Part-time (0.4) self-employed contract, £25k-£30k pro rata
Closing date: Sun, 1st December 2024
Arts Gateway MK is recruiting a new Venue Manager to lead The Box Arts Club, a vibrant multi-use space dedicated to fostering creativity and community engagement in the local arts scene. You can find the job ad attached.
The Venue Manager will oversee daily operations, manage bookings, and develop marketing strategies to promote a diverse array of events, from performances to workshops. This role is crucial for building partnerships with artists and community groups, ensuring that the venue remains an inclusive environment for all.
Candidates should have prior experience in venue management or event coordination, excellent organizational skills, and a passion for the arts. You should be based in or close to MK. The position offers an opportunity to make a tangible impact on the local community while working in a creative setting.
Interested applicants are invited to submit their CV and cover letter by Sunday 1st December 2024. For further details, contact john.best@artsgatewaymk.org.uk. Interviews will be during the week commencing 2nd December 2024.
Exciting New Gallery Space at The Stables for Local Visual Artists
The Stables is inviting Milton Keynes-based visual artists to submit creative works for display and sale in its newly launched foyer gallery. The venue will host a series of exhibitions throughout the year, providing an exciting new opportunity for local artists to display their work. The new gallery space replaces the old record shop area in The Stables’ main foyer. Work took place during the summer to prepare the gallery – and now all that is needed is some great art to fill its walls! For further information on the plans and the application process, visit https://stables.org/artist-submission-call-out. The deadline for applications for the 2025 exhibition period is Friday 29 November.
The Stables Announces £1,500 Fresh Sounds Music Bursary
A bursary worth £1,500 and a programme of professional mentoring is being made available to help further the career paths of a young, talented Milton Keynes-based musician or band. The winner of the bursary – called Fresh Sounds – will be able to use their £1,500 award for training, equipment, recording, marketing, promotion or touring. The mentoring programme will be managed by The Stables and will include insights into the music industry, tailored to the bursary winners’ career needs and ambitions. Fresh Sounds is open to songwriters, composers, artists, bands, producers or performers aged between 16 and 24 from any genre of music, who live in the unitary authority of Milton Keynes and who are ready to take their music career to the next stage. The Fresh Sounds bursary scheme has been made possible with support from Milton Keynes Community Foundation and the Christopher Hopkinson Memorial Music Fund. For more information visit https://stables.org/freshsounds Deadline for applications is Friday 29 November.
A piece created by Matt Dixon, as part of our partnership with Milton Keynes Museum, and their Museum for a New City Project. The below is an account of one of our workshops, which took the form of a guided walk around CMK.
A long walk with good friends and great food – a walk through the sprawling metropolis that is Milton Keynes with bright summer weather – you couldn’t ask for anymore.
We started at the sleek, gleaming Train Station in Central Milton Keynes, first opened in 1982 by Prince Charles and Lord Campbell. The old site of Nobby Newport, the iconic steam engine which resided out the front of the station; (insert picture of steam engine, both the old picture of it out the front, but also a modern one from the Museum) the renowned engine was the primary mode of transport that revolutionised travel between Wolverton and StockPort all the way back in 1867, with 30-trips made daily. The Train Station site now boasts a rich cultural history, with shots of Superman IV being filmed there, as well as the surrounding area. Coupled with an excellent art project funded by MK Council, to put dozens of trees in and around the centre, each with their own little corner of history – it felt like a breath of fresh air walking out into the busy station square.
From the Train Station, we moved to the almost secret gardens of Milton Keynes; the Winter Gardens are an iconic location situated slap bang right in the middle of the bustling city, but from looking at them, you’d never expect that! Walking through them, you think you’ve walked into a tropical paradise. With a wide variety of trees and plants from all over the world, it really puts those who claim Milton Keynes is ‘just a bland concrete jungle’ to shame.
Our next stop was the Church of Christ the Cornerstone, which just so happened to coincide with the start of a school prom, which was definitely not expected! A relatively new Church, only being built in 1992 – it’s a real example of the modern image of Milton Keynes, whilst retaining the important cultural heritage that it brings to the area. The church, designed by a local architect, brings the perfect mix of old and new. There was some fabulous modern art and crafts from school children from around the city which really brought together the local feel that makes it part of the community.
Trying to ignore the people arriving in all manner of vehicles, from old cars, to ice cream trucks, to a horse, we ambled around the masses of students, feeling very important as we walked out on the stretched red carpet that clearly wasn’t for us (but we didn’t care!)
From the Market, we marched quickly up (we may have spent a little bit too much time in the tropical garden) to the Milton Keynes Rose, a lovely landmark in the entrance way to Campbell park, the picturesque estate with its lush fields that feels like it goes on for miles (like our very own little Hyde Park). The MK rose is an important part of Milton Keynes as it allows those that deserve to be celebrated to have their own space. We found special events and special people inscribed onto each pillar, although the lack of any LGBTQ pillars is a bit of a disappointment, key events throughout history can be found here, making it a place of learning, but also love. I think the most important pillar we saw on the day was the Bletchley Park pillar, which gave a great deal of information about Alan Turing and his life.
