4–27 July 2025
The countdown is on! Milton Keynes Fringe Festival, the city’s beloved biennial arts celebration, is back this July—and it’s bigger, bolder, and bursting with creativity.
Running alongside the internationally acclaimed IF: Milton Keynes International Festival, MK Fringe 2025 offers a fresh and alternative cultural experience that champions local talent. This year’s theme? Collaboration—and what better way to honour that spirit than by teaming up with one of the city’s most cherished organisations, The Parks Trust.
“We were delighted to collaborate with The Parks Trust on two really amazing commissions,” say the Fringe organisers. And when it comes to celebrating Milton Keynes’ unique spaces, The Parks Trust—guardians of the city’s stunning green spaces—couldn’t have been a better partner.
So, what’s in store?
This year, visitors can discover two standout public realm artworks in the beautiful surroundings of Campbell Park. These site-specific installations invite you to look at the familiar in unfamiliar ways—melding nature, technology, and culture in surprising and delightful forms.
Show Them Where To Go by Richard Harrison
Milton Keynes-based artist Richard Harrison brings his love of modified car culture and suburban symbolism to life in five sculptural birdhouses. But these aren’t your garden-variety bird boxes.
Drawing on the aesthetics of automotive design—think sleek lines and car-body gloss—with materials ranging from 3D-printed PLA to vinyl decals, these playful structures are inspired by Machinedrum’s track Oracle. The title lyric “Show them Where To Go” echoes themes of movement, beauty, and shared experience—offering a subtle nod to parenthood and place-making.
Arcadia Is In The Soil (2025) by Tendayi Vine
Tendayi Vine, an artist and researcher at the intersection of digital media and ecology, presents a visually rich exploration of virtual habitats. Using photography and AI software, this work investigates the hybrid spaces where digital and organic life collide. Expect a thought-provoking peek into the ‘idyllic’ as imagined by the digital citizen of today.
“We are really pleased to see these temporary artworks by emerging artists in Campbell Park as part of MK Festival Fringe this July,” says Julie Dawes, Events and Community Engagement Manager at The Parks Trust. “We hope visitors enjoy discovering these pieces alongside our permanent public art collection.”
Whether you’re a regular parkgoer or just fancy an art-fuelled stroll, Campbell Park is the place to be this July.
Want to know more about what’s happening in your local park spaces? Visit theparkstrust.com for the latest events and updates.
