Making Art Work for Milton Keynes

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1 Milton Keynes Milton Keynes Gallery Core Education Programme

2 Schools and Families Schools Programme Milton Keynes Gallery s education team provides tours and workshops for each exhibition, developed to encourage discussion and initiate debate on contemporary art and the contemporary world. Workshops The education team offer workshop sessions for schools and community groups that draw upon the themes of each exhibition. These include a tour of the exhibition during which students are encouraged to question the artwork and develop their own interpretation. Exhibition tours and discussions are supported by a methodology adapted from a Philosophy for Children (P4C) approach using contemporary art as the stimulus for critical thinking and enquiry. The tour is followed by a practical workshop for teachers and children to explore the physical process of making a work of art. Projects Projects are programmed in partnership with schools and community groups and continue for up to four weeks. Twilight Chorus For the Marcus Coates, Psychopomp, exhibition, the education team has worked in partnership with Extended School Services, Milton Keynes Arts Education Forum, Orchard School, Langland Community School, MK Academy and in collaboration with art practitioners Dancing Brick and Neil Luck. Pupils from each school investigated the parallels between human and animal behaviour in Coates work. They worked with the artists to develop a performance based on their own morning rituals presented as animal-like actions and sound. The performance was staged during MK City Orchestra s family concert at MK Theatre on 7th February Teacher Training Big Draw Teacher Twilight sessions. Each year Milton Keynes Gallery works in partnership with Adult Continuing Education to run teacher twilight sessions focussing on alternative ways of drawing. The sessions are aimed at primary school teachers but are open to all education providers. Teachers are given opportunities to experiment with new materials and methods. It was inspiring to look at new ways of drawing, lettering and mark-making. It was lots of fun using the inks, wood, pens etc. MK Primary School Teacher Secondary Art Milton Keynes Gallery works in partnership with Adult Continuing Education and Milton Keynes Arts Education Forum to support secondary teachers professional development through artist-led sessions working in different media. The sessions include opportunities to moderate pupils work through presentation and discussion. Great stimulus for my personal work and fantastic for learners in my AS art class. MK Secondary School Teacher For more information about the Secondary Art Teachers Network please contact Adult Continuing Education on Inspiring and thought-provoking Audience member

3 Schools and Families Family Programme Milton Keynes Gallery works with MK Council to support parental engagement with the school community. There are also opportunities for families to drop in to the gallery at weekends and during organised open days and enjoy free art activities together. School-based Programme Through our partnership with MK Councils Family Education Support Team we have supported parents to share in the learning experiences of their child. We offer workshops and projects that set up a dialogue around the artwork that enables the parent to learn from and with their child. Dads and Lads Boys from Langland Community School and Greenleys Junior School and their fathers explored the scientific processes employed by the artist Gilberto Zorio. Facilitated by scientists from Cranfield University, the participants learnt how to extract DNA, grow luminescent bacteria and experimented with fizzing rockets and sun-photography. Family Self Portraits Inspired by the work of Anja Schrey parents and children from Queen Eleanor School worked with an artist to explore the use of portraiture in reflecting upon the identity of the individual and the family. Informal Family Programme Family Days and Big Draw Drop In Activities Milton Keynes Gallery hosts two free, drop in family days per year. All staff, supported by local artists and volunteers, provide art-making activities for families. These events attract between visitors and receive extremely positive feedback. This is a fantastic event, well organised with very friendly staff. All of my family have thoroughly enjoyed it and would love to do it again. MK resident One family day is dedicated to Big Draw, a national campaign that aims to get everyone drawing. Big Draw activities are supported by family workshops in schools culminating in a full day of free drawing activities throughout the gallery spaces. In 2007 and 2008 Milton Keynes Gallery was a runner up for its Big Draw activities and highly commended in the preceding 2 years. Art Trolley Art Trolley is a regular Saturday morning drop in activity for children between the ages of 3-7. The Art Trolley activities explore themes from the exhibition and support parent and child learning. I wish I could stay here all day 8 year old child Cultural Diversity Parents, children and teachers at Knowles Junior School explored the different ways of viewing an art object from personal, social, cultural and racial perspectives in relation to the Stephen Willatts exhibition: Person to Person; People to People.

