Shoosmiths Art Prize 2015

Arts for Health (Milton Keynes) are inviting submissions for the Shoosmiths Art Prize 2015.

Shoosmiths Art Prize is an innovative competition aimed at providing opportunities for artists to reach wide and diverse audiences through exhibiting at Milton Keynes University Hospital.

 

Prizes

Shoosmiths Art Prize 2015, cash prize of £1000 selected by the jury.

People’s Choice 2015, purchase prize selected by public vote*

Shoosmiths Choice 2015,  purchase prize selected by Shoosmiths staff**

* up to the value of £700 and only works which are for sale and within this value will be entered into this prize. This prize is supported by the Friends of Milton Keynes Hospital and Community. ** up to the value of £250 and only works which are for sale and within this value will be entered into this prize. 

 

Jury

Baroness Wall, Chair Milton Keynes University Hospital

Sophie Hall, Gallery Director, Flowers

Julia Alvarez, Curator, Bearspace

Fionnuala Boyd, Artist

Gary Assim, Partner Shoosmiths LLP

 

Details for Entry

  • Artists are invited to submit up to ten pieces of work for inclusion in the exhibition.
  • Applications are open to artists at all stages of their careers.
  • All work must be wall based and suitable to be displayed using a rod and track hanging system.
  • All works submitted must be available for exhibition from 27 July 2015 – 31 March 2016.
  • The jury will shortlist artists to be invited to exhibit work at Milton Keynes University Hospital and/or Shoosmiths Lawyers Office in Milton Keynes

Interested artists need to submit the following:-

  • Completed Entry Form – found here: http://mkartsforhealth.org.uk/artprize2014/
  • An artist’s statement of a maximum of 300 words describing your working practice and submitted entries.
  • No more than 10 digital images of work. Image files must be saved as JPG files at a minimum 72dpi and maximum 300dpi.
  • A non-refundable entry fee of £15.

We request that entries are submitted using www.dropbox.com To do this you will need to create a dropbox folder and share it with info@mkartsforhealth.org.uk

MÓTUS Dance Festival returns for 2015

Forget dancing in the street, this May is all about dancing in the park!

MÓTUS Dance Festival is back again for 2015 on Sunday 31st May.

Performances will kick off in and around MK Gallery before moving on to new pastures in Campbell Park. The festival will feature professional and community dancers alikeanimating the sites in central Milton Keynes.

The event is free to attend and there are two opportunities to catch the action. Audiences are invited to meet at MK Gallery at either 3pm or 5.30pm from where they will process to Campbell Park with the performance culminating at the MK Rose.

Helen Parlor, artistic director for MÓTUS, commented: “The premise of this year’s festival is to support and commission dance artists/ companies to come and make work here in Milton Keynes. Instead of presenting pre-existing work, companies have selected sites around Campbell Park and MK Gallery to interact with, in order to create original and vibrant performances.” 

The line-up of professional companies visiting Milton Keynes as part of MÓTUS includes ZoieLogic Dance Theatre, Ceyda Tanc Dance and Inverted Company (Tamzen Moulding). With influences ranging from contemporary dance to Turkish folk dance to acrobatics, the performances are set to be a visual feast.

Local schools are jumping on board with students from Denbigh School and The Grove Independent School working with professional choreographers on commissions. Young people from Milton Keynes based Initiate Youth Dance Company will also perform as part of the unfolding promenade.

Also getting involved is Mark Niel, Poet Laureate for Milton Keynes and Development Officer for the MK Rose. Mark will be presenting a newly commissioned poem and might even don his dancing shoes for the occasion.

An event which all the family can enjoy, MÓTUS 2015 will be a fun and cultural afternoon out to wrap up the half term holiday.

As a prelude to the main event, the MÓTUS team will present a work in progress platform on Friday 29th May at Centric MK in Linford Wood. Here, audience members will be able to give direct responses to the work on show – feeding into the creative process and development of new work.

