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.
