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May 6, 2015

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 31^st 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 29^th 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

April 30, 2015

The Great War Remembered – an evening of live music and film

This May experience an evening of new compositions, music and film inspired by WW1. Living Archive has been working with Steven McDaniel, young talented songwriters, musicians and film makers to commission new works inspired by the WW1 stories held by Living Archive. This six month project builds on the previous work of the Living Archive Band, and new music, songs and films will be screened and performed live on Friday 29 May, 7pm at MK Gallery’s Event Space by this talented ensemble of performers.

Inspired by the diaries, letters and images of people in Milton Keynes during WW1, this one-off performance will provide a space for people to celebrate and reflect on the people, the lives and the poignant and powerful stories that are still relevant today.

Steven McDaniel says: ‘It is wonderful to work with such a passionate group of young people and great that Living Archive has given them this opportunity to work together and perform live…’ This project is just one of a series of projects funded through Great War MK by the Heritage Lottery Fund.

The Great War Remembered – an evening of film and music is free but pre-booking is required from MK Gallery website (http://www.mkgallery.org/events/2015_05_29/friday_night_film/).

March 19, 2015

Sew, Stick or Knit a Poppy for the Great War MK Project

The Arts and Heritage Alliance MK is looking for groups and individuals to create and donate poppies, to be added to a WW1 centenary banner. Part of Westbury Arts Centre’s Banner Project, these banners will be included in an act of commemoration on 5th July at Campbell Park. This event will explore themes of conflict, involving over 100 dancers at Campbell Park – everyone is welcome.

To get involved: Find some fabric and cut out a poppy using the template provided on our website (or alternatively crochet or knit a poppy). Embroidery or sparkle can be added, as well as the name of a relative or local person that was involved in WW1. Photos of the poppies can be shared at www.Facebook.com/GreatWarMK or on Twitter using #GreatWarMK). Finally attach the slip from the Poppy Brief to the poppy and put them in a poppy collection box at your local MK Library. The deadline is 12 June 2015.

AHA would also love to hear any stories about relatives or local people that served in WW1.

The Poppy Brief and Poppy Template can be found here: www.greatwarmk.wordpress.com/poppies-call-out

Great War MK is a project exploring the impact of the First World War on the communities of Milton Keynes through research, commemorative events, activities and community workshops: www.GreatWarMK.wordpress.com

Please contact Lallie for more information: aha-mk@milton-keynes.gov.uk

March 13, 2015

Replica tanks, street theatre and commemorative dance for Great War MK

How about seeing a bit of theatre in a full-size replica 1st World War tank? Or watching a commemorative dance with hand-made banners? Or perhaps participating as an Old Time Music Hall audience – letting the performers know what you think of their acts! New music from young musicians, new film shows of the Great War era, extraordinary installations and exhibitions – all these are part of the Great War MK project about to explode on the Milton Keynes community.

Great War MK is a collaborative project led by the Arts & Heritage Alliance Milton Keynes (AHA-MK). It explores the impact of the First World War on the communities of Milton Keynes – an area now covering six towns, 41 villages and 1/4 million people – through research, commemorative events, participatory learning activity and community workshops. During 2015 Great War MK will be presenting events and opportunities for people to explore and commemorate the lives and the stories of the Great War.

With funding from Heritage Lottery Fund and seed-funding from MK Council, this project brings together various arts and heritage organisations, which are all exploring WW1 themes and using different methods to tell stories. The partner organisations are: Cowper and Newton Museum, Deanshanger Village Heritage Society, Festive Road, Independent Cinema Milton Keynes, Living Archive, MK Gallery, Pepper’s Ghost Theatre Company, Westbury Arts Centre through support from MK Heritage Association: Bucks Constabulary Museum, North Crawley Historical Society and Simpson History Group.

Great War MK aims to work with people of all ages and abilities, providing opportunities to take part in workshops, and activities are now developing. To find out more see our events page and Facebook or follow @AHA_MK #GreatWarMK on Twitter. You can also hear more about the projects on our Vimeo page.