For further information, contact Effie McGuire Ward at MÓTUS: 07986404179 / motusdancefestival@gmail.com

 

MÓTUS Production Team:

Artistic Director: Helen Parlor

Assistant Directors: Chris Bradley & Effie McGuire Ward

 

Full Programme line-up of Artists/ Companies:

Charlie Brittain, Ceyda Tanc Dance, Julia Cheng, Club Mob, John Darvell, Initiate Youth Dance Company, Inverted Company, Chloe Tasker, ZoieLogic Dance Theatre.

 

Tickets for Work in Progress Event:

http://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/respond-motus-2015-tickets-16846730023

MOTUS legge

Open Air Cinema in Campbell Park

Enjoy three family favourite films at Campbell Park this summer on 17th August.

This year’s line up is:

1pm – Toy Story 2

3pm – Hook

6pm – Top Gun

Price: Free

Age Range: All ages

Meeting Place:

No parking in the park.

Nearest recommended public parking at Central Milton Keynes Shopping Centre.

Booking Required: No

Proms in the Park, classical music, festivities and fireworks #MadeinMK

Date: 15th August 2014

Time: Gates open at 6:30pm; Concert begins at 8pm

Location: Campbell Park Amphitheatre

The Parks Trust and Milton Keynes City Orchestra present an evening of uplifting music, fireworks and fizz!  Last year’s uplifting numbers included Dambusters and patriotic numbers like Rule Britannia.

2014 Full ProgrammeGlinka Overture: Ruslan and Ludmilla

Rossini Largo al Factotum

Sousa Stars and stripes

Butterworth Banks of Green Willow

Coates March: The Dam Busters

Puccini Vissi D’Arte

Bizet Carmen Suite

Tchaikovsky: Waltz: The Sleeping Beauty

Offenbach: Can-Can from Orpheus in the Und.

Suppe Overture: Light cavalry

Bizet Toreador Song

Tchaikovsky: Polonaise: Eugene Onegin

Mozart La Ci Darem la mano

Rodgers and Hammerstein You’ll never walk Alone

Elgar: Nimrod

Wood: Fantasia on British Sea Songs

(Tom Bowling and Hornpipe)

Parry: Jerusalem

Arne arr Sargent Rule Britannia

Elgar: Pomp and Circumstance

 

Conductor: Hilary Davan Wetton

Baritone: James Cleverton

Soprano: Emily Haig

 

Located in Campbell Park Amphitheatre.

Recommended parking at Milton Keynes Shopping Centre.

Download a map showing the Proms event location and recommended parking here.

Price: £12/ Adult; £8/Child; £32/Family (2A2C or 1A3C)

Meeting Place:

No public parking in the park.
Recommended parking at Milton Keynes Shopping Centre and MK Theatre Multi-Storey.  Postcode for Sat-Nav users MK9 3NZ

Booking Required: Click here to book http://www.theparkstrust.com/whats-on/event-details/866 

IF: Milton Keynes International Festival, 10 amazing days in July

IF: International Festival Milton KeynesPresenting 10 amazing days including a night-time spectacle from France played out on Willen Lake, contemporary circus from Australia, family events, live music, comedy and cabaret in the exotic Spiegeltent, a monumental walk-in sculpture in thecentre:mk, specially commissioned installations and events, and extraordinary sound and light interventions that move across the cityscape.

View the full programme here: http://www.ifmiltonkeynes.org/festival-programme.html and here you can flick through an e-version of the IF brochure: http://www.ifmiltonkeynes.org/festival-news.html/flick-through-a-virtual-festival-brochure.html

IF: Milton Keynes International Festival has been transforming Central Milton Keynes with a world-class, multi-arts programme of extraordinary events in unusual places and public spaces since 2010.

Produced by internationally renowned music organisation The Stables, the Festival is underpinned by an ongoing theme of sound and music. Over 10 days, the high quality programme features artists and companies from across the world and consists of large-scale outdoor events, international productions, a highly decorated ‘Spiegeltent’ hosting comedy, cabaret and live music, pop-ups and events designed to take place in specific buildings or public spaces.

The Festival has a growing reputation for also presenting UK premieres, commissioning new work and embedding an Artist-In-Residence into its programme. IF is delivered every two years with funding from Arts Council England and Milton Keynes Council, and support from businesses, trusts and foundations.

