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Made in MK 2013 Highlights

Black Feathers MK Arts Centre

  • Made in MK took place between 28th June and 15th September 2013.
  • Through this project the Arts and Heritage Alliance – Milton Keynes (AHA-MK) provided the collective marketing umbrella for 150 events across the Borough of Milton Keynes – these included workshops and courses, exhibitions, dance, heritage activities, performance and fringe activity in the public realm.
  • Activities were delivered by over 40 organisations from AHA-MK and Milton Keynes Heritage Association (MKHA) membership and beyond.
  • Over this three-month period Made in MK attracted nearly 50,000 attendees.
  • MK Festival Fringe, Proms in the Park and the Arts and Culture Festival (in Campbell Park) all recorded increased audiences in comparison to last year
  • AHA-MK commissioned five new artworks, designed to celebrate Milton Keynes, which were displayed in and around the city centre during the summer
  • Through working with media partners MKFM and MK Citizen we ensured that Made in MK received significant press coverage and Destination Milton Keynes hosted all our listings online.

The level of collaboration and co-operation shown by our members and partners continues to impress us – we are working hard to make this process as easy as possible.  SoC 2012 was a pioneering year, which proved to the sectors the value of working together on a large-scale joint venture and Made in MK has allowed these relationships to develop even further.  By pulling together in this way, MK arts and heritage organisations are able to achieve a critical mass, and promote a cultural offer that spans the Borough.

Drawing Machine

Funding for this project came from four sources:

  • Arts Council England with match funding from the MK Collection
  • We secured £5,000 from MK Community Foundation to allow us to offer 5 commissions to artists (and further commissions were offered by MK Festival Fringe), with a brief to celebrate Milton Keynes and engage members of the public.
  • MK Council also provided funding for the production and distribution of marketing materials, in recognition that we were continuing the legacy of SoC on a significantly smaller budget.

Organisations involved in AHA-MK have told us that they were very pleased to be involved in this project:

‘Made in MK’ provided a strong legacy for the 2012 Summer of Culture programme, contributing to Milton Keynes’ aspiration to be distinctive and World Class.  (David Hill, MK Council) 

The Gallery was delighted to support the ‘Made in MK’ campaign.  Thematically, it linked perfectly with our summer exhibition and events programme ‘MK Calling’ (Katharine Sorensen, MK Gallery)

‘Made in MK’ played an important role in helping to bring many of the disparate creative programmes across MK together into one cohesive audience offer. (Jessica Rost, MK Festival Fringe)

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Annual Report 2012 -13

Godiva Awakes

AHA-MK exists to promote, develop and represent the arts and heritage of Milton Keynes.

How do we do it?

We promote, lobby and represent… We support, develop and train… We network, share and inform… Above all we collaborate.

This year our members have contributed to:

  • Over 5,000 inspiring events in Milton Keynes
  • 1,241,370 visits made to them
  • £18,250,000 of turnover
  • 1,600 workshops for participants of all ages
  • 1,700 volunteering opportunities

With a mission to bring together organisations that create exciting experiences in art and heritage, AHA-MK promotes Milton Keynes’  unique identity to local,regional and national audiences.

Achievements 2012 – 13
  • Contributed to a successful Summer of Culture, which drew in 161,000 attendees and produced a total economic impact of £6.4m gross.
  • Supported MK Festival Fringe in delivering their biggest festival yet, including street performance, theatre, dance, music, workshops and the first ever MK Walking with Giants Parade.
  • Advocated on behalf of members, e.g. by contributing to MK Council’s consultations on assessing the community’s health and well-being, business rate relief, and the development of a Local Infrastructure Plan.
  • Celebrated members’ work and their venues through Heritage Open Days and Arts and Heritage Open Places.
  • Secured Arts Council England funding to develop a Summer of Culture legacy project to encourage cross-programming and cross-marketing.
  • Delivered CPD sessions addressing the interface between museums and the arts, digital engagement, audience segmentation, how arts and heritage organisations can best work with schools, the Summer of Culture legacy, and the joys and sorrows of governance.

 

AHA-MK Annual Report 2012 – 2013
www.aha-mk.org / chair@aha-mk.org
All information relates to the accounting year April 2012 – March 2013