The challenge of launching a brand new international festival is not for the faint hearted, but in Milton Keynes anything is possible and magical things can – and do – happen.
Our vision is to create 10 extraordinary days that will use the city as a stage and showcase incredible artists and events that will surprise and delight, creating lifelong memories for you to cherish and share.
The programme includes a number of UK premieres and special commissions, top international events and performers, an artist in residence, large-scale productions, events taking place outdoors in public places, and visual and creative installations that invite you to experience music and sound in new ways.
Follow the Festival on: IF Tweets IF Facebook IF Flickr IF YouTube
We have dared to believe and to reflect the ambitious ‘can do’ attitude of those who live, work and play in Milton Keynes, as have the many supporters and partners that have made IF: Milton Keynes International Festival possible. Thanks go to our Creative Producer, Bill Gee and everyone involved in making our vision become a reality. Now it’s over to you to enjoy – have a great 10 days!
Monica Ferguson Festival Director & Chief Executive of The Stables
association with Milton Keynes Gallery
The World Famous with Terrafolk: Full Circle IF YOU WANT A SHOW FOR ALL THE FAMILY
Friday 16 July, 9.30pm Campbell Park FREE
The Festival opens with a bang!
Master pyrotechnics company The World Famous collaborate with Slovenian musicians Terrafolk to present Full Circle, a spectacular show for all the family with fire, fireworks, live music, and special lighting effects to take you on a dramatic and musical journey through the changing seasons.
Against the stunning backdrop of Campbell Park, a dramatic winter rages, but as the music gradually brings the garden to life, spring’s new growth blooms and bursts into a colourful summer party.
Why not reserve a good viewing space with no advance queueing so you can enjoy festivities right up to showtime? Golden Circle tickets are £10.
Sponsored by
Please note: A bar serving drinks will be on-site. Picnics cannot be accommodated in viewing areas, however the rest of the park is available. No BBQs or fires in the park.
Full Circle is an IN SITU show. IN SITU, European network for artistic creation in public areas, has been financed with the support of the European Commission (Culture 2000 programme). Full Circle was commissioned by Big In Falkirk and In Situ and co-commissioned by Without Walls.
Tickets £6, Under 16s £5 (accompanied by an adult)
Family of 4 (max 2 adults) £20
10% off for groups of 20+ when booked in advance
Walk inside a luminarium... a monumental inflatable sculpture that immerses the visitor in a welcoming multisensory world of sound, liquid light and vivid colour.
With its inspiring domes and labyrinthine interlocking tunnels, Mirazozo is inspired by the pure forms of geometry, Islamic architecture, Gothic cathedrals and modern architectural innovators. The sculpture features a huge central dome making this the largest open space structure ever built by Architects of Air.
Please note that Mirazozo has a maximum capacity of 80 visitors at any one time. There is no time restriction on how long you stay in the structure, though we suggest a maximum of 20 minutes, thereby allowing other visitors to enter. Ticket holders are entitled to a single admission on the specified date. Please note that you may have to wait a short time before entrance is possible at busy periods. Last admission at 6.30pm. Mirazozo is accessible for wheelchair users.
IF YOU THOUGHT ALL CAROUSELS WERE ROUND
The Magical Menagerie
Friday 16 July – Sunday 8 August
12noon – 8pm daily (Closed 26 July and 2 August)
The Point Car Park, next to thecentre:mk
Weekdays: From £3, family and school tickets available
Weekends: From £4, family tickets available
Sky Sundays: 2 for 1 tickets on 18 July and 1 August
Avoid booking fees by phone or in person
Please visit www.ifmiltonkeynes.org for full details
Take a voyage into a fairytale world on The Magical Menagerie (originally called Le Manège Carré Sénart) a huge, square carousel, as tall as a house and populated by all manner of strange mechanical creatures that can be operated by their riders, from gigantic buffalo to exotic fish and brightly-coloured insects.
Jump on board for an enchanting ride for children of ages!
Produced by creative company Artichoke in partnership with Sky Arts, this incredible creation is the work of the extraordinary artist-cum-engineer François Delarozière and his company La Machine, creators of The Sultan’s Elephant in 2006, and the astonishing giant spider La Princesse in Liverpool in 2008.
Rides last approximately 5 minutes. Each child under 7 must be accompanied by an adult on the ride.
by In partnership with UK Premiere
Produced
Artichoke’s Helen Marriage and Nicky Webb discuss The Magical Menagerie on Monday 19 July. See page 48.
IF YOU WANT A GIG WITH A DIFFERENCE
UK Premiere
Presented in association with The Stables Evelyn Glennie and Fred Frith: Late Night Lounge
Friday 16 July, 11pm
The City Church, Saxon Gate West
Tickets £20 Floor Space, £25 Seated
A fundraising concert in aid of Wavendon Allmusic Plan Ltd
Lay down, and let the world’s first full-time solo percussionist, Dame Evelyn Glennie, and New York-based guitarist and multi-instrumentalist Fred Frith take you on an amazing journey of sound and light.
Evelyn has worked with some of the world’s leading orchestras and artists including Bjork, Sting and Bela Fleck, and Fred Frith composes for dance, film and theatre. Together they will transport you to new music horizons under the magnificent dome of The City Church, which will be illuminated with projections and live visuals from Little Lumo to amplify the ambient sounds of this unique collaboration.
We suggest you bring a cushion or yoga-style mat to recline on if you buy a Floor Space ticket!
Evelyn Glennie will discuss her work on Thursday 22 July as part of the Talking Shop Series. See page 49.
Box Office: 01908 280800
IF YOU THINK THE CAR IS THE STAR...