Monica Ferguson, Festival Director and Chief Executive of The Stables: “IF: Milton Keynes International Festival is growing with each edition, and we are delighted to see it playing an increasingly strategic and important role in Milton Keynes’ cultural life as well as raising the city’s profile nationally and internationally.”

AHA-MK Forum 4th June, European Funding and Rugby World Cup MK

compliments_slip - orangeJoin us on 4th June at The Parks Trust MK, to hear all about the opportunities offered by EU Funding and how to go about bringing EU Funds to Milton Keynes.  After lunch we will also hear about the plans for the Rugby World Cup in Milton Keynes.  For full details and booking information download the AHA Flyer forum 04 05 14 Final.

Guest speaker Geoffrey Brown presents:EU Funds – A Stimulus or Just Scary?

Geoffrey Brown is a freelance consultant providing European and international advisory and information services, especially regarding funding to enable arts and culture organisations to undertake trans-national projects.  He is Director of EUCLID, founded in 1993, was Co-ordinator of the UK Cultural Contact Point (CCP – promoting the EU’s Culture programme) from 1999-2009, and was Advisor to Visiting Arts, the most recent UK CCP, from 2010-2012.

Geoffrey provides a range of advice and guidance to applicants to EU funding programmes – including briefings and seminars, online materials and resources, and direct consultancy.  EUCLID regularly organises conferences and seminars on European and international topics across the UK, and also in Europe – he has recently undertaken seminars in Belgrade, Copenhagen, Bucharest and Genoa.  EUCLID has undertaken research and consultancy projects for the European Commission, the Council of Europe, European networks, the British Council, Creative Scotland and other UK arts funding bodies and local authorities.

Geoff Snelson and Briony Fox present: ‘RWC2015 – Rugby World Cup in MK’

Geoff Snelson (MK Council) and Briony Fox (The Parks Trust) will be introducing the Rugby World Cup and the City’s plans to host a fan zone and festival in October 2015 to celebrate the hosting of the Rugby World Cup in the City.

The 11 day event in Campbell Park and beyond will celebrate many cultural aspects of the city including sports, art, performance, destinations and festival and aims to bring as many partners on board as possible from all sectors.

 

Lunch and refreshments provided, please see the Flyer (above) for booking information and full schedule.

AHA-MK wins Heritage Lottery Fund support

Heritage Lottery Fund

Today, Arts & Heritage Alliance Milton Keynes (AHA-MK) has been granted £99,400 from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) for a unique project to commemorate the centenary of the First World War in Milton Keynes. From Conflict to Cosmopolis will see seven project partners from the AHA-MK membership collaborating through their heritage and arts activities to explore both the stories from 100 years ago and their legacy for modern Milton Keynes. There will be new film screenings, performances and exhibitions, all of which will give fresh insights into the turmoil – and creativity – of those times.
Modern Milton Keynes is richly cosmopolitan with over 80% of its ¼ million residents having originated from elsewhere – all over the UK, Europe, Asia and across the world. This project will target both native and new communities in Milton Keynes asking them to share and reflect upon stories from 100 years ago, and compare them across the city and across time to life in modern Milton Keynes. Interviews with local people, workshops and creative activities will provide new experiences for audiences to commemorate the centenary of the conflict. We will tour our productions around Milton Keynes city and into the historic locations and villages of the Metropolitan County of Milton Keynes.
AHA-MK works hard to foster collaboration between its members and this project will bring together large and small organisations to learn from each other and create engaging and thought-provoking responses to First World War themes and stories. From Conflict to Cosmopolis project partners are the Cowper and Newton Museum, Festive Road, Independent Cinema MK, Living Archive, MK Gallery, Pepper’s Ghost Theatre Company, Westbury Arts Centre and members of the Milton Keynes Heritage Association.
Commenting on the award, Euan Henderson, Chair of AHA-MK, said: “We are delighted to receive this support from the Heritage Lottery Fund. Our aim is for From Conflict to Cosmopolis to be a testament to the resilience of people in difficult times and a celebration of MK’s unique heritage. “

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)