MKIAC Art in The Park - Roots & Foundations

Art in the Park Roots & Foundations

Celebrating the coronation with the rich and diverse communities of Milton Keynes

Saturday 13th May, 2023

ROOTS AND FOUNDATIONS

It is exciting once again to be working with MKIAC at Art in the Park, and particularly special that the partnership between the Council and MKIAC has continued with the celebrations for city status.

This year’s festival, Roots and Foundations, invites us to consider how we are connected to our roots, giving thought to how early man learnt agriculture skills, putting down roots rather than following a nomadic way of life. The impact of human actions on our planet is now threatening its very existence. Flora and fauna are facing unprecedented challenges for their survival. Through interaction with art in many forms, MKIAC is exploring the symbiotic relationship between plants, animals and humans and how we can preserve our world for future generations through understanding nature and living in harmony with it.

The Countess Howe

Patron, MKIAC and HM Lord-Lieutenant of Buckinghamshire

ART IN THE PARK 2023

Delivered annually, Art in the Park is produced by Milton Keynes Islamic Arts & Culture Organisation (MKIAC). Now in its 14th year, it is jam-packed with creativity, connectivity and fantastic art for all to enjoy. This year, you can expect music, visual art, creative workshops, a parade and delicious food representing all of MK’s communities.

Inspired by Islamic arts, heritage and culture, MKIAC covers a broad spectrum of inclusive arts-based events throughout the year. The group’s primary focus is using the arts as a vehicle to overcome societal divisions and provide a sense of community in Milton Keynes.

The festival theme is ‘Roots and Foundations’, and we invite artists and audiences to explore and reflect on the deep connections between culture, history, identity, and the natural world. We are celebrating our cultural heritage and shining a spotlight on the environment and climate action.

Milton Keynes City Council proudly supports Milton Keynes Islamic Arts and Culture’s Art in the Park, celebrating the Coronation of His Majesty King Charles III and The Queen Consort.

Saturday 13th May 2023

1:00 pm Born to Perform

1:15 pm

1:30 pm

1:50 pm

2:00 pm

- Debbie Ganguli - Patel School of Indian Dance and Music

2:30 pm

3:15 pm

3:30 pm

3:45 pm

4:15 pm

FESTIVAL HIGHLIGHTS

Raka

Raka is an 8-piece ensemble that plays traditional music from the Balkans. The unmistakable groove of Raka brings everyone to their feet. Their music strongly focuses on the folk traditions of Bulgaria and Macedonia and the Romani music that spans far and wide across the Balkans. Their meandering musical tributaries have all led them to one communal river: the love and commitment to understanding and interacting with the music of the Balkans. They bring to life a genuinely authentic repertoire wherever they are, from sweaty back rooms of North London clubs to concert halls on the banks of the Thames.

They take their name from a traditional Bulgarian dance, the ‘Raka’. A heart-rending lament can move the body as much as a pounding Bulgarian Pravo, and in Raka, they have made space for both and everything in between.

"Absolutely magnificent, no one can sit still listening to Raka!"

DJ Ritu

A World in London - Resonance FM

“Raka burst with traditional Balkan flair, the group earn their title as the essential act of the Raka weekend.”

Eva Hibbs Nightshift Magazine

Ayan De First and The Oduduwa Talking Drummers

The Oduduwa Talking Drummers are a wellestablished multi-cultural troupe formed by Ayan Ayandosu, known as Ayan De First, who present authentic Yoruba, Ibo and Hausa music from Nigeria and music, culture and heritage from other African countries such as Kenya, South Africa, Zimbabwe and the Congo.

The Talking Drum is a unique traditional musical instrument that mimics the human

voice and synthesises language. The Yoruba people are best known for their music and dance; they are one of the major tribes of Nigeria, and the Talking Drum is one of their great traditional art forms, including door and house-post carving, terracotta pottery, cast bronze and forged iron sculpture.

The Oduduwa Talking Drummers work within the educational sectors with links to globalisation and the National Curriculum, promoting community cohesion and inclusion through the arts of Africa.

© Karen Kodish

Yemeni Cultural Group

The band was established in 2011 in Birmingham and is composed of five members with Yemeni heritage. Their mission is to elevate Yemeni music and bring awareness to the rich musical traditions of the various regions of Yemen. All the band members come from different parts of Yemen, and the singer, oud, drums and percussion instruments accompany Mohamed Hassan to highlight rhythms in subtly expressive ways. The audience can look forward to a taste of live traditional Yemeni music.

