A new book outlining the history of Chatteris both from myths and memory is being launched at a special event next week.

A marquee on Furrowfields playing field is the venue for the ‘Chatteris is Myth and Memory’ celebration day.

Everyone is invited to go along for a day of storytelling and art for all ages and to find out more about a collaboration of local artitists and community members working together to explore the town through storytelling and art.

‘Chatteris in Myth and Memory’ is a project curated by Market Place, a Creative People and Places programme, funded by Arts Council England.

Over 200 people were involved in the project from December 2016 to April 2017, which culminated in the production of the book “Chatteris in Myth and Memory: Art Through Storytelling” which will be launched at the event on Thursday June 22.

In the morning children from Glebelands Academy and Kingsfield Primary will celebrate their own contribution to the legacy book by reading poems they wrote about the Great Fire of Chatteris and Grand Jaggs Monkey.

The children will also work with local youth theatre organisation 20Twenty Productions to transform the marquee into a rusty old book shop, create their own book covers, take part in a ‘more raps poem’ workshop led by award winning children’s poet Joseph Coelho. Joseph will then perform ‘Fairytales Gone Bad’.

In the evening participants of the project, their families, friends and colleagues as well as anyone, who is interested in finding out more about the project are invited to a night of storytelling, poetry and music starting at 6.30pm.

Polly Howat, an internationally acclaimed storyteller will open the event with a selection of stories from the book, followed by the official launch of the book. Students from Cromwell Community College, who have worked alongside Theatre Ensemble Company “Tangled Feet”, will performance the Hooky Man story taken from the book. Finishing the evening will be local singer Bondy who will be joined by young musicians from Cromwell Community College who have created their own songs based on stories from the book.

Evening tickets are £5 online at www.cppmarketplace.co.uk or from Honest John Pub South Park Street in Chatteris.