Chichester City Centre | Saturday 6 June, 10am – 4pm
The city of Chichester will be bursting with colour and creativity as part of a collective celebration to mark Great Big Green Week and the final day of Chichester Cathedral’s spectacular Festival of Flowers.
Step into a day of wonder, brought to you by Chichester Festival Theatre and Culture Spark, as Daniel – an 8ft, ethereal puppet – roams through the city. Along the way, he will be sharing gifts of dandelions, each with a message of positivity.
As you journey through the city, look out for the amazing floral displays outside shops and eateries as part of Chichester in Bloom, a free city trail organised by Chichester BID.
You can also enjoy free sustainable drop-in activities and performances at locations across the city, including the Cathedral Green, Chichester Festival Theatre and Pallant House Gallery.
Stop off at The Canopy on Crane Street for a morning of nature-inspired storytelling, music played on recycled instruments and then get your hands dirty with ‘Craft it, plant it and watch it grow’.
The city will also welcome 150 Morris dancers from across the counties, filling the streets with lively music, colour, and energetic performances throughout the day.
A magical day for all ages – come and be part of the adventure.
Timetable of Workshops & Walks
10am – 4pm
Walk of the Dandelion Workshops and Plant Sale
The Cathedral Green
Enjoy free dandelion-making workshops and write your messages of positivity to share with Daniel as he makes his way around the city.
There will also be a Plant Sale on the Cathedral Green as part of the Festival of Flowers – look out for some of the spectacular floral displays in the Cloisters!
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10am – 1pm
Storytelling and Music on Recycled Instruments
The Canopy on Crane Street
Enjoy nature-inspired storytelling with Danyah Miller and music from Beats for 3 as they play your favourite tunes on recycled instruments.
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10.30am – 2pm
Family activities
Chichester Festival Theatre and Oaklands Park
Step behind the scenes with the Backstage Playbox – an interactive space showcasing a selection of CFT costumes and props. Enjoy the lively atmosphere with a folk band performing throughout the day plus children can get creative with hands-on craft activities, making their own puppets from recycled material.
Local food waste charity UK Harvest will also be there with some examples of foods that can be found within the community food hubs. Pick up some fresh ingredients to take home in exchange for a donation. Children can collect compost starter kits, and there’ll be cake tasters made from surplus food.
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11am – 11.45am
Walk of the Dandelion: Cathedral Green to Pallant House Gallery
Walk 1: Walk with Daniel, an 8ft, ethereal puppet, as he follows the Chichester in Bloom trail from Chichester Cathedral Green to Pallant House Gallery.
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11am – 2pm
Weaving Workshops
Pallant House Gallery
Led by artist educator Laura Buckle, take part in two unique weaving activities inspired by their exhibition Path Through Trees and Haroun Hayward’s approach to combining textiles and imagery.
Create your own woven piece to take home using recycled fabrics, coloured card, ribbons, and foraged natural materials. You can also contribute to a large-scale communal artwork on a striking loom structure made from scaffolding – helping transform materials that might otherwise end up in landfill into a shared creative piece.
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1.15pm – 2pm
Walk of the Dandelion: Around Chichester Festival Theatre
Walk 2: Join Daniel as he gently roams around Chichester Festival Theatre and Oaklands Park.
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2pm – 4pm
Craft it, plant it and watch it grow!
The Canopy on Crane Street
Decorate and plant an eco-friendly flowerpot to take home with artist Vicky Brown and gardening experts Chloe and Natalie.
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2.30pm
West Sussex Sings Performance
The Cathedral Green
Don’t miss a performance by West Sussex Sings community choir led by Emily Barden.
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3.15pm – 4pm
Walk of the Dandelion: The Cross to Priory Park
Walk 3: Join the Town Crier, Daniel and a band of Morris Dancers as they follow the Chichester in Bloom trail down North Street and Crane Street towards Priory Park.
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4pm
Morris Dancers
Priory Park
Watch a final celebratory community dance with over 150 Morris dancers in Priory Park.
The Walk of The Dandelion is presented by Culture Spark and Chichester Festival Theatre in partnership with Chichester District Council, Chichester BID, Pallant House Gallery, Chichester Cathedral and The Festival of Flowers. Part funded by UK Government.