Arts & Exhibitions

The students from Pauline Quirke Academy of Performing Arts in Milton Keynes dazzled their family and friends with a spectacular performance of PQA’s show ‘The Lazy Ace’ on Sunday 14th May! As part of PQA’s curriculum, the students have the opportunity to perform at the Shaftesbury Theatre London, and get to experience the thrill and buzz of performing on a West End Stage! The Lazy Ace is a musical comedy set on the glitzy, glamourous Las Vegas Strip in the 1950s; Detective Chip Buddy is in search of a card shark known as The Lazy Ace amongst the hustle and bustle of the casino scene. PQA Milton Keynes had the freedom to be as imaginative and creative with their part of the show as they like, from the casting, staging and choreography. The Principal from PQA Milton Keynes Martin Lay said “The students should be so proud of all their..

Festival in the City, hosted by Milton Keynes College, takes place from 15-18 June at the centre:mk. With live performances, demonstrations, an interactive zone and workshops, there’s something to inspire the whole family at this special MK50 edition of the college’s summer showcase.  Families from across the region are invited to attend this free event, where they will enjoy art exhibitions, fashion shows, live music, activities and competitions. Visitors can pamper themselves in the Graduate Hair & Beauty Zone and engage with live cooking demonstrations from our Brasserie chefs, in our pop up kitchen.  The relaxed festival feel at this year’s showcase promises to immerse visitors in the summer spirit and encourage interaction from families, to bring a real sense of community to Middleton Hall.  Janine Coney, Events Manager for the Milton Keynes College Festival in the City explains: “In line with MK50, this year’s summer showcase is all about..

The Parks Trust and Milton Keynes City Orchestra (MKCO) are delighted to announce that Soprano, Ellie Laugharne will join the orchestra, under the baton of MKCO Music Director Damian Iorio, for the 2017 Proms in Campbell Park on Friday 18th August. Ellie will perform a stunning repertoire of Opera and Musical Show favourites including Summertime, I feel Pretty and Somewhere over the Rainbow. Ellie’s powerful voice will also lead the audience in the rousing finale including Rule Britannia and Land of Hope and Glory. Ellie began her vocal training at Birmingham Conservertoire having completed a degree in Music at Birmingham University. She is also a graduate of the Guildhall School of Music and is currently Associate Artist of Classical Opera. She has performed important roles with many of the great opera companies and orchestras in the UK. Ellie was described by The Guardian as having a ‘gleaming’ voice, while Opera..

Milton Keynes is 50 this year, here are 49 facts about the town and surrounding area. There are 400 acres of lakes including Willen Lake and Caldecotte Lake. In 1971 The Open University at Walton Hall welcomed its first students. The Church of Christ the Cornerstone is 119 feet high. The ruins of a Roman Villa can be found at Bancroft. Poet William Cowper used to live in Olney in the 18th The Concrete Cows were made by artist Liz Leyh. Bestselling author, Carole Matthews lives in Milton Keynes, and some of her books are set there. The design of the shopping centre in Central Milton Keynes was inspired by 19th Century European shopping arcades. The Parks Trust in Milton Keynes plants around 100 trees and shrubs every day! Milton Keynes Theatre opened in 1999. Greg Rutherford, who won gold in the 2012 London Olympics for the long jump, is..

This year Newport Pagnell Town Council is putting on an amazing 1940s Vintage Weekend on 17th and 18th June. Saturday 17th will include speeches by the Rt. Hon. Winston Churchill, MP (re-enactor;) Spitfire and Messerschmitt static aircraft displays on Bury Common; indoor displays of kitchenalia, toys and wedding dresses of the period; a vintage vehicle show and cavalcade; a whole town dressed for the event; singers and dancers to delight you; a living history museum showing off radios and diving suits used in the war, crafts from the period, and the amazing Enigma story; an Anderson Shelter in the grounds of the URC church; wartime newsreel feeds; a tea dance at Lovat Hall; Lola and a Vintage High Tea at the Swan Revived; the Women’s Volunteer Army; the military police arresting any spies present; vintage stalls to shop to your heart’s content, Newport Nobby and other rides and much, much..