New Commission: UK Premiere
Janek Schaefer: Asleep at the wheel...
Friday 16 – Sunday 25 July
12noon – 8pm, until 10pm on Thursday Old Sainsbury’s Store, Avebury Boulevard FREE
Asleep at the wheel… is a thought-provoking and immersive sound installation for multiple car radios that contemplates our future. Exhibited in a vast disused supermarket, threelanes of cars dissect the darkened interior, as multiple hazard lights illuminate the space, revealing the end of the road for our consumer driven daydream.
You are invited to be a passenger in the back seats, as a collage of moving music and media sound-bites broadcast to the in-car sound systems. Alongside the installation, a resource area encourages you to explore positive ways to improve our future together.
“Society's pedal to the metal attitude to our world is not sustainable and is running out of road. We need to change gear, before we overtake ourselves...”
Janek Schaefer
Supported by THE WAVENDON FOUNDATION
Janek Schaefer is a leading international sound artist, and in 2008 was The British Composer of the Year in Sonic Art. He is Artist in Residence for IF.
Janek discusses his work on Friday 16 July (page 48) and also presents Lucky Dip Disco on Saturday 24 July (page 45).
Office: 01908 280800
IF YOU WANT A BREATHTAKING SHOW
UK Premiere inStallation
Saturday 17 – Saturday 24 July
(no show Monday 19 July)
6.00pm weekends, 7.30pm weekdays
The Big Top in Campbell Park
£22.50, Under 16s £18.50, Family of 4 (max 2 adults)
£74
£1 off first performance (17 July) if booked in advance
10% off for groups of 20+ if booked in advance
Moving, romantic and memorable encounters are told through a kaleidoscope of astonishing and daring circus artistry, drama, dance, live music and equestrian art in this incredible Swiss theatrical production.
Visually rich and of the highest quality, inStallation brings together a troupe of extraordinary acrobatic performers, four beautiful white horses and three musicians. A circus ring with sawdust, large baroque chandeliers and a concert grand piano are the only real props in which a very special universe unfolds...
It becomes a meeting place where stories develop on the dance floor high up in the air, alone, in pairs, a group, on a high wire or in dialogue and performance with the horses. Utterly mesmerising.
“Extraordinarily beautiful and breathtaking”
Sponsored by inStallation is brought to the UK with the assistance of
IF YOU LIKE DANCING IN THE MOONLIGHT
Akademi: Sufi: Zen
Saturday 17 and Sunday 18 July 10pm both days
Campbell Park FREE
As darkness falls, indulge your senses with a twilight performance from pioneering South Asian dance company Akademi, presenting modern perspectives on traditional dance forms.
An intimate dance experience in the stunning setting of Campbell Park unites the stillness of Zen meditation with the intensity and rapturous motion of Sufi dervishes –all enhanced by atmospheric lighting and firelight.
Evoking a world of contracts in a cultural landscape that extends from Persia to Japan, Sufi:Zen merges multiple dance styles, including North Indian kathak, contemporary and ballet. Connecting audiences with global cultures, this is a truly memorable performance which promises to both enlighten and inspire.
Sufi:Zen is choreographed by Gauri Sharma Tripathi with the support of Jonathan Lunn and Mavin Khoo. Music score by Shrikanth Sriram.
Commissioned by Without Walls and Lakes Alive supported by Lanternhouse
IF YOU WANT TO SEE THE WORLD FROM A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE
Graeae in association with Strange Fruit: Against The Tide
Friday 23 July, 1pm and 6pm Saturday 24 July, 1pm and 4.30pm Sunday 25 July, 1pm and 4pm (The World Picnic) Campbell Park FREE
Imagine an island separated from the world by a vast sandy desert. The tribe that survives there has almost forgotten what water is, and every day they tell stories of the ocean that surrounded them, hoping they might encourage it to flow back.
Aerial performances atop 4 metre high bendy sway poles, a haunting soundscape, storytelling and sign language interpretation create a bitter-sweet, moving tale set in a near future we can far too easily imagine.
Against The Tide is a collaboration between disabled-led UK theatre company Graeae and Australian performing arts company Strange Fruit.
Each show has live Audio Description and is signed using British Sign Language (BSL).
Supported by
Against the Tide was originally commissioned and premiered by Greenwich & Docklands International Festival in June 2009. Supported by Circus Space.
IF YOU LIKE DINING OUT
IF at The World Picnic
Sunday 25 July, 1pm – 6pm, Campbell Park FREE
Come dine with us and bring your family and friends... Join in with workshops, fun activities or just sit back with your picnic and enjoy the entertainment!
Throughout the afternoon some of the best local cross-cultural music and dance talent will feature on the outdoor amphitheatre stage, as well as a series of events presented in the Park by the Festival:
Miche Fabre Lewin: 'Cum Panis' (Together with bread) From 1pm, Bread Breaking Ritual at 4pm
A celebration of the importance of bread in different cultures Commissioned by IF: Milton Keynes International Festival
Graeae with Strangefruit: Against The Tide, 1pm & 4pm
A dramatic telling of a bitter-sweet tale set in a near future... Also see pages 18 and 19 for more details
Hoodwink: ‘Gastronomic’, 2pm and 5pm
An elaborate theatrical feast full of visual delight and strange invention, with exploding food and runaway puddings!
