COMMUNITY leaders working to introduce Asians to Wycombe Museum have celebrated the end of a summer exhibition which saw hundreds of new faces at the venue.

Salaam Wycombe a display of Asian people's experiences of High Wycombe which has been at Wycombe Museum, in Priory Avenue, for the last six weeks ended on Friday with a party attended by civic dignitaries and leaders of the Asian community.

Project manager Hatim Qureshi said: "The objectives of this project were to attract the Asian community to the museum, and they have been comfortably met. We have had an audience of 500, and 500 new people coming to the museum.

"I'm very proud of what we have achieved. I'm very much hoping this exhibition will give people ideas so in years to come we can have more exhibitions here. It's really up to the community now to come up with ideas."

Wycombe Museum has been host throughout the summer to artist-in-residence Shaheen Kauser Ahmed.

Shaheen, who was born in High Wycombe but now lives in Birmingham, is influenced by Islamic calligraphy. She has spent the summer helping members of local community groups produce artwork that explores their lives and experiences of living in High Wycombe.

Their work, along with objects and photographs, formed the exhibition.

Asians account for around ten to 15 per cent of the population in the Wycombe district. Some 80 per cent of Asians in the area have their origins in Pakistan.

James Rattue, Wycombe District Council's assistant museums officer, said: "'Salaam Wycombe!' gives local Asian people the chance to express what they feel about living in the town. The exhibition will tour the district later in the year."

The exhibition ended on Friday with a colourful show put on by the country's only muslim theatre group.