Big Moo Fringe Festival of the Arts 2008
Milton Keynes has been missing out.
Year-on-year festivals, carnivals and celebrations take place throughout the Borough yet none offer an inclusive arts programme. The 2008 plans for the Big Moo[1] initially offered a broad programme of activity, which in the main, included sporting activity alongside live bands.
Members of the arts community and original steering group rallied around to identify opportunities to incorporate high quality, varying art forms to a festival and after initial consultation; it was decided to form as an Arts Fringe.
The timing of initiating this group was ideal as the Milton Keynes Arts Strategy[2] had just completed extensive consultation and the BMFFA found themselves in a unique position whereby the could pilot elements of the action plan and work alongside the arts unit to create a festival which would run annually and offer a platform for local, national and international artists.
Milton Keynes has also looked fondly to its neighbouring authorities; Luton for its vibrant carnival; Bucks for its Open Studios week; and Northampton for its large exhibition space. The BMFFA committee saw this as an opportunity to put Milton Keynes on the map, offering local professional artists a platform and encouraging National and International artists to the city.
t was agreed that, due to timescales and the drive of artists’ local to Milton Keynes, the theme this year would promote internal talent; showing-off what we already have.
There are several elements too the Arts Festival
Public Art World Record - led by artist Sally Annett and Senior technician Emma Gregory, a giant spiral installation which will also take the Guinness World Record for the longest self connecting chain of plastic carrier bags in the world. Annett and Gregory have delivered large public works for WFS, MK Gallery and The Tate. The ‘Spiral’ will be very large and sited on the western flank of Campbell Park [a national ‘Beacon Point’] and be able to be seen for several miles.
The Workshops - designed to animate the Public spaces and areas in the centre of Milton Keynes in a way which encourages people to ‘join in’ and skill build. Workshops allowed artists contracted to support their teaching practise, profile and generate income from the festival. External artists have been engaged to mentor internal artists
Arts Bus – the bus will travel to arts venues across Milton Keynes, opening up and offering opportunities to audiences to participate in workshops coordinated by the organisations themselves.
The Herd – the BMFFA artists are developing a series of installations and interventions that will continue in public spaces throughout the festival
The future of Big Moo Fringe Festival of the Arts (BMFFA)
The BMFFA Committee intends the festival to be an annually event, and next year hope to raise the game, by attracting higher numbers of international artists.
Already, the private, public and voluntary sector are behind this with 18 arts organisations signed-up, 56 artists, 39 private sponsors. Deadline for submission is 15/05/08. We will continue to work with these partners to develop our programme, except next year the planning will start a lot earlier.
The Big Moo festival started last year as part of the City’s 40th Birthday. We have joined forces with it for year 2 and in the future they also have plans to continue to grow and attract more audiences.
Ensuring high artistic quality of the Big Moo Fringe Festival of the Arts (BMFFA)
To ensure that the festival is of the highest possible artistic quality, the steering group has been hand-picked. Members are as follows:
Gavin Anderson – coordinator for the visit by HRH Queen Elizabeth, designer for Milton Keynes Cultural Strategy
Michael Stanley – Director Milton Keynes Gallery
Sally Annett – Multi-media artist and author
Jackie Tracey – Commercial and Events Manager for thecentre:mk (29.5 million visitors per year)
David John – Chair of Milton Keynes Arts Association
Lucy Bedford – Arts Development Officer for MK Council
Stewart Bailey – Director of Big Moo
Participating Artist -To be co-opted as an advisor and committee member for the festival 22/05/08;
Michael Pinsky - International Artist and Author (currently commissioned as lead artist for Central Milton Keynes)
This is an experienced and respected panel that have a breadth of understanding of the Arts and they effectively guarantee the quality of the project.
This project will offer residents and visitors to Milton Keynes a chance to visit arts venues and participate in arts activities over 3 days by taking a trip on the Arts Bus, enable the public to engage actively but also passively in the Public Art World Record and artists in residencies and actively engaging through workshops
Year one of the festival will promote internal talent; showing off what we already have in Milton Keynes i.e. Milton Keynes Gallery with its brilliant contemporary international arts programme; MK Theatre the most successful commercial theatre in the UK; Stantonbury Campus the largest arts college in Europe.
MK is home to ‘The Stables’, Terrific Films, Festive Road, David Mach, Annabelle Shelton, The Miniscule of Sound ,Mk Urban Artists as well as many emerging groups and artists like, Sitting Ducks, Shelley Wyn de Bank, Faye Gilbert and Daniela Bove.
Westbury Farm Studios is a host venue for both Braziers International and The Academy Schools Arts and Bletchley Park home to the Enigma Machine.
The BMFFA wishes to develop this talent, and this process comes not only from looking inwards, but from bringing new ideas and ways of working into Milton Keynes. The festival will showcase work from international artists, with a focus this year on eastern European artists from Serbia and Slovakia as well as high profile national artists, some of whom are Milton Keynes based.
We look forward to see in Milton Keynes in July !