Pagrav Dance Company, led by Urja Thakore

Pagrav means ‘the sound of feet’. Through the Indian classical dance form Kathak –which expresses stories through movement, especially footwork and facial gesture – we celebrate an ancient tradition and its potential to empower people and enhance lives.

Temoor Alam

Temoor Alam is a Milton Keynes local and singer of South Asian ghazals. He is inspired by Jagjeet Singh and Mehdi Hassan, who sing ghazals worldwide in concerts and charity events. A ghazal is originally an Arabic poem about love, longing, religious belief, and philosophical questions. They are often composed and sung by musicians of Iranian, Indian and Pakistani origin. The form originates from 17th Century Arabia but gained prominence in the 13th and 14th centuries with poets such as Rumi and Hafiz. With syntactically and grammatically complete couplets, the form also has an intricate rhyme scheme.

MK Music Hub + Members of the London Syrian Ensemble

MK Music Hub has been working with members of the London Syrian Orchestra to compose a new piece of music, which will be performed at Art in the Park in 2023. This was for young musicians to explore different musical cultures, combined with an opportunity to perform alongside the Syrian musicians they had been working closely with.

Milton Keynes Music Education Hub is an organisation led by Milton Keynes Council’s Music Faculty consisting of schools and key partners responsible for the music. The Hub ensures that all young people can receive excellent music education and have opportunities to develop their music skills through high-quality instrumental and vocal tuition and progressive wide-ranging musical experiences.

The London Syrian Ensemble is an influential collective of some of the Damascus Conservatoire’s finest musicians. Now in the UK, they mix traditional Middle Eastern instruments with violins, violas, double bass and percussion. The ensemble skilfully recreates 20th Century Syrian classics and modern-day music in the form of instrumental pieces, improvisations and songs.

Kinetika Bloco

The Kinetika Bloco is a performance group with an exuberant mix of young brass and woodwind players, drummers, steel pan and dynamic dancers all in costume, creating a “unique new British Carnival sound with a decidedly London edge” (BBC Radio 2). They draw influences from the Caribbean, Brazil, Africa and New Orleans. Performances have included Notting Hill Carnival, Bestival and London Jazz Festival; performing for Nelson Mandela, who called them ‘enchanting’ and representing the UK at Beijing Olympic Festival!

Kinetika Bloco’s mission is to get young people from South London engaged in long-term creative activity advancing their education, skills, and capacity. Through music, dance, design and leadership activities, they enable young people to have creative engagement, determine company policy and direction, and follow pathways for leadership and career development. Kinetika Bloco aims to embody and promote a positive representation of youth in London.

The Anatolia Music Group

MK Anatolian Music Club was founded in 2021 by Turkish music enthusiasts who live in Milton Keynes. It results from a new, thriving Turkish community in the city. They have eight permanent group members, with more joining for practices. They focus on classical Turkish music, Sufi and Mevlevi music, and Turkish folk music.

They welcome all interested in Turkish music to get in touch with them, no matter how much they know about it or their musical background, as they love to share their art and music culture with other communities.

Mercy

Wycombe Steel Orchestra

Wycombe Steel Orchestra is an orchestral experience established to nurture and train young musicians to be inspired players, encouraging them to perform to their highest abilities within a professional environment. An orchestra with vision, ambition and excellence serving the diverse and wide communities of Buckinghamshire with many collaborating ensembles from the School of Steelpan. With Wycombe Steel Orchestra, you can expect life-long friendships, leadership, tours, and artistic collaboration to bring a fresh musical experience to the heart of Buckinghamshire. Wycombe Steel Orchestra are available to perform or for steelpan taster workshops at private and corporate events.

CARNIVAL OF COLOURS PARADE

The Parade of Colours is a multi-cultural event celebrating the diverse cultural communities of Milton Keynes. The event is a walking parade with carnival performers, Kinetika Bloco leading the show. Outdoor arts specialists Route Canal has led workshops with 300 school children in Milton Keynes to design textile flags using sustainable and recycled fabrics, which will be waved loudly and proudly during the festival. Community groups will also attend in traditional dress to take over the streets.