The NEWPORT PAGNELL HORTICULTURAL SHOW celebrates its 208th  year on Saturday 2nd  September 2017.  We have been growing and showing since 1809. Yet even now the show continues to grow, year after year.    We don’t charge an entry fee to enter the various classes.  Instead we ask for donations from entrants on the day of the show.  Now is the time to start growing if you are entering the sections for flowers, pot plants, fruit or vegetables. But there is so much more to the show, from cakes and preserves to photographs and art work.  This year we have split up the art categories as follows:  original oil or acrylic paintings, original water colours, and original drawings. Entry forms can be obtained from the Offices of the Newport Pagnell Town Council at 80 High Street, Newport Pagnell or email towncouncilinfo@newport-pagnell.org.uk. Even if you aren’t submitting an entry, come and..

One of the flagship events to celebrate MK50 is set to make history itself – by delivering Milton Keynes' biggest ever historical re-enactment! Across the weekend of June 17 and 18, Campbell Park will be transformed from its usual tranquil green space into a place lively with clashes, battles, and even Royalty. A huge and colourful programme will bring all the sights and sounds, and some of the smells from times past, into the present. The Festival of History is being organised by the Heritage MK Partners – Milton Keynes Museum, Bletchley Park, City Discovery Centre, Cowper and Newton Museum and the Living Archive – in partnership with The Parks Trust and Milton Keynes Council. Collectively, they will bring 2000 years of history to life. Cannons will explode in the air, swords will be clashed at the joust, while up above, a fabulous Battle of Britain Memorial Flypast will prove..

With a two months to go until this year’s Milton Keynes Dragon Boat Festival takes place at Willen Lake on Sunday 25th June, local companies have been quick to snap up the sponsorship opportunities. Organisers Gable Events report that the maximum 10 Gold and Silver sponsorship packages have sold out in record time! This is fantastic news for Festival charity, Age UK Milton Keynes as they will benefit from the enhanced entry donations as well as the crews’ fundraising efforts. It’s good news too for any local company wishing to get involved this year as there’s still plenty of time to get a team together to ‘race the dragon’ for a great cause whilst helping the city with its 50th birthday celebrations. The ten Gold and Silver entrants who will enjoy seeing their logo on the sides of a dragon boat amongst other profile-raising benefits are Action Express, BSH Home..

The Parks Trust and Milton Keynes City Orchestra (MKCO) are once again partnering to present Proms in Campbell Park and they are both pleased to announce that tickets for 2017 are now on sale. This much loved event will return to the amphitheatre in Campbell Park on Friday 18th August, with the concert beginning at 8pm. MKCO will once again thrill the audience with another evening of uplifting, inspiring music followed by a stunning firework finale. Tickets can be purchased through www.theparkstrust.com and cost £19 for an adult, £9 for a child, and £49 for a family. Marian Livingstone, Chairman of MKCO, added: “Our 2017 Proms in Campbell Park is going to a magnificent celebration of MK50 for over 3000 people in the very best setting in MK. We are proud of our partnership with The Parks Trust and grateful for the support of our sponsors, all of which ensures..

Former Horizon Radio and Virgin Radio presenter Helen Legh has announced she will be joining MKFM in Milton Keynes. Helen is a well-known voice in the city after co-hosting breakfast on Horizon Radio as well as presenting a dedicated breakfast show for Milton Keynes on BBC Three Counties Radio until 2012. As well as a new show for MKFM, Helen will continue to present her Sunday Breakfast show on BBC Three Counties Radio. She took a break from radio in 2014 when she was diagnosed with a brain tumour and only given a few months to live. Following brain surgery and some experimental treatment, her tumour has shrunk and Helen plans the make the most of every day in the city she loves. Talking about the new show, Helen Legh said “I'm very excited to be joining the MKFM team, broadcasting to a city which I grew up in. Every..

