A series of artistic and scientific events, organised in collaboration with the Poleymieux Festival Committee, took place on 14 and 15 June as part of the celebrations marking the 250th anniversary of André-Marie Ampère. Throughout the weekend, visitors were treated to sunny weather and a full programme of activities organised by Les Amis d'Ampère and museum volunteers.

The young people who took part in the ‘Ampère, Tomorrow an Electric World’ competition were in the spotlight during the festival. Their works were exhibited in the alleys of the energy garden and the award ceremony was a moment full of energy and enthusiasm.

Some chose to follow André-Marie Ampère himself as he recounted the history of electricity and reminisced about his life and encounters in the house where he spent his early years. Patrice Mélinon guided his audience through the museum, slipping into Ampère's costume with erudition and humour.

Workshops offered to younger visitors by museum volunteers covered themes such as 'How to use hydrogen to store electricity', 'Capturing solar energy, using it immediately or storing it for later use', and 'Having fun building electrical circuits'. These workshops provided a fun way to learn through experiments.

In the museum's storerooms, researchers and students took turns to give 15-minutes presentations on electricity-related topics in an accessible way: 'The secrets of everyday objects: in the steps of Ampère' (Fadoul Dantse); 'The bionic pancreas' (Maena Le Borgne); 'So, André-Marie, will your next car be petrol or hybrid?'(Philippe Matonog), 'Good health means using batteries' (Marc Le Borgne) and 'Hydrogen, a rainbow energy' (Patrice Mélinon).

In front of Ampère's roses, a variety created in 1881 by Jean Liabaud, a horticulturist and rose grower from Lyon, the Val de Saône fencing school saw the club's young members duel, demonstrating that 'the sabre is back' – and it was spectacular!

In the early evening, Iryna performed a dancing choreographed piece entitled 'Ma Julie, mon amour' (My Julie, my love).

Visitors with an artistic flair were invited to design their own commemorative poster of Ampère, or to watch a live performance by a group of amateur artists creating two collaborative pieces. These will soon be on display at the museum.

A significant event in this commemorative year was the theatrical production The Ampère Family, which was based on Ampère's correspondence.

Fortunately, the storms spared Poleymieux, and guests enjoyed a pleasant evening sharing a country meal under garlands on Saturday evening. For dessert, there were chocolate "eclairs", of course...