The parade will start from ‘The Point’ at 14:00, move down Midsummer Boulevard, onto Avebury Boulevard, and arrive at Campbell Park, where Kinetika Bloco will perform onstage.

All images © Karen Kodish

WORKSHOPS IN THE ART VILLAGE

Saturday 13th May 2023

1:30 pm–6:30 pm • £4 per person per workshop

Abu Yahya, Modern Arabic Calligraphy

The Hurufiyya movement was an aesthetic movement that emerged in the late 20th Century among Arabian and North African artists. At this workshop, you will learn the modern technique of Arabic calligraphy in a fun and accessible way.

www.yahyaz.com

Shree Desai

All sessions are drop-in and open to all.

Join us to learn the art of block printing on paper and fabric! In this hands-on workshop, you can explore printing on various materials with textile designer and educator Shree Desai.

www.shreethreadart.com

Explore Geometric Patterns with Safira Ali

Recreate historical Islamic geometric patterns from architecture and illuminated manuscripts. Create the designs on a grid of equilateral triangles and colour a beautiful pattern page to take home.

www.safiraarts.com

BEYOND IDENTITY

This project focuses on teaching sustainable skills within textiles to the community of Milton Keynes and spreading awareness on processes destroying native habitats of plant species such as the ginkgo plant, used for dyeing wool and currently facing extinction, making it unavailable for future generations. The Beyond Identities project focuses on the conversation around culture, land and identity, informing craft as a sustainable practice in preserving and protecting our earth today.

Participants were introduced to Indigo, a plant-derived grain, for dyeing with Shibori techniques on linen. Woodblock printing was introduced for its notable historical significance as well as its versatile use in the world of craft. Experimental methods were used to dye and print natural linen with intricate and detailed patterns. Century-old archives featuring Islamic geometric and arabesque patterns inspired by plant forms informed the laser-cut woodblocks. Under the creative guidance and supervision of the textile artist Abeer Kayani, the group analysed and blocked printed elements of repetition, composition, and border patterns from the archives to large-scale wall hangings. Historic, decorative ornamental items from the 13th–18th Centuries,

such as Salor Main Carpet from Central Asia, Pierced Window Screen from India, Mihrab (Prayer Niche) and Silk Kashan Carpet from Iran, were used as visual references. These were curated to reflect the project ethos as well as the group.

Participants shared techniques, food and conversation, learning transferable skills with the potential for developing their textile projects. Despite language barriers, they reflected impressive independent visual communication skills by producing collaborative wall-hanging panels for the Art in the Park Festival

Produced by: Abeer Kayani

Presented by: Milton Keynes Islamic Arts and Culture

Supported by: Garfield Weston Foundation

TAYEB STORIES ON THE PLATE

Tayeb بيط Stories on the Plate is a project which has brought attention to the sisterhood and friendship among women of diverse communities. It identifies women’s significant roles, especially in refugee and migrant families, often overlooked and trivialised despite their keen capacity to excavate affectionate networks is often the fundamental force for making a new home and resilient survival.

At MK Gallery, the film, Tayeb بيط Stories on the Plate, was screened for the first time, offering a glimpse of the project. The film gently depicts the food preparation of a traditional dish, maklouba (meaning upsidedown) and gathering for eating and chatting, all happening in Waed’s kitchen. It also captures Waed’s testimony of fleeing from her home in Daraa, Syria and building a new home in Milton Keynes through her beautiful friendship with Caroline.

Produced by: Camilla Yavas and Youngsook Choi

Presented by: Milton Keynes Islamic Arts and Culture

Supported by: The National Lottery and Milton Keynes Gallery

acknowledgements

“We’re delighted to be able to help make this year’s Art in the Park bigger and better and part of the community celebrations for King Charles’s Coronation.”

Cllr Peter Marland, Leader Milton Keynes Council

“Taking part in the textile workshop, ‘Beyond Identity’, gave me and my friend a sense of belonging in MK, where we live, having difficulty leaving Afghanistan. These workshops helped me connect with our traditional craft work, which we enjoyed. Coming to the sessions has positively impacted our well-being and mental health.”

partners

MKIAC would like to thank the MKIAC team and ambassadors and the MKIAC Board for their support of Art in the Park

Project delivery: MKIAC

Brochure design: Inspiral Design

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Masooma Participant in Beyond Identity textile workshops

All images © Karen Kodish

globe www.mkiac.org

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