Weekly Bulletin for the Voluntary and Community Sector in Milton Keynes

Festive Networking Event

Thank you to everyone who came along to our Festive Networking event at the Grant Thornton Co-Working Space last Thursday. It was fantastic to chat to so many friends from the Voluntary sector over a mince pie (or three!) and learn more about the wonderful work being done across MK. The evening was made even lovelier by listening to the Conniburrow Community Choir and seeing so many people bring donations for Foodbank, Help our Homeless, Girl Pack and MK Storehouse.

State of the Sector Research

In the New Year, we will be undertaking a piece of work to understand more about the voluntary and community sector Milton Keynes. We will be sending out some survey questions which will help to create a really good picture of what groups there are operating in Milton Keynes. There are some standard questions about the size of your organisation, the number of volunteers, employees, trustees, some indication of your turnover, your legal structure, what challenges you face and what opportunities you see out there. Watch this space for more details!

Storytelling and Robots

We have been involved in a project called ‘Everybody makes Innovation Policy’ funded by NESTA. Our project was about how we can use storytelling as a tool to develop a language which helps people with disabilities, people who write policy and people who design technology (in particular for driverless cars) all talk to, and understand each other. We have had trials of the driverless pods and had storytelling sessions and created a wonderful story and messages for the policymakers and technologists which reminds them that design must be inclusive to all.

This week NESTA held a showcase event for the end of the project, and our wonderful group of volunteers, Catherine, Marianna, Linda, and Jeff all traveled down to London with Philippa our Storyteller to present their story. They had wonderful feedback from the participants and we are delighted that they have been able to have such an impact. Thank you all very much!

Pedalling Culture Cultural Routes Passport:

Throughout December and until January 6th – why not explore and discover Milton Keynes’ art & heritage with the #PedallingCulture ‘Cultural Routes’ Passport. Simply download and register your Cultural Routes Passport at http://www.pedallingculture.com/passport/ to get started. There are some fantastic prizes to be won and all you need to do is collect four stamps in your passport from a selection of 17 participating cultural venues and libraries. Why not get your first stamp this weekend at Milton Keynes Museum‘s Victorian #Christmaswhich runs in December. MK Museum is recapturing the sparkle, fun, warmth and wonder of a true Victorian family Christmas. From mulled wine and hot squash on arrival to a traditional Christmas market and the wonders of Santa in the cozy glow of his toy workshop.

CMK Library – Robotazia.

Central Milton Keynes Library can’t wait to welcome some little robotic friends this weekend. The robots will be taking over the Event Space at CMK from the 15th of December! Amy and her robot friends will be with them – along with a cafe, shop and a big screen –thanks to Robotazia. Robotazia is a unique collection of sci-fi robots and props – creativity from all disciplines under the theme of ‘robots’. #EverythingRobots #getready www.milton-keynes.gov.uk/libraryevents

MK Gallery announces exciting new programme for 2019.

Exhibition programme for 2019:

The Lie of the Land (16 March – 26 May), a group exhibition exploring landscapes of leisure. Includes work by Canaletto, Elizabeth Frink, Gainsborough, Lowry, Henry Moore, Bridget Riley, Yinka Shonibare MBE, and more.

Paula Rego: Obedience and Defiance (13 June – 22 September). Paintings and drawings spanning her entire career. Focusing on political and feminist themes, this will be the first major retrospective of Rego’s work in England for over 10 years.

George Stubbs: ‘all done from Nature’ (11 October – 26 January 2020). The UK’s best-known painter of horses. This exhibition includes over 80 paintings including a rare Loan of the National Gallery’s masterpiece ‘Whistlejacket’.