Alongside these events, Great War MK is also putting a call out to any community groups or individuals that want to be part of this large-scale project: we want you to create and donate your very own hand-made poppy to be added to a WW1 banner. Using the sewing template found here (or by knitting or crocheting), we are asking for as many people as possible to create a poppy that will be included in banners used as part of an act of commemoration in July at Campbell Park. To find out more please see the blog.

Marion Hill, author and Chair of the Great War MK Steering Group says: ‘Even after a hundred years, the Great War continues to move and inspire – and with the wealth of talented people that we have here in Milton Keynes, we look forward to so much more to reflect upon – because Milton Keynes does it differently!’

The stories of Milton Keynes in WW1, of those that went off to fight, those that stayed behind and of those that did not return will be commemorated through this project and we invite all residents of Milton Keynes to remember them with us by attending a workshop or event, making a poppy or by volunteering with us – get in contact via: aha-mk@milton-kenyes.gov.uk .

February 13, 2015

Great War MK Project Update

This Heritage Lottery funded project enables partners from the AHA-MK membership collectively to commemorate not only the stories from 100 years ago but also their legacy for modern Milton Keynes. Our aim is to inspire active participation amongst both native and new communities in Milton Keynes – in interviews, workshops and creative activities to produce informative and engaging new works. Great War MK will generate film screenings, music, dance, performances, archive material, exhibitions and installations, all of which will give fresh insights into the turmoil – and creativity – of those times.

If you want to get involved with Great War MK you can attend a workshop or come along to an event, all listed here or get in touch here.

You can find out more about the projects on our Vimeo page: http://vimeo.com/greatwarmk and Facebook www.Facebook.com/GreatWarMK or follow @AHA_MK #GreatWarMK on Twitter.

Great War MK Programmes and Events

Festive Road – Milton Keynes-based carnival company Festive Road are building full
size WW1 tank that will form the backdrop to their new performance informed by the tensions and challenges of frontline fighting. This outdoor artwork will be presented at night in various locations around Milton Keynes.

The Banner Project – Working with a talented textiles artist, Vinny Stapley, Westbury Arts Centre aims to create over 500 banners informed by the stories and memories of WW1. These beautiful commemorative banners will then be used to create a large-scale dance performance. Working with renowned choreographers Helen Parlor, Effie McGuire-Ward and Chris Bradley, a team of over 100 dancers will take part in this act of remembrance.

Cowper & Newton Museum – Working with Olney RFC the Cowper & Newton Museum will stage a commemorative Rugby match in January 2015 – in memory of local hero Edgar Mobbs. The Museum is also developing a Songs and Poetry Evening and an energetic Old Time Music Hall, breathing life into 100 year old music and verse, as well as presenting a new animation inspired by life in the trenches.

Frontline – MK Gallery is working with four local schools to explore the concept of conflict and how artists have represented war and wartime in their work. Groups of students will be visiting the Imperial War Museum and working with artists to develop their own artworks – culminating in an exhibition at MK Gallery project space in June 2015.

Living Archive – Working with a group of talented young people, professional musician Steven McDaniels will be supporting the development of new songs and music inspired by the WW1 stories held by Living Archive. These new songs will be performed at an event in May 2015. In addition, Living Archive will be developing digital stories bringing new life to re-mastered Living Archive Band recordings.

Independent Cinema MK – Local independent cinema company ICMK is exploring the ideas of propaganda and truth in their work creating stop-time animations with school children. These animations will form part of several ‘WW1 style’ screening events to take place around Milton Keynes, alongside other WW1 relevant film and footage.

Serving King and Country – Deanshanger Village Heritage Society have undertaken a research project to uncover information about the village in the WW1 period. Research will uncover life on the home front, those that served, those in reserved occupations – working on the land and at the famous E & H Roberts Iron Foundry. This project will result in exhibitions, creative workshops with school children, walks and archive material.

MK Heritage Association – Through support from MKHA, these local history projects also form part of Great War MK. These include:

Simpson History Group’s research project to better understand the lives of the men represented on their war memorial, work to restore the local memorials and production of a booklet to commemorate their sacrifice.
Bucks Constabulary Museum’s WW1 exhibition
North Crawley Historical Society’s research project to track and commemorate all those who fought and died from their village, producing an exhibition and booklet.