Festive Road – Brewing Up, 2.30pm
The nation’s favourite drink gets the Festive Road treatment –a giant kettle, musicians and a tea-tastic performance! Also see page 27
Rendezvous Music, 4.30pm
A preview of the anthemic Fanfare For The World composed by music maestro Fraser Trainer with the help of MK Dons supporters
IF YOU HAVE A PASSION FOR ALL THINGS RETRO
Axial Dance: Lance and Brenda
Friday 16 and Saturday 17 July
12noon and 1.30pm, The Hub – both days Midsummer Place (outside):
Friday 16 July, 5pm and 6pm, Saturday 17 July, 4pm and 5pm,
Lance and Brenda – a pop-tastic dance duet – bring the swinging ‘60s to Milton Keynes as they sweep into town on an iconic and very cool 1963 Lambretta.
Catch them if you can as they express their passion for one another through vibrant dance routines to fabalicious tunes before they hop back on their scooter and cruise on to another destination, all loved up...
The brilliantly inventive Axial Dance present dancers Giorgio De Carollis and Debbie Milner as Lance and Brenda.
New Commission: UK Premiere
Dancing Brick: Spinning IF YOU’VE EVER FALLEN IN LOVE
present a moving and humorous tale about a young woman who sees a man at a traffic light. Before they can speak, the lights turn green and he is gone.
Enraptured, she pedals on and on in earnest search, until having cycled the world over, she is back where she started...
Please note this is a short piece that is repeated within the times given. Commissioned by IF, and featuring Valentina Ceschi and Thomas Eccleshare with puppets designed by Serge Seidlitz.
Box Office: 01908 280800 www.ifmiltonkeynes.org
IF YOU’D LIKE AN INSPIRATIONAL JOURNEY
Metro Boulot Dodo: Whispers From A Rickshaw
Wednesday 21 – Friday 23 July
12 noon – 5pm from Midsummer Place (outside)
Take a ride in the Whispers Rickshaw...
As you spin through the city streets, put on the headphones and immerse yourself in a world where secret pockets hide intriguing objects and classical Chinese music, low-fi electronica, new technology and story-telling all intermingle to create a fun, thoughtful and inspirational ride.
The Rickshaw takes 2 people at a time, and will run continuously, with rides approximately every 10 minutes from 12 noon – 5pm on each of the 3 days.
IF YOU LOVE THE BEAUTIFUL GAME
Srishti:Bend It Nina Rajarani Dance Creations
Thursday 22 July
“Fast and skillful footwork, leaps and bounds –all executed with Beckhamlike agility and vigour.” Dancing Times
1pm and 5pm, Midsummer Place (outside)
A mind-blowing collision between football and the classical Indian dance form Bharatanatyam, that trades on all the drama and theatre of ‘the beautiful game’.
A match like no other, Bend It comes complete with intricate footwork, fouls, injuries, slow motion replays, sending offs – and that heart-stopping ultimate goal in the quest for Premiership glory.
IF YOU THOUGHT A BIKE WAS JUST FOR CYCLING
Kompani Malakhi: Rotations
Friday 23 July
12.30pm, 1.30pm and 5.00pm, Midsummer Place (outside)
Combining the extreme urban sport of BMX Flatland with breakdancing, parkour (free-running) and contemporary dance, Rotations twists and turns in an intricate and elegant game of rumours and whispers.
Powerful and enlightening, this is a gritty-yet-graceful cutting edge exploration of cause and effect that celebrates art and sport leading up to the 2012 Cultural Olympiad.
Simply awesome.
IF YOU LIKE THE NATION’S FAVOURITE DRINK
Festive Road: Brewing Up
Friday 23 July
4pm, Midsummer Place (outside)
Carnival arts company Festive Road invite you to participate in Brewing Up, a tea-tastic challenge for the people of Milton Keynes. How many people will it take to bring their giant Musical Kettle to the boil?
See Festive Road at The World Picnic on Sunday 25 July. See page 21
There will also be a performing tea set, street bands, dancing, music and an entertaining look at the nation’s great tea drinking obsession. So come along, help get the kettle on and let’s bring 2010 to the boil – we need as many people involved as possible!
Brewing Up is one of many Open Weekend events being held across the UK to celebrate London 2012.
IF YOU’RE LOOKING FOR CLUES
Stopgap Dance Company: Tracking
Saturday 24 and Sunday 25 July
FREE
1pm and 4pm, The Hub – both days
Are the people around you really who they say they are?
Complete with super sleuths, secret agents and Cluedostyle clues, Tracking is a tale of mystery and intrigue told through dance, and inspired by ‘70s spy dramas, retro glamour, 007 and iconic villains. As the story comes to a climax, the dancers disperse back into the watching crowd, blending in to become undetectable to the enemy...
Stopgap is an integrated professional dance company, which has dancers with and without disabilities.
PUT YOUR HANDS IN THE AIR IF YOU WANT TO TAKE PART
Roger Bernat: Domini PÚblic (Public Domain)
Monday 19 July, 6.30pm
“Roger Bernat is one of the most exciting theatre- makers of the moment.”
El País
The Hub, £5 to participate with headphones
Developed in the streets of Barcelona, Domini Públic is dubbed ‘the biggest play in the world’.
Arrive and pay on the day to collect your headphones. Event recommended for ages 15+
The headphone-wearing audience, on hearing questions and instructions , will move in unison around the The Hub’s central square. Gradually the questions help cast the audience in roles such as as demonstrators, bystanders or first aiders with results that are sometimes humorous, personal or significant. This is not about turning the spectator into an actor, but about bringing people together in an ultimately touching way.
A large-scale choreographic event that has been presented in cities from Montreal to Helsinki. Fascinating to watch –even more fascinating to take part in.
“The experience captures what it is to escape from the world for a little bit – and then to return and find that you see things just a bit differently.”
