands alone, but watched together they paint a picture of Wycombe’s residents through the themes of home, family and belonging. The artist has captured a powerful snapshot of people and place, creating an important platform for the stories that often remain untold – placing voices of the diverse and varied community of Wycombe firmly at the centre of the artistic process.

The project was also an opportunity for Lasana to explore their own personal history; Lasana’s family settled in High Wycombe after arriving in the UK from St Vincent in the Caribbean, and the artist frequently visited as a child. Through the project Lasana connected with Wycombe again as an adult, developing a renewed connection to the community, and being proud to say ‘I Am Wycombe’.

The videos can be viewed online at https://vimeo.com/user2431627. Some of the videos have content warnings and may not be suitable for young viewers.

Clive Harriss, Buckinghamshire Council’s Cabinet Member for Culture and Leisure, commented:

“Lasana has done a fantastic job of transforming Wycombe residents’ stories into a wonderful series of seven films. These films are free to view now on Vimeo, and Covid guidance permitting, we’re aiming to showcase the films in High Wycombe and Micklefield libraries as part of the first ever Open Weekend for Buckinghamshire, which takes between 22 and 25 July.”

I Am Wycombe was commissioned by Essex Cultural Diversity Project and Farnham Maltings using funding from the Rothschild Foundation and in partnership with Buckinghamshire Libraries.