4 Young People Young People s Programme Lost & Found, Milton Keynes Gallery s youth-led committee develops a peer-led programme to enable young people to explore, create, debate and initiate cultural projects and events. They are funded by the Big Lottery. Lost & Found Presents Lost & Found strive to develop enthusiastic audiences for their projects and encourage participation from all sectors of the youth population. Working in partnership with local and national organisations they have successfully delivered a series of projects and events and presented at national conferences. Film The group is inspired by contemporary film and have programmed a number of screenings and projects linking with artists and organisations: Lux, Iain & Jane Forsyth, Noble & Silver and local film-makers. MK4U MK4U is a large 2-day youth-led festival supported by a number of local organisations. The Create Zone is supported by Lost & Found who have curated film tents, artist/band collaborations, a tea room showcasing artist performance alongside acoustic acts, silent disco and creative stalls. Events Throughout the year, Lost & Found co-ordinate offsite events for young people to link to Milton Keynes Gallery. Exhibitions In November 2009, Lost & Found curated an exhibition at Milton Keynes Gallery with Graham Hudson & The Centre of Attention. This, their first gallery-based exhibition, encouraged the public to take an active part in the artists installations and studio practice, opposing the traditional view that galleries are just sites for display. The group programmed a series of events to accompany the exhibition. Personal and Professional Development Lost & Found members are offered artistic and organisational change opportunities. Visits are programmed to national organisations and in 2009 to the Venice Biennale. Members have presented to the Museum s Association conference, Ruskin School of Art and the engage conference at Tate Modern. Through participation and engagement, Lost & Found has been an introduction to various art forms I wouldn t have considered seeking off my own back. It s made me into a storm-trooper, a public speaker, an events manager, a sound engineer, a tourist, a curator, an artist (just the once) and helped me make some amazing friends. Tom Loake This project has given the young people a range of opportunities to develop many skills that are particularly relevant in the changing face of education and employment. Employers often struggle to find young potential employees who have any real life experience and I have no doubt that the young people that have been committed to this project will be very sought after in the job market Martin Wakely, Stantonbury Campus

5 Adults Adult Programme Milton Keynes Gallery offers a layered approach to engagement and interpretation through a public programme of talks, tours workshops and events that introduce and take inspiration from the themes of each exhibition. Talks Working in partnership with The Open University and the University of Northampton, Milton Keynes Gallery programmes a series of public talks and tours entitled What is.? that encompass a range of subject areas including art history, contemporary art, and critical and art theory, in an attempt to deconstruct and connect themes of contemporary performance, design, architecture, and art. Live guides Live guides are student volunteers from the University of Northampton, Dunstable College and Birkbeck, University of London who are available to discuss the works of art with visitors to the gallery on Saturdays. Scratch Nights Scratch Nights are a new series of events in the gallery on Thursday evenings by emerging artists working in the fields of experimental music, sound, film, performance, cinema, spoken word and other practices. The series will also be punctuated with occasional networking events, an alternative talk series and book launches. Meet the Artist This is an opportunity for visitors to the gallery to gain an insight into the work by direct discussion with the artist. In Conversation These are public discussions between two or more guest speakers with an in-depth knowledge of the artist and their work. Highlights from Milton Keynes Gallery s talks programme can soon be downloaded on the Open University Open Arts Archive. ( The Open University and Milton Keynes Gallery working together to support debate on contemporary art.

6 Making Art Work Disability Programme Milton Keynes Gallery is accessible to all visitors including those with additional needs. Steering Group In 2008 Milton Keynes Gallery and MK Theatre worked in partnership to establish a joint disability steering group. The steering group advises both venues on the production of marketing material, signage, access and education programming. Open Access Tours For each exhibition, visitors with additional needs are invited to join gallery staff for a drink and a tour of the exhibition with the support of audio description and BSL interpretation. Workshops To make the open access tours more interactive we offer artist-led workshop sessions that enable visitors to experience works of art through handling and experimenting with different materials and methods. We also offer opportunities to engage more intensively with an exhibition through project work that will culminate in a presentation evening. In April 2009, Milton Keynes Gallery won the Bucks Vision award for Best Company Practice. The nomination was from Bucks Vision members in recognition of the gallery s innovative access programme. The Gallery team has consistently been aware of our needs as visually impaired and do everything the can to enable our activities. We have established a wonderful relationship with them over the last year or so. MK Eye4Art Member Milton Keynes Gallery Education Programme in has been supported by: Milton Keynes Community Foundation Milton Keynes Arts Education Forum Parks Trust MK Theatre MK Family Education Support Team Bletchley Park MK Extended Schools Services The Learning Revolution Red Hot World Buffet Altajir Trust Centre for Integrated Living Adult Continuing Education The Open University The University of Northampton Make A Difference Snoosh Productions John Lewis The New University Centre, Milton Keynes Big Lottery Buckinghamshire Scaffolding Specialists Concept Communications Group MK Mind thecentre:mk Pony Age Concern Milton Keynes Healthy Lifestyles Milton Keynes Islamic Arts Heritage & Culture MK Arts Gateway Milton Keynes Gallery receives core annual funding from Arts Council England, South East and Milton Keynes Council.