The Londonist
AS IF IT WERE THE LAST TIME
Subtlemob: As If It Were The Last Time
Saturday 17 – Saturday 24 July
FREE
Midsummer Place (inside)
Saturday 17 and Sunday 18 July, 3pm both days
Thursday 22 July, 6.30pm, Saturday 24 July, 3pm
Subtlemob invites you to put on headphones, listen to an MP3 and immerse yourself in the cinema of everyday life – like walking through a film, but it’s happening on the streets you live and work in.
To take part go to www.subtlemob. com/miltonkeynes and download Subtlemob’s MP3 track. Sign up and instructions will be e-mailed to you
An engaging soundtrack, narration and instructions will guide you, encouraging you to make connections between people and places, savour the world you live in and see it with fresh eyes.
Behind Subtlemob is artist Duncan Speakman whose work explores how we interact with sound and public spaces.
IF YOU WANT TO BE AT THE HEART OF IT
Festival Central, Campbell Park
As host to a myriad of outdoor events and temporary venues throughout the 10 days of the Festival, Campbell Park becomes Festival Central – the beating heart of the Festival.
So whether you’re going to a show in The Big Top, The Spiegeltent or to enjoy outdoor performances, the Festival Bar and its live music programme, food tents and picnic areas make Festival Central the place to meet with friends, audiences, artists and performers.
Festival Central is open from 12 noon at weekends, and from 5.30pm on weekdays.
A Campbell Park location map and information is on page 57
The Spiegeltent, Campbell Park
IMAGINE IF YOU HAD A TABLE LIKE THIS!
Karbido: The Table
A Spiegeltent was the domain of night owls, heartbreakers and dream chasers...
Spiegeltents (mirror tents) were developed in Belgium in the early 1900s as travelling dance halls and were beautifully constructed with wood, stained glass and mirrors. The Victoria Spiegeltent features at this year’s Festival, and has an incredibly luxurious feel and finish, creating a truly memorable setting.
Programmed by The Stables, and located in Campbell Park, the Spiegeltent is the lively hub of Festival Central, with accompanying bar and food outlets nearby.
The Spiegeltent programme is listed on pages 33 - 47.
“An electrifying acoustic journey around the globe... an inspired DIY concert. Superb.” The Independent
Friday 16 July 7.30pm Saturday 17 July, 2.30pm and 7.30pm
The Spiegeltent, Campbell Park
Tickets £12.50, Under 16’s £10
Family of 4 (max 2 adults) £40
The lights go down. Four men dressed in black emerge to sit around a table as if about to play a game of poker.
But this is a table with a difference - it’s a musical instrument, with guitar fretboards, flutes, a didgeridoo and ultra-sensitive microphone pickups that Poland’s Karbido play with sticks, bows, knives, their hands and a mixing desk. A mind-blowing musical journey to the four corners of the world. Box Office: 01908 280800 www.ifmiltonkeynes.org
IF YOU CAN'T RESIST A GOOD STORY
Hetain Patel: Ten
Sunday 18 July, 2pm
A beautifully made piece that skilfully entwines dance, sound and personal storytelling
The Spiegeltent, Campbell Park
Tickets £10
Rooted in a personal exploration of the rich spectrum between British and Indian identities, Ten combines dance, live music and the spoken word. Three men make this cultural journey, brought together by the contagious rhythm of an ancient Indian ten-beat time cycle.
Critically acclaimed artist Hetain Patel’s seductively physical performance is peppered with wit and humour.
Devised in collaboration with Nottingham-based writer Michael Pinchbeck and Indian tabla player Hiren Chate of theatre company, Complicite.
Save £5! Buy a ticket for both Ten and Flam for £15
IF YOU LIKE THINGS A LITTLE BIT QUIRKY
Flam: Rebecca Askew & Melanie Pappenheim
Sunday 18 July, 4.30pm
“Quite brilliant... Witty, touching and virtuosic, Flam is a little gem”
Sunday Telegraph
The Spiegeltent, Campbell Park Tickets £10
Rebecca and Melanie will perform at MK Hospital on Monday 19 July in association with MK Arts for Health
Two women meet for coffee...they greet each other and sing together, sharing new gossip and old banter, needling and supporting each other. The language is at once familiar and yet strange. They take off their coats. They are wearing the same clothes!
Flam is a unique piece of music theatre, showcasing the extraordinary vocal talents and physical skills of Melanie Pappenheim and jazz singer Rebecca Askew who between them bring experience from The Royal Opera House and Dr Who to Martin Scorsese’s Gangs of New York.
“As close as it gets to a guaranteed good show.”
Scotland On Sunday
IF YOU LIKE QUICKFIRE COMEDY
Rich Hall
Sunday 18 July, 8pm
SORRY SOLDOUT!
The Spiegeltent, Campbell Park
Tickets £15
Looking like a rather grumpy Pearl Jam roadie, Rich is a master of absurdist irony.
A regular stand-up at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, major comedy clubs in Britain and across the world, Rich’s TV work includes Rich Hall’s Cattle Drive (BBC4), Rich Hall’s Fishing Show (BBC4) and numerous appearances on BBC2 panel show QI, hosted by Stephen Fry. More recently he was a highlight of Channel 4’s epic Comedy Gala.
Missed out on Rich Hall tickets? Try Comedy with inTent on Tuesday 20 July (page 39)
IF YOU WANT MUSIC MADE IN ENGLAND
Show of Hands with Miranda Sykes
Monday 19 July, 8pm
“One of the great English bands.”
Peter Gabriel
The Spiegeltent, Campbell Park
Tickets £20
Widely acknowledged as the finest acoustic roots duo in England, songwriter Steve Knightley and multiinstrumentalist Phil Beer’s genre defying mix of rock, roots, blues, country and traditional music is played on an array of instruments from slide guitar to fiddle, mandolin to South American cuatro.
