Posted on

You, Me, Together. Arts initiative gets pupils in MK Schools talking about mental health and wellbeing

“The way I know mental health, is when people have big barriers in front of them and they can’t get through it”

In a survey of 338 Schools in 2016, 55% had experience a large increase in cases of stress and anxiety amongst young people. In an evolving initiative to understand and support young people’s mental health and wellbeing, Milton Keynes Council Public Health and NHS Milton Keynes Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) created an innovative project called You, Me, Together, supported with investment from Artswork, the South East Bridge, and delivered in partnership with the MK Cultural Education Partnership (led by Arts & Heritage Alliance Milton Keynes).

The creative learning charity, Artis, worked with 150 young people and children in four Milton Keynes schools. The aim of this project was to gain a better understanding of how children and young people in MK perceived mental health, to get them to understand and identify mental health and wellbeing in others (you), in themselves (me), and to support each other (together).

Jill Wilkinson, Director of Health and Social Care Integration at NHS Milton Keynes Clinical Commissioning Group and Chair of the Children and Young Peoples Mental Health and Wellbeing Transformation Programme said: “Our commitment to the mental health and wellbeing of the children and young people in Milton Keynes is one of the key aims of the CCG. We commissioned the You, Me, Together film as we were keen to hear from the voices of children on whose behalf we commission mental health services. We have continued to invest in child and adolescent mental health services and to work across the whole system to improve their overall experience.”
Muriel Scott, Director of Public Health at MK Council said: “To learn more about how young people and children understand mental health and wellbeing, we needed to ask the experts –the young people themselves. This project not only helped schools engage with what mental health and wellbeing is and why it’s so important to talk about it, but it also gave us a great insight into how young people perceive it and express it. I’m incredibly proud of how well the project worked and I’m confident it’ll help us to help the young people and children in MK.”

A film about the project was created to raise awareness of mental health and wellbeing in young people, what it means to them and to open up a conversation. What is mental health and wellbeing and what can we all do to improve things?

Posted on

Children in ten of our primary schools benefit from an exciting cultural programme working with artists

The Arts and Heritage Alliance Milton Keynes (AHA-MK), with its 39 member organisations, has formed a Cultural Education Partnership (MKCEP) for Milton Keynes. MK Council departments, cultural organisations, artists, schools and MK College are working together to enrich the lives of our children and young people in Milton Keynes, with increased opportunities for innovative, high quality creative learning.

We are delighted to launch a new exciting programme for MK primary schools exploring Place-making – what does this mean for children?  This is funded by Artswork, the South East Bridge, a regional charity who believe in empowering young people through arts and culture, and by Milton Keynes Community Foundation, who support transformational projects.

Chair of AHA-MK Francesca Skelton:

We are delighted that our funders Artswork and MK Community Foundation are investing in the future of our Milton Keynes children and that schools have embraced this opportunity to work with arts organisations to build the children’s understanding of their home town in such a creative way as they gain important skills.

Three hundred Key Stage 1 & 2 pupils from across the ten chosen schools will take part in inspiring creative sessions, developing creative and social skills, increased confidence, wellbeing and motivation.  Sessions will explore a range of art forms, from contemporary dance to visual art. All participating children have the chance to achieve their Arts Award Discover or Explore, a scheme accredited by Trinity College London.  An embedded teacher development programme, facilitated by action research organisation 5x5x5=creativity, will inspire and support schools to develop cross curricular links and nurture children’s creativity throughout the project and beyond.

Each school’s participation in the project will support their achievement of Artsmark, Arts Council England’s creative quality standard for schools, ensuring that hundreds more pupils continue to benefit from access to high quality creative learning in school.

AHA-MK member, MK Gallery’s Learning Manager, Tara Page is managing this project:

Access to the arts can support learning in all subject areas; pave the way for exciting and worthwhile career paths; and engage and bring joy to the most vulnerable of learners. MK Gallery is thrilled to support the development of partnerships between schools and arts organisations in Milton Keynes. During times of increasing adversity, it becomes more and more important to utilise the power of partnership working to ensure sustainable access to high quality creative learning for children and young people.

From an open-call advertising the opportunity to all Milton Keynes primary schools, we have selected the following ten schools to participate in the project: Bishop Parker Catholic Primary; Caroline Haslett Primary; Holne Chase Primary; Long Meadow Primary; Middleton Primary; Romans Field Primary; St. Monica’s Catholic Primary; St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Primary; Summerfield Primary and Willen Primary.  Each school has been partnered with one of five MK-based arts and cultural organisations: Inter-Action MK; MÓTUS; Milton Keynes Arts Centre; Pagrav Dance; and Will We Be.

 

 

 

 

Posted on

Statement from the 5 cities bidding to be European Capital of Culture 2023

The Arts and Heritage Alliance Milton Keynes received the below statement relating to the decision to withdraw the UK European Capital of Culture competition:

On Tuesday we met with representatives of the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport including John Glen MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Arts, Heritage and Tourism. We met to discuss the letter sent last week to the UK Government by the European Commission stating that the participation of the UK in the European Capital of Culture in 2023 will not be possible.

