''Milton Keynes celebrates 50 years of unique new-town culture and 20 million years of history. We are one of the fastest growing places in the UK which means that arts, sports and heritage activities are constantly evolving and growing in ambition and scale. We do things differently from other places and our diverse communities and can-do spirit enable us to develop really exciting activities and events for thousands of people to enjoy throughout the year.'' [1]
''Because we have stunning parks and well-designed urban spaces we have are well known for our many festivals, carnivals and out-door events. Milton Keynes has 5,000 acres of parkland and woodland, over 150 public art sculptures, 21km of canal towpaths and network of over 270km of Redway cycle routes. You can explore Milton Keynes’ many cultural treasures as well as stay healthy.'' [1]
''We have world-class international stories of importance including code-breaking at Bletchley Park, John Newton’s ‘Amazing Grace’ in Olney, The Stables music venue and the MK Bowl. We also welcome international arts and cultural excellence through our biannual International Festival, MK Stadium and MK Gallery and Theatre.'' [1]
''Because we have stunning parks and well-designed urban spaces we have are well known for our many festivals, carnivals and out-door events. Milton Keynes has 5,000 acres of parkland and woodland, over 150 public art sculptures, 21km of canal towpaths and network of over 270km of Redway cycle routes. You can explore Milton Keynes’ many cultural treasures as well as stay healthy.'' [1]
''We have world-class international stories of importance including code-breaking at Bletchley Park, John Newton’s ‘Amazing Grace’ in Olney, The Stables music venue and the MK Bowl. We also welcome international arts and cultural excellence through our biannual International Festival, MK Stadium and MK Gallery and Theatre.'' [1]
Cultural Map of Milton Keynes [1]
Milton Keynes has lots to explore, alongside Milton Keynes Museum there are places such as The Cowper & Newton Museum, MK Gallery, The Stables and Bletchley Park. In addition there are an extensive collection of parks managed by The Parks Trust. [2]
Survey
As documented there is a lot of possible photographic locations in Milton Keynes, that will help me to pursue final outcomes for this project. To help me narrow down what is significant to people that live in the town, I have set up a survey to give me a more decisive view on what may need covering.
As you can see, the open space offered to residents is a key commodity. I immediately think of the Peace Pagoda and the different lakes, such as Willen And Caldecotte when referencing the green space in MK. Another key response is the grid system and the roundabouts. I will make sure this is included in some form or other.
I should have worded my survey slightly better as I have gained little knowledge on the thoughts of culture in Milton Keynes. I hope to learn more about this with a visit to Milton Keynes Museum.
Mood Board
To give me a little bit of inspiration for the type of images that are synonymous with Milton Keynes I have created this mood board using Pinterest. My first impressions are that most of the images depict some form of architecture. I think my images will have to have a more deep rooted meaning than that which can be provided by a general piece of architecture. I hope to include more people and objects with symbolic meanings.
Existing Images of MK
As you can see there is one very strong theme within all of my own pre-existing images of Milton Keynes. Green!
References:
[1] Destinationmiltonkeynes.co.uk. (2019). Culture in MK. [online] Available at: http://www.destinationmiltonkeynes.co.uk/Culture-in-MK [Accessed 20 Jan. 2019].
[2] Destinationmiltonkeynes.co.uk. (2019). Cultural Places. [online] Available at: http://www.destinationmiltonkeynes.co.uk/Culture-in-MK/Cultural-Places [Accessed 30 Jan. 2019].