Steve and Phil will be accompanied by the remarkable double bass player and vocalist Miranda Sykes.
Show of Hands are double award-winners at the 2010 BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards for Best Duo and Best Original Song.
“Their on-stage music-making and theatricality is irresistible.”
The Scotsman
IF YOU CRAVE A FANFARE OF EUPHORIC FUN
Orkestra del Sol’s Top Trumps
Tuesday 20 July, 8pm
The Spiegeltent, Campbell Park
Tickets £12 Standing event with limited seating available
IF YOU LIKE YOUR COMEDY RED HOT
Comedy with inTent:
Pete
Firman,
Alexis Dubus, Vikki Stone and Zoe Lyons
Tuesday 20 July, 10pm
The Spiegeltent, Campbell Park, Tickets £10
The Orchestra will perform at Midsummer Place on Tuesday 20 July at 1pm, and also at MK Hospital in association with MK Arts for Health
Bursting with anarchic humour, wildly skillful arrangements and a roguish sense of theatre, this explosive reinvention of the brass band format is packed with soaring horn lines, mournful melodies, rolling Middle Eastern rhythms, virtuoso trumpet solos and New Orleans sass.
But who will emerge as Top Trump? Join the Orkestra in a frenzy of high-speed riffs, ridiculous musical challenges, one-upmanship and brass bravado the like of which has not been witnessed since the Top Trumps craze of 1980!
Comedian-magician Pete Firman brings clever, twisted and anarchic magic to the Spiegeltent, whilst Alexis Dubus’ character Marcel Lucont is a supremely arrogant, hilarious take on the British tradition of anti-French gags...
Ukulele-wielding Vikki Stone presents her witty parodies and musical stylings, in contrast to zesty Zoe Lyons’ brilliantly acerbic, personality-packed rapid one-liners and razor sharp observations.
A cracking late night comedy line-up not for the fainthearted!
Box Office: 01908 280800 www.ifmiltonkeynes.org
“There are no sheep on stage. That’s how bad we are.”
Adrian Edmondson
THE SPIEGELTENT CAMPBELL PARK
IF YOU LIKE MUSIC WITH ATTITUDE
Adrian Edmondson & The Bad Shepherds
Wednesday 21 July, 8pm
The Spiegeltent, Campbell Park
Tickets £16.50
The Bad Shepherds - Adrian Edmondson, Troy Donockley and Andy Dinan - play punk songs on folk instruments.
They’ve mostly created a Celtic feel and stuck in the odd reel and jig because they’ve always thought the excitement of a reel taking off is the nearest thing to the thrill of watching live punk back in the ‘70s!
Get ready for songs by The Sex Pistols, The Clash, The Stranglers, The Jam, Sham 69, The Undertones, The Ramones, The Buzzcocks, The Specials, Talking Heads...
THE SPIEGELTENT CAMPBELL PARK
IF YOU LIKE CABARET WITH A TWIST
Frisky & Mannish’s School of Pop
Wednesday 21 July, 10pm
“Pure exhilarating brilliance from start to finish. An utter blast.”
Chortle
The Spiegeltent, Campbell Park
Tickets £10
School is in session and supernova pop in skin-tight jeans with added sequins is on the syllabus.
Soon you’ll know your Kate Bush from your Kate Nash, your D-I-S-C-O from your D-I-V-O-R-C-E, and your Eternal Flame from your That’s Not My Name...
Frisky, a fabulous chanteuse, and music maestro Mannish will twist and shout you through fifty years of pop with astonishing musical skill and a deathdefying lack of restraint. Irresistibly impressive and extremely funny.
Box Office: 01908 280800 www.ifmiltonkeynes.org
“One of the country’s greatest live outfits. They should be a source of national pride.”
The Daily Mirror
IF YOU WANT TO DANCE YOUR SOCKS OFF!
Bellowhead
Thursday 22 July, 7.45pm
The Spiegeltent, Campbell Park
Tickets £25 Standing event with limited seating available
The rousing, sharp-suited Bellowhead are a multitalented group of musicians playing a plethora of styles from around the world – big band, soul, jazz-funk, classical strings with a unique sensitivity to English traditional music.
With Best Live Band for a 4th time at the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards and Jon Boden voted Folk Singer of the Year, it’s already quite some 2010 – plus their next new album will be produced by the legendary John Leckie (Stone Roses, Radiohead, Buzzcocks) at Abbey Road studios...
The Boy With Tape On His Face IF YOU LIKE A CLEVER GAG
Thursday 22 July, 10pm
“Wonderfully random and playful.”
Australian Stage Online
The Spiegeltent, Campbell Park
Tickets £10
Combine the sheer absurdity of Vic Reeves with the deft physical intonation of Hugh Laurie and the genius of Charlie Chaplin and you have Sam Wills: The Boy with Tape on His Face.
Wills holds his audience spellbound, leaving them enraptured by each hilarious, unpredictable manoeuvre. Drawing on silent film, magic, Motown and the films of Patrick Swayze, he creates a world of possibilities where shoes sing, empty dresses dance, life is an adventure and the only certainty is laughter.
www.ifmiltonkeynes.org
“Go into the record store and look under jazz, world music, acoustic music, or maybe just 'genius'.”
The Observer
IF YOU WANT TO GO GLOBAL
Antonio Forcione & Adriano Adewale
Friday 23 July, 8pm
The Spiegeltent, Campbell Park
Tickets £14
Guitar virtuoso Antonio Forcione joins forces with dynamic Brazilian percussionist Adriano Adewale to create passionate, original world-class world music.