Firstly we want to acknowledge the huge and passionate support we have all received locally, nationally and internationally since the receipt of this letter. In particular we appreciate the support from previous and future European Capitals of Culture, and from members of the independent judging panel which itself had expected to be interviewing our teams this week as part of the formal shortlisting process.

It is further evidence of the power of arts and culture to bring the peoples of Europe closer together. The five cities were united in their desire to find solutions which will enable them to realise their cultural ambitions and further develop their cultural integration with people across Europe.

The meeting with DCMS was positive and we were encouraged by their commitment to try and resolve this issue with the European Commission and agree a clear way forward for the cities involved.

We urged the Department to continue its negotiations with the European Commission on the legitimacy of its latest decision. In particular we wish to highlight that the announcement by the European Commission counters a very recent decision of the European Parliament in June 2017 and of the Council in September 2017 which includes a calendar confirming the UK as the host country in 2023.  In addition we are seeking clarity given that the United Kingdom has not yet left the EU and the terms of that departure are not yet agreed.

We have collectively therefore requested that DCMS takes further advice on the legal status of the announcement as a matter of urgency.

The meeting also allowed us to consider jointly how we ensure the local energy, enthusiasm and work done by our cities and partners to date can be positively harnessed and recognised even if the Commission maintains its position.   This sudden change of heart has the potential to disrupt well over 100 cultural collaborations across the continent which bidding cities have been developing in good faith.

We all recognise the urgent need to reach a conclusion in a timescale that allows us to harness the momentum in our cities.  Therefore intensive and constructive discussions will continue over the coming weeks.

Councillor Deirdre Hargey, chairperson, Belfast City Council Strategic Policy & Resources Commt.

Councillor, John Alexander Leader of the Administration, Dundee City Council

Stewart Murdoch, Chair of the Dundee bid team

Councillor Judith Blake CBE, Leader of Leeds City Council

Sharon Watson, Chair, Leeds2023 Independent Steering Group

Councillor Peter Marland, Leader of Milton Keynes Council

Councillor Jon Collins, Leader of Nottingham City Council

Paul Russ, Chair Nottingham 2023

 

Posted on

Cultural Projects Intern

The Arts & Heritage Alliance Milton Keynes (AHA-MK), in partnership with Milton Keynes Council, is looking to recruit a young person (aged 16-24 and currently claiming JobSeekers Allowance), to join our organisation as a Cultural Projects Intern.  This role will provide opportunities to learn about the cultural sector in Milton Keynes, to work on project research and development, and to support key cultural initiatives for the borough.

AHA-MK is a membership organisation that aims to represent, develop and promote the arts and heritage sectors of Milton Keynes.  Our members (currently a total of 35) include Bletchley Park, The Stables, MK Theatre, MK Gallery, MK Museum, Living Archive, MK Arts for Health, MK City Discovery Centre, MK Islamic Arts Heritage & Culture, Independent Cinema MK, MK City Orchestra, Mótus Dance, MK Arts Centre, Westbury Arts Centre, Festive Road, and the National Museum of Computing, which are delivering a wide range of programmes. During 2016 we will be leading a variety of projects including work around cultural education, audience development and cultural diversity.

This is an exciting time for Milton Keynes, planning for the celebration of Milton Keynes’ 50th anniversary in 2017, and developing a bid to become the European Capital of Culture in 2023.

We are seeking a young person who is passionate about arts and culture, and who will be an asset to both MK Council’s and AHA-MK’s teams in supporting the development of these projects.

For full details of the role, and information on how toy apply please download the Job Description: AHA-MK Cultural Employment Intern JD Mar 16

Posted on

MK Cultural Education Partnership – Briefs

The Arts & Heritage Alliance Milton Keynes (AHA-MK) is setting up the Milton Keynes Cultural Education Partnership (MKCEP) in response to Arts Council England’s Cultural Education Challenge.  The Cultural Education Challenge asks arts and cultural organisations, educational institutions and local authorities to come together to drive a joined-up arts and cultural offer locally, to share resources and bring about a more coherent, and visible delivery of cultural education that offers a consistent, and high quality, arts and cultural education for all children and young people.

The MKCEP is made up of a network of arts, heritage and educational partners, led by a strategic steering group, which includes representatives from senior positions at MK Council, SEMLEP, our National Portfolio Organisations and Milton Keynes Police.

The MKCEP aims to develop a Cultural Education Strategy and Action Plan that ensures every child and young person (0-19 years) in Milton Keynes has the opportunity to create, participate in and influence culture.  Through this engagement we will positively impact the well-being of young people and support their creative, personal and educational development.  In addition, we aim to nurture the passion and capacity of children and young people to become artists, practitioners, producers and directors within the cultural and creative industries.