There are plenty of MK50 activities to keep the kids entertained this half term. From giant floating eggs, woodland walks, and engaging with the public art, there are plenty of ways to celebrate 50 years of Milton Keynes this Easter break. Stephen Turner’s Exbury Egg It’s not only chocolate eggs around this Easter; you can spot the Exbury Egg moored at Stanton Low Park until May 8 before moving along to Linford Manor until May 14. The free ‘Everything Comes from the Egg’ exhibition is open to the public Wednesday to Sunday, noon to 6pm. Not only will the sight of Stephen Turner’s magnificent wooden vessel amaze the kids, but they’ll also receive a free 12 – page activity booklet on arrival. The booklet aims to educate and inspire young visitors, encouraging them to find items from in and around the egg, laying them out and practice still life drawing...

PAW Patrol pups Chase and Marshall came to the centre yesterday on a special Easter intu road trip and hundreds of excited little faces where ready and waiting. Both pups where available throughout the day to meet their biggest fans and each session finished with a master class in the Pup Pup Boogie! An amazing way to kick start the Easter holidays! Marketing Manager at intu Milton Keynes, Kirsty McGiff said, “It was great to see so many people come along to the event to meet Chase and Marshall. It was a really fantastic day enjoyed by many families and we have more going on throughout Easter that we know our little shoppers will love.” The Nick Jr. All Stars have taken over the Easter holidays at intu Milton Keynes and for the next two week’s intu will be hosting free entertainment in the Kids Club area (outside Debenhams) with..

Performing Arts students from Milton Keynes College are among 260 companies taking part in National Theatre Connections – a nationwide celebration of new plays for young people. The 10 students from Milton Keynes College will be performing Extremism; a gritty and challenging play, written by critically acclaimed playwright Anders Lustgarten. Extremism is one of 10 brand new plays, written especially for Connections by a selection of the best playwriting talent in the UK. The story takes place in any school in England; where gossip and banter are rife, and 'Extremism' is the word on everyone's lips; but what does it mean? Does anyone fully understand what it actually means in a modern Great Britain? The play will be performed at Milton Keynes College on 21, 22 and 23 March, where the National Theatre will watch, review and report back on the College’s interpretation of the production. Extremism will next be..

As we wave goodbye to winter and say hello to spring, what better time is there to head outside and get active? MK residents are invited to make the most of the warmer weather and take part in some of the 50 led walks on offer, created by The Parks Trust and Milton Keynes Council to celebrate the city’s 50th birthday. Spring is also a great time to explore the flora and fauna. These walks gives the people of MK the chance to explore the city’s beautiful and varied landscapes, and to also welcome back the blooming flowers, waking wildlife and the different species of birds returning from their winter migration. Upcoming walks The next walks in the programme are the MK Health Walks with the Lovat Fields and Whaddon groups (13 and 22 March respectively) exploring the beautiful areas of Willen and the peaceful Ouse Valley Park. The Parks..

Milton Keynes City Orchestra (MKCO) will showcase their concert and education work in a magnificent 3pm matinee on Sunday 12th March at MK Theatre. The concert will open with the MK Youth Orchestra, on stage, side by side with MKCO professional musicians, performing Sibelius Karelia Suite. This is a fine example of MKCO education work in the community. The students have been rehearsing for six months and the professional musicians and MKCO Music Director Damian Iorio have been helping with the learning process. The sensational Gershwin, Rhapsody in Blue will follow, featuring pianist and Classic FM star Ji Liu. This concert illustrates that first-class, international musicians are keen to come to Milton Keynes and perform with Milton Keynes City Orchestra. The finale, Dvorak Symphony No.9 (From the New World) will demonstrate the world-class performance quality of MKCO, accelerated over the last three years under the baton of Damian Iorio, International..