Antonio breaks the mould of conventional guitar sounds be it jazz, Spanish, African, Italian, Brazilian or improvised music. To hear his soulful, jazzy, flamenco-tinged melodies masterfully blended with Adriano’s African and Latin rhythms is an unforgettable musical experience.
IF YOU DIG A DISCO WITH A DIFFERENCE
Lucky Dip Disco for Under 7s With DJ Dedication
Saturday 24 July, 2pm
The Spiegeltent, Campbell Park
Tickets £5 Standing event with limited seating available
DJ Dedication – aka Janek Schaefer – brings classic 7" records from the 1930s onwards so that children can choose, handle and play the vinyls, discovering classic disco, retro pop, funky groove, electronic dance, nostalgic children’s classics and some eccentricities.
See Janek Schaefer’s installation ‘Asleep at the wheel . . .’ on pages 12 and 13
Add disco lights, a bubble machine and stylish young disco-ers, and you have the perfect pop event.
Children must be accompanied – up to 2 adults per child. Tickets for adults are free.
THE SPIEGELTENT CAMPBELL PARK
IF YOU LIKE EXUBERANT RHYTHMS
Sierra Maestra
Saturday 24 July, 7.45pm
“Intoxicatingly rhythmic and gloriously romantic with an ever-present sense of joy.”
BBC Music
The Spiegeltent, Campbell Park
Tickets £16 Standing event with limited seating available
Legendary Cuban band Sierra Maestra remain a vital force with their authentic blend of 1920s 'son' music, Spanish guitar sounds, African rhythms and stinging brass, delivered with flair and guile to create a feisty musical mix that’s great for dancing and romancing.
Regular, uplifting blasts of trumpet and infectious percussion are guaranteed to keep the feet tapping –dig out your salsa shoes!
Dance the night away – and save £6! Buy a ticket for both Sierra Maestra and Rock a Hula! for £20
THE SPIEGELTENT CAMPBELL PARK
Rock a Hula! IT DON’T MEAN A THING IF IT AIN’T GOT THAT SWING!
Saturday 24 July, 10pm
“One of the biggest parties we’ve seen.”
Time Out London
The Spiegeltent, Campbell Park
Tickets £10 Standing event with limited seating available
“A standout 1950s night.”
The Times
Jump right back to the 1950s with this award-winning rock‘n’roll, hula hooping and swing dancing event, featuring star hula hooper Miss Constance Irkles and her star team of swing dancers – on hand to guide you through the steps and also show you how it’s really done.
So brush down that retro dress, dust off that sharp suit and blue suede shoes, channel the spirit of a glamorous ‘50s starlet or dapper brylcreemed icon and dance the night away with Lady Kamikaze, one of the UK’s top vintage DJs spinning the discs.
IF YOU WANT TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT IF
IF Talking Shop
Friday 16 – Thursday 22 July
1pm – 2pm University Centre Milton Keynes
A series of talks and discussions featuring key Festival artists and producers, presented in association with University Centre Milton Keynes. The sessions will be broadcast to the internetvisit www.ifmiltonkeynes.org for broadcast details.
Talks are free to attend. Please book a place online or through the Box Office
Making the New
IF Artist in Residence: Janek Schaefer
Friday 16 July
The Festival’s artist in residence and sonic artist Janek Schaefer will discuss the inspiration and process for creating his new commission for IF, Asleep at the wheel... an installation revealing our necessity for a cultural revolution towards global sustainability.
A Magical Journey
Artichoke’s Helen Marriage and Nicky Webb
Monday 19 July
Creative company Artichoke discuss The Magical Menagerie with French colleagues - the story of its being commissioned from François Delarozière and La Machine by the new town Sénart just outside Paris, and then how it was brought to Milton Keynes for its UK debut as part of IF.
www.ifmiltonkeynes.org
IF YOU HAVE BURNING QUESTIONS
inStallation
A Collective Creation
Tuesday 20 July
The inStallation collective discuss their unique performance work, being brought together by chance at a shared rehearsal space at the winter quarters of Circus Monti near Wohlen in Switzerland, and the alchemy of their diverse talents they bring to the creative whole.
Festival Making
Bill Gee, Creative Producer for IF
Wednesday 21 July
A review of the past hectic months and the challenge of putting together a new festival, finding inspiration in a new city, experiencing artistic adventures in unusual locations and working with an established venue stepping out into the public realm for the first time.
Evelyn Glennie in Conversation with Monica Ferguson, Festival Director
Thursday 22 July
World-acclaimed solo percussionist, motivator, composer and educationalist Dame Evelyn Glennie shares excerpts from her film Touch The Sound, and engages in conversation and Q&A. She collaborates on Late Night Lounge with improviser and guitarist Fred Frith at IF.
FringeMK 2010
Tuesday 6 July – Tuesday 21 December
FringeMK launches its 2010 Urban Games programme this July, including digital and performance work, anamorphic (special effect) and 3D pavement art as well as painted commissions.
Events are in Midsummer Place, thecentre:mk and at locations in Central Milton Keynes
For full details visit www.fringemk.com
Magic IF: Stanislavski Workshop
Saturday 17 July, 11am – 5pm
For adults aged 18+. £45 per place
A workshop day intensive in the Stanislavski professional actor training system that offers the opportunity to explore the themes, and apply the practical techniques which form the basis of actor training in Western Theatre practice. The workshop will start with exercises in focus, concentration, and engaging the imagination and then progress into text work, acknowledging key aspects of the system including given circumstances, creative objectives, units and beats, transitive verbs and emotion memory.