From there, we made our way back into the bustling theatre district. Although it was a Wednesday, you could see that this was really the beating heart of Milton Keynes. The centrepiece of the theatre district really makes Milton Keynes stand out across the Midlands. Although this walk really took it out of us, luckily – there was a lovely restaurant right next door (pretty much Milton Keynes’ food quarter as well) that served some truly delightful dishes, a true banquet was served for us (by our lovely hosts).
All this and more is waiting for you to investigate Milton Keynes, a rich history going back before the 14th century. If you’d like to find more about the history of this bustling city – click the link, and if you fancy it – visit the Milton Keynes museum!
Wednesday 16 October 2024, Waterstones, 7.00pm; £5
Perfect for Ken Follett fans, Samuel M. Sergeant’s debut novel tells the story of Arinbjorn, a young pagan farmer in C11th Iceland, tracking down the killer whose murders will change Icelandic society forever, Tickets include a free beverage, and Samuel will be signing copies of his book. Info:www.mklitfest.org/samuel-sargeant
Wednesday 6 November 2024, Zoom, 7.00pm – 8.00pm; £6/£4
Travel with us to Kyrgyzstan – not just in the C13th century where the adventures of young Gulzara unfold, but in the present day as Sue Turbett shares ‘the story behind the story’ of her debut novel: how she researched and wrote a compelling novel set far away in time and geography. Info/Tickets: www.mklitfest.org/sue-turbett
Tuesday 12 November 2024, Zoom, 7.00pm – 8.00pm; £6/£4
Twenty of the finest contemporary male poets – aged 22 to 71, straight or gay, from diverse ethnic backgrounds – raise their voices to explore the experience of being male in the 21st century. “It’s complicated,” as they say. All profits will be donated to Movember UK. Info/Tickets: www.mklitfest.org/poets-for-movember
MK Lit Fest and Waterstones MK welcome singer, TV and radio presenter, beauty and lifestyle coach, and author, Janey Lee Grace, to the store, where she will be talking about her fascinating new memoir, From Wham! to Woo: A Life on the Mic. Info: https://www.mklitfest.org/janey-lee-grace
Saturday 7 December 2024, MK Central Library, 11.00am – 4.00pm; Writer Registration: £15
Milton Keynes is home to a wealth of talented writers, many of whom have made their work available with small, independent presses or by self-publishing. Come to Indie Book Fair to meet them, hear them read – and buy their books! Author Registration now open Info/Registrations: www.mklitfest.org/indie-book-fair-registration
Wednesday 18 December 2024, Zoom, 7.30pm – 8.30pm; £3/£2 (chosen writers enter free)
December is a time when, whatever their culture, many people gather and share company, gifts – and stories. Sacred or profane, joyous or jaded – send us your most imaginative flash fiction for ‘the festive season’ by 30 November and we’ll select the best for a special online gathering to close another year of Lit Fest! Get writing!! Submissions info/Tickets: www.mklitfest.org/baubles-2024
For our fifth Creative Writing Competition, we welcome poems, flash fiction and creat9ive non-fiction the explores the theme of ‘Home’ from people aged 14+ who live, work or study in Buckinghamshire, Bedfordshire or Northamptonshire. Six cash prizes to be won, with publication in our next anthology and performance opportunities. Submissions Info: www.mklitfest.org/mink2025
Just some of the events the Arts and Heritage Alliance MK team have attended this Summer!
Truby’s Garden Tearoom KAVS presentation celebrationWindmill Installation at the ADF Festival, JulyADF Festival, JulyAHA Artists and Creatives Gathering at MK Arts CentreArt in the Park, JulyArt In the Park, JulyZimbabwe Heritage FestivalZimbabwe ExhibitionStrings of Mind: A Journey through Art. String Art Exhibition by Sveta SanganiStrings of Mind: A Journey through Art. String Art Exhibition by Sveta SanganiStrings of Mind: A Journey through Art. String Art Exhibition by Sveta SanganiStrings of Mind: A Journey through Art. String Art Exhibition by Sveta SanganiStrings of Mind: A Journey through Art. String Art Exhibition by Sveta SanganiAHA MK MingleAHA MK MingleAHA MK MingleWalking Workshop with MK MuseumWellbeing Walk with MK Museum and Truby’s Garden TearoomIf you’d like us to come along to your event, please email hello@aha-mk.org
The Modesty Unravelled Exhibition opens this Saturday at MK Gallery Project Space
Modesty Unravelled explores Muslim women’s freedom of dress and expression. You can experience the multimedia fashion design exhibition at MK Gallery’s Project Space 6th July – 4 August.
Find out about the process behind the exhibition, curated by Rena Al-Jawad, here.
Rena says of her inspiration:
“Modesty Unravelled is a concept that has been close to my heart for years. It’s a theme I explored in depth during my master’s programme and one that forms the foundation of my business. I am a passionate advocate for women’s freedom of expression and dress, and I am dedicated to providing them with a platform to share their experiences and emotions. My curiosity and creativity have guided me in developing this new artistic collection, which I am excited to present.”
#ModestyUnravelled
Free, and open to the public during MK Gallery opening times.