December 11, 2014

Help awaken the sleeping Dragon by volunteering at Festive Road’s Mid-Winter Fire Festival

“The Darkest of Nights is upon us. And the Dark Knight has sapped the last spark of the old year deep into his soul. All we see around has outgrown its use. The Dark Knight must now die and relinquish the power he holds so that the young, unburdened year can be born.

Listen carefully, the dragon is stirring! But first we need to face this Dark Knight and conquer our fears! When we are able to look into the eyes of the Dark Knight, then we can awaken the sleeping Dragon who will be reborn and bring the brightest light of a New Year.”

Join Fesive Road for an exciting evening of fire, music and solstice celebration on 20th December, from 7pm at Campbell Park.

Festive Road are looking for volunteers to help with Paraffinalia:

Do you fancy helping to make fire sculptures in the workshop next week?
Or maybe you can help us set up the event at Campbell Park on 19th Dec?
On the night of 20th Dec we’ll need lots of help with stewarding, car parking, rigging and feeding braziers to keep folks warm.
We will also need litter pickers after the event!

If you think you can help we’d be very grateful for any extra hands and feet…email jessica@festiveroad.org.uk to get involved.

November 6, 2014

Calling all musicians to be part of Paraffinalia @Festive_Road

Festive Road is looking for brass, wind and percussion players who would like to take part in Paraffinalia, a fire festival in Campbell Park on 20^th December 2014. We invite you to accompany us on the darkest of days…

Over November and December we are offering music workshop sessions which will culminate in a processional piece and a musical performance to accompany the fire sculptures and performances which we have planned. This is an amazing opportunity to work with Musical Director Tim Hill, of the infamous Tongues of Fire. Have a look at his website: http://www.tongues-of-fire.co.uk/

The musical rehearsal sessions are as follows:

Wed 26^th November, 7-9pm at Bath House, Wolverton

Wed 3^rd December, 7-9pm at Bath House, Wolverton

Sat 13^th December, 11am -4pm at Parks Trust, Cricket Pavilion, Campbell Park

Sat 20^th December, morning rehearsal tbc and performance 7-9pm

It’s not essential that you attend all the sessions as long as you can attend at least two and the event itself of course!

Please contact Jessica or Jitty at Festive Road if you are interested in taking part:

jitty@festiveroad.org.uk
jessica@festiveroad.org.uk

If you want to know more about the event itself, please do have a look at our website: www.festiveroad.org.uk

October 8, 2014

Want to know what’s going on in Milton Keynes?

AHA-MK has been working closely with Total MK to promote events and projects – we have been very pleased with the service provided by Sammy and we hope that you will be too.

Total MK says:

‘Make Total MK your one-stop ‘shop’ for all your leisure needs. Total MK is bursting with what’s on, theatre and music news, together with competitions, beauty and lots more.

To share your news, promote your events or advertise with MKs dedicated leisure site contact editor Sammy Jones by emailing info@thisistotalmk.co.uk ‘

July 9, 2014

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

Presenting 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.”

July 7, 2014

Street art, surprises and surreal experiences at MK Festival Fringe, 17th-24th July – eight slightly outrageous days

The MK Festival Fringe; a (slightly outrageous) eight day programme, showcasing some of the most pioneering outdoor theatre, performance, visual arts, music, comedy and dance. The events are presented within the surreal and vibrant landscape of Central Milton Keynes. Unusual spaces -buses, empty shops and street corners are transformed to become our stages, theatres and galleries; we are featuring invited artists like Boogaloo Stu, as well as special commissions such as Festive Road’s Walking with Giants parade.

A jammed packed Festival Fringe with plenty of surprises! MK Festival Fringe will be based at Milton Keynes Central Library, so pop in and say hello.