For information and to book please contact: 01908 547651 or 01908 547606
e-mail: creativelearningmkt@theambassadors.com
Website: www.ambassadortickets.com/miltonkeynes
Milton Keynes Theatre, Marlborough Gate, MK9 3NZ
THE THE THINGS IS (FOR 3)
Friday 9 July – Sunday 12 September
Milton Keynes Gallery presents a major solo exhibition of work by a London-based artist who emerged in the early 1990s. Working with sound, performance, sculpture, collage and photography, the artist creates narratives or systems which are played out in the form of installations, interventions and live events.
Over the last 42 years, Milton Keynes has developed an excellent reputation for Public Art development, with over 220 Public Artworks across the city. To find out more, pick up an Arts Guide from the shopping centre, library or MK Gallery, or download one from: www.milton-keynes.gov.uk/artsguide
The guide contains a fold-out Artwalks map to take you round many public artworks in Central Milton Keynes. You can join the walks at any point, though the guide starts and ends at Milton Keynes Theatre.
Milton Keynes Council is actively commissioning artists to respond to the city as it grows: www.milton-keynes.gov.uk/arts
www.ifmiltonkeynes.org
Box Office: 01908 280800
IF CALENDAR OF EVENTS
Information is correct at time of going to press. Should bad weather affect the staging of outdoor events, indoor venues will be used as much as possible. Key Festival locations are shown on the maps on pages 56 and 57 Please visit www.ifmiltonkeynes.org for interactive maps, further details and updates
Friday 16 July
11am - 7pm Architects of Air: Mirazozo Station Square
12noon - 8pm The Magical Menagerie The Point car park
12noon - 8pm Janek Schaefer: Asleep at the wheel Old Sainsburys Store
12noon Axial Dance: Lance and Brenda The Hub
1pm - 2pm IF Talking Shop: Janek Schaefer University Centre
1.30pm Axial Dance: Lance and Brenda The Hub
5pm Axial Dance: Lance and Brenda Midsummer Place - outside
6pm Axial Dance: Lance and Brenda Midsummer Place - outside
7.30pm Karbido: The Table Spiegeltent, Campbell Park
9.30pm The World Famous: Full Circle Campbell Park 11pm Evelyn Glennie and Fred Frith The City Church
Saturday 17 July
11am - 7pm Architects of Air: Mirazozo Station Square
12noon - 8pm The Magical Menagerie The Point car park
12noon - 8pm Janek Schaefer: Asleep at the wheel Old Sainsburys Store
12noon Axial Dance: Lance and Brenda The Hub
1.30pm Axial Dance: Lance and Brenda The Hub
1.30pm - 2.30pm Dancing Brick: Spinning Campbell Park
2.30pm Karbido: The Table Spiegeltent, Campbell Park
3pm Subtlemob: As If It Were The Last Time Midsummer Place - inside
3.30pm - 6pm Dancing Brick: Spinning Campbell Park
4pm Axial Dance: Lance and Brenda Midsummer Place - outside
5pm Axial Dance: Lance and Brenda Midsummer Place - outside
6pm inStallation Big Top, Campbell Park
7.30pm Karbido: The Table Spiegeltent, Campbell Park
10pm Akademi: Sufi Zen Campbell Park
Sunday 18 July
IF CALENDAR OF EVENTS
11am - 7pm Architects of Air: Mirazozo Station Square
12noon - 8pm The Magical Menagerie The Point car park
12noon - 8pm Janek Schaefer: Asleep at the wheel Old Sainsburys Store
1pm - 2pm Dancing Brick: Spinning Campbell Park
2pm Hetain Patel: Ten Spiegeltent, Campbell Park
3pm Subtlemob: As If It Were The Last Time Midsummer Place - inside
3pm - 4.30pm Dancing Brick: Spinning Campbell Park
4.30pm Flam: Pappenheim & Askew Spiegeltent, Campbell Park
6pm inStallation Big Top, Campbell Park
8pm Rich Hall Spiegeltent, Campbell Park
10pm Akademi: Sufi Zen Campbell Park
Monday 19 July
12noon - 8pm The Magical Menagerie The Point car park
12noon - 8pm Janek Schaefer: Asleep at the wheel Old Sainsburys TBC
12noon -2pm Dancing Brick: Spinning Midsummer Place - outside
1pm - 2pm IF Talking Shop: Artichoke University Centre
1pm - 7pm Architects of Air: Mirazozo Station Square
4pm - 6pm Dancing Brick: Spinning Midsummer Place - outside
6.30pm Roger Bernat: Domini Públic The Hub
8pm Show of Hands with Miranda Sykes Spiegeltent, Campbell Park
Tuesday 20 July
12noon - 8pm The Magical Menagerie The Point car park
12noon - 8pm Janek Schaefer: Asleep at the wheel Old Sainsburys TBC
1pm - 2pm IF Talking Shop: inStallation University Centre
1pm - 7pm Architects of Air: Mirazozo Station Square
1pm Orkestra del Sol Midsummer Place - outside
7.30pm inStallation Big Top, Campbell Park
8pm Orkestra del Sol Spiegeltent, Campbell Park 10pm Comedy With inTent Spiegeltent, Campbell Park
Box Office: 01908 280800 www.ifmiltonkeynes.org
Wednesday 21 July
12noon - 8pm The Magical Menagerie The Point car park
12noon - 8pm Janek Schaefer: Asleep at the wheel Old Sainsburys Store
12noon - 2pm Dancing Brick: Spinning The Hub
12 noon - 5pm Metro Boulot Dodo:Whispers Rickshaw Midsummer Place - outside
1pm - 2pm IF Talking Shop: Bill Gee University Centre