Consultation:

We are advertising two briefs, looking for freelancers to undertake consultation that will inform our Cultural Education Strategy:

MK Cultural Education Partnership Cultural education brief final

MK Cultural Education Partnership CYP brief final

 

Posted on

Audience Development Consultant Brief

The Arts & Heritage Alliance Milton Keynes (AHA-MK) is looking for a consultant(s) that can work with a collective of arts and heritage organisations to inform and support development of strategies that diversify, broaden and/or deepen their audiences.

AHA-MK is a strategic forum of arts and heritage organisations in Milton Keynes.  We are a membership organisation that aims to represent, develop and promote the arts and heritage sectors of Milton Keynes.  A key area of our work is audience development.

A group of organisations from our membership have come together to form a collective interested in practical audience development activity.  The collective have attempted some work using surveys and the Audience Finder approach, but are in need of greater support to develop their knowledge and understanding and to make a meaningful difference to their audience development practice.

AHA-MK is looking for a consultant(s) who can work with six cultural organisations to develop audience research techniques, create bespoke solutions to meet challenges and opportunities, and support organisations through implementation and evaluation.  This contract requires a hands-on approach embedding best practice and developing understanding of audience development theory through mentoring and practical experience.

The deadline for applications is: 18th December 2015.

For more information and details of how to apply please download the full brief: MK Audiences Consultant brief final.

Posted on

Catalyst Learning Resources Online

As the MK Catalyst project draws to a close, we have compiled the resources, presentations and training aids produced over the course of the project by a range of knowledgable trainers and contributors.  These are now available on our website – here: www.aha-mk.org/catalyst

The resources address:

  • Fundraising,
  • Sponsorship,
  • Crowd-funding,
  • Membership and loyalty schemes,
  • Social media,
  • Branding
  • Marketing strategies and much more
Posted on

AHA-MK Forum – 2nd September

Festive Road Tank outside MK Central Station

Join us at Arts Central (2nd Floor above MK Central Station) on 2nd September to hear about the social, financial, artistic and cultural value being produced through environmental best practice and a snap shot of some of the projects in planning for MK50.

We will be welcoming Luke Ramsay of Julie’ Bicycle to introduce us all to what environmental sustainability looks like in the arts and culture, and how cultural networks are developing collaborative responses to environmental issues. Through case studies and stories from the sector, they’ll reveal how environmental action is creating all kinds of social, financial, artistic and cultural value for the sector, and what opportunities exist for organisations and artists to engage with this growing, inspirational movement.

After lunch we will hear from some of the arts, heritage and cultural organisations that are already planning project and events for MK50 – Milton Keynes’ 50th anniversary in 2017.

For full details and booking information please see our Flyer: AHA 2nd September Forum Flyer

Posted on

Celebrating Post War Architecture with photographer James Smith

A Brutal Wilderness copyright James Smith
A Brutal Wilderness copyright James Smith

On the the 5th March 2014 AHA-MK welcomed documentary photographer James Smith to speak at our Forum, below are a few highlights and thinking points from James’ talk.  You can see more of James’ work on his website: http://j-smith.co.uk

With an encyclopaedic knowledge of New Towns and their development, James has completed signature projects in communities such as Corby, Milton Keynes, Hatfield, Luton, and most recently Harlow. Picking out often unnoticed or overlooked architectural detail; James’ photography looks at the cityscape in a brand new way.

James describes himself as a documentary photographer who carries out reconnaissance and research in the urban landscape.  He is particularly interested in the period before regeneration takes place.

By exploring new places from an outsider’s point of view, James feels that he can provide a new perspective on a town or area – being a foreigner in a community or landscape allows an artist to take an objective point of view and to identify stories or aspects that are less obvious, and can be more effective, or moving.

James prefers to shoot on overcast days – providing an anti-subjective viewpoint with neither shadows, nor illumination from sunlight.

James has worked with councils and developers on projects to document change as it happens, to understand communities better and to look at how spaces are designed and used.  These projects have helped communities to come together and aided developers in understanding the social and design challenges of their regeneration projects.

In many cases James has found that his work provides an opportunity for the parties involved in regeneration to take stock and perhaps to realise that although urban landscapes that are deteriorating need to be refurbished, by completely clearing and re-building our heritage is being destroyed.

James’ interest in post-war architecture and design principles has led him to work in new towns and his work clearly shows the different stages of construction and phases of new town buildings.  It is now possible to see several generations of new town in the urban landscape of one area, providing interesting documentation of how these different architectural styles interact.

The image above is from Milton Keynes, and shows the ongoing fight of nature to exist and thrive in urban areas.  With the continuous growth and development planned for Milton Keynes, James’ work suggests that the city might benefit from a process of documentation to collect and collate the changes that are being implemented now.  There is a wealth of information relating to Milton Keynes’ early development, but how much is being captured now?