For full programme and booking information please visit: http://mkfestivalfringe.com

Some highlights include:

Breathing Room: an installation specially commissioned by MK Fringe with funding from Milton Keynes Community Foundation and support from thecentre:mk. The piece reuses defunct marketing and administrative print: that which has been generated by the ‘insiders’, the commercial outlets within the shopping centre, and also the ‘outsiders’ – charities and not for profit groups who have no home within the shopping centre – as well as municipal bodies. The civic, the commercial, and the community are represented by means of their print detritus.

The artist has allowed the non-commercial to infest, colonise, and re-claim the public space, in tandem with – indistinguishable from – the commercial. In an almost organic form, they breathe in and out, breaking out of the space.

17th -24th July, 11-4pm everyday, Fringe Space 2, Silbury Arcade, North, door 13-15, thecentre:mk

Pristine in Blue: Dwayne’s dad was in debt to a bank and took his own life. Now Dwayne is involved in a group demonstrating against the bank. Sabeena, his childhood sweetheart, joins him in an illegal squat, and all seems on track until the arrival of Laurie, a busker friend of Dwayne’s, forcing his values and sense of justice and betrayal to be challenged. A fast moving play exploring youth and confronting contemporary issues, against an emotional backdrop of love and desire. The piece is written by Milton Keynes based writer, Neil Beardmore and directed by Rosemary Hill.

17th -19^thJuly, 7.30pm each night, Arts Central (above MK Central Station), booking required

The Crown’s Big Weekender: Lunchtime kids entertainment features Mike Belgrave(BBC Worldwide’s Best in Town), and Jay Foreman with his “Disgusting Songsfor Revolting Children”. Afternoon action features Vikki Stone with her hot new Edinburgh show, Tom Binns “solid writing and sweet timing”, Omar Hamdi – the topical, political, up-to-the-minuteWelsh-Egyptian funnyman! Paul Savage “Genuinely brilliant, an all-round hoot”(Guardian) and MK’s very own Jimmy James Jones. And those are just a phew! of the actsover this jam-packed weekend.

Comedy Cow are working in partnership with the Fringe to present a variety of comedy events as well as this weekend in Stony Stratford, visit http://www.thecomedycow.co.uk for full listings and booking information.

Sat 19th and Sun 20th July, 12.30pm – late, The Crown, Market Square, Stony Stratford, MK11 1BE

The Librarians: ʻThe Librariansʼ is a new site-specific show by Pestiferous for libraries and their communities, using dance, comedy, physical theatre and poetry in an immersive performance. This 20-minute piece pops out of the shelves, to surprise an unsuspecting audience and encourages them to join in and see their local public space in a new way. Four librarians roam the library, archiving, shelving, organising and sometimes flying with their beloved books. The books take on a life of their own and lead us into the library to explore what lies within the pages… The audience will see exotic birds in the Wildlife area, find true love with ʻBlind Dateʼ in the Romance section and get limbered up and ready to read with some ʻBookserciseʼ in the Health and Fitness section. The piece urges audiences to join in and be part of the performance, but does allow apprehensive audience members to be passive observers. Look out for other Pestiferous shows this weekend.

19^thJuly, (2 shows at: 2pm and 4pm) 1^st Floor Reference, MK Central Library

Works: Take a shed load of ideas to show the passing world; a demonstration of the fruit of two beautiful minds; earnest companions with overalls. Invention, a pet cat, a cup of tea… and a leap of faith, everyday objects, ramshackle engineering, precise timing and deadpan comedy all come into play in this chain reaction of a show. This is the first show by the recently formed duo Heywood Hix. Over the duration of the piece A Heath Robinson shed contraption is assembled by two workmen to a musical soundtrack; an evolving chain reaction takes place involving: everyday objects, ramshackled engineering, precise timing, deadpan comedy and a catapulting cat. The piece has been directed by Matt Rudkin of Inconvienient Spoof who performed at MK Fringe in 2012.

24th July, 12 noon and 3pm, Queens Court, thecentre:mk

The events listed here show a very small percentage of the Fringe 2014 programme, pick up a green brochure, follow them on Twitter or see the full programme here: http://mkfestivalfringe.com/whats/#all/1/list