1pm - 7pm Architects of Air: Mirazozo Station Square
5pm - 7pm Dancing Brick: Spinning The Hub
7.30pm inStallation Big Top, Campbell Park
8pm Ade Edmonson & the Bad Sheperds Spiegeltent, Campbell Park
10pm Frisky & Mannish: School of Pop Spiegeltent, Campbell Park
Thursday 22 July
12noon - 8pm The Magical Menagerie The Point car park
12noon - 10pm Janek Schaefer: Asleep at the wheel Old Sainsburys Store
12 noon - 5pm Metro Boulot Dodo:Whispers Rickshaw Midsummer Place - outside
1pm - 2pm IF Talking Shop: Evelyn Glennie University Centre
1pm - 7pm Architects of Air: Mirazozo Station Square
1pm Srishti: Bend It Midsummer Place - outside 1.30pm - 3.30pm Dancing Brick: Spinning Midsummer Place - outside
5pm Srishti: Bend It Midsummer Place - outside
5.30pm - 7.30pm Dancing Brick: Spinning Midsummer Place - outside
6.30pm Subtlemob: As If It Were The Last Time Midsummer Place - inside
7.30pm inStallation Big Top, Campbell Park
7.45pm Bellowhead Spiegeltent, Campbell Park
10pm The Boy with Tape on his face Spiegeltent, Campbell Park
Friday 23 July
12noon - 8pm The Magical Menagerie The Point car park
12noon - 8pm Janek Schaefer: Asleep at the wheel Old Sainsburys Store
12noon - 5pm Metro Boulot Dodo:Whispers Rickshaw Midsummer Place - outside
12.30pm Kompany Malakhi: Rotations Midsummer Place - outside
1pm - 7pm Architects of Air: Mirazozo Station Square
1pm Graeae & Strange Fruit: Against The Tide Campbell Park
Friday 23 July
1.30pm Kompany Malakhi: Rotations Midsummer Place - outside 4pm Festive Road: Brewing Up Challenge Midsummer Place - outside 5pm Kompany Malakhi: Rotations Midsummer Place - outside 6pm Graeae & Strange Fruit: Against The Tide Campbell Park
7.30pm inStallation Big Top, Campbell Park 8pm Antonio Forcione & Adriano Adewale Spiegeltent, Campbell Park
Saturday 24 July
12noon - 8pm The Magical Menagerie The Point car park
12noon - 8pm Janek Schaefer: Asleep at the wheel Old Sainsburys Store
1pm Graeae & Strange Fruit: Against The Tide Campbell Park 1pm Stop Gap: Tracking The Hub
2pm Janek Schaefer aka DJ Dedication Spiegeltent 3pm Subtlemob: As If It Were The Last Time Midsummer Place - inside
4pm Stop Gap: Tracking The Hub
4.30pm Graeae & Strange Fruit: Against The Tide Campbell Park 6pm inStallation Big Top, Campbell Park
7.45pm Sierra Maestra Spiegeltent, Campbell Park 10pm Rock a Hula! Spiegeltent, Campbell Park
Sunday 25 July
12noon - 8pm The Magical Menagerie The Point car park
12noon - 8pm Janek Schaefer: Asleep at the wheel Old Sainsburys Store
1pm - 6pm The World Picnic Campbell Park
1pm Stop Gap: Tracking The Hub
1pm Graeae & Strange Fruit: Against The Tide Campbell Park
From 1pm Miche Fabre Lewin: Cum Panis Campbell Park
2.30pm Festive Road: Brewing Up Campbell Park
2pm Hoodwink Theatre: Gastronomic Campbell Park
4pm Graeae & Strange Fruit: Against The Tide Campbell Park
4pm Stop Gap: Tracking The Hub
4.30pm Rendezvous Music Big Top - Campbell Park 5pm Hoodwink Theatre: Gastronomic Campbell Park
•
BOOKING IF TICKETS
Online 24 hours: www.ifmiltonkeynes.org
Telephone: 01908 280800
Monday – Saturday 10am – 6pm, Sunday 5pm – 8pm
Textphone users: 18001 01908 280800
In Person: The Stables, Stockwell Lane, Wavendon, Milton Keynes, MK17 8LU
Monday – Saturday 10am – 6pm, Sunday 5pm – 8pm
On-Site: From Friday 16 July at Station Square, The Point Car Park and Campbell Park
Open one hour before performance starts, and closes 15 minutes before the end of the last performance
Concessions & Group Tickets: Available where stated
Handling Charge: Bookings are subject to a handling charge of £2.50, including postage. Separate internet booking charges apply.
YOUR VISIT
Information about travel, accommodation, restaurants and places to visit: www.ifmiltonkeynes.org
ACCESS
The Festival welcome people with disabilities. Central Milton Keynes has good parking facilities and ample cyclepaths and access/walkways. Festival sites will be made as accessible as possible. For information about Campbell Park and events taking place in The Big Top, Spiegeltent or in the Park, please see page 57. If you have any special requirements, please contact the Box Office.
IF:Milton Keynes International Festival Box Office is managed and operated by The Stables Theatre Limited. All tickets sold are subject to The Stables Terms and Conditions: wwwifmiltonkeynes.org and www.stables.org
Disclaimer: Information in this brochure is correct at time of going to print. The Festival reserves the right to make alterations if necessary. If bad weather affects the staging of outdoor events, indoor venues or covered locations will be used as much as possible. Follow the Festival online, on Twitter and Facebook for updates.
www.ifmiltonkeynes.org
Produced by Supported by
In association with Milton Keynes Gallery
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