4th July 2008
Milton Keynes but not as you know it.
The first Big Moo Fringe Festival of the Arts [BMFFA] in Milton Keynes will take place over the weekend 11-13 July 2008.
This breathtaking celebration of the diverse strands of creativity in the city will see over 100 artists and organisations showcase their works in established and brand new venues. In Its first year the BMFFA will be part of The Big Moo 2 and includes Musik4U transforming the whole of the city into an incredible arts, music and sports venue.
Despite having the most successful commercial Theatre in the UK, and a Gallery who's current Cathy Wilkes exhibition has just been nominated for the 2008 Turner Prize, Milton Keynes is rarely seen to be a cultural capital. The Fringe Festival is designed in its first year to 'show-off' what Milton Keynes nurtures creatively. In addition it will show the works of several international guest artists and film makers.
The whole of the city centre will become a platform for the arts. Painting, sculpture, dance, performance, music, poetry, film and interventions will be installed in public, retail and conventional gallery spaces.
Art Buses will leave from outside Milton Keynes Gallery and take visitors on a free arts tour of Milton Keynes, venues to stop off at on the way will include, The Stables at Wavendon, Bletchley Park, home to the Enigma Machine, Wolverton Secret Garden, artworks-mk, Inter-Action MK and Westbury Farm Studios, all of whom have current exhibitions, open studios, workshops and activities planned.
Contemporary British artists who will have work at the festival include, Mike Pinsky, Daniela Bove, Boyd and Evans, Melted Demerara, Grimmer at milton keynes contemporary WHITEWALL , Meechy [m o n o], James O'Hanlon, Jessica Rost, Sally Annett and Festive Road. Venues will include, thecentre:mk, Midsummer Place, the Theatre and Gallery Districts and the big screen at XSCAPE which will show international and BAFTA nominated films. International artists bringing their work include Jozef Fugger, Isidora Ilic and Bosko Prostran giving strong eastern European representation.
The 3 day festival will climax on Sunday the 13th July with a morning service in the Ecumenical Church of Christ the Cornerstone in the heart of the city which will include poetry, dance, song and an arts intervention piece, It's 'Simply Ballroom' at Milton Keynes Theatre, a civic, environmental and participatory world record attempt with the Big Moo2 in Campbell Park, with a fun fair and a live moosic stage in conjunction with KIK Music. Musik4U and 'urban arts and sports' fill Milton Keynes Train Station and an evening finale called 'Celebr8' which will bring together all strands of community and diversity as well as pyrotechnics and lantern displays in the heart of the city. Milton Keynes but not as you know it.
For further information:
http://www.bmffa.co.uk - [under construction]
