The festival offers a new ways to see and experience MK
What is A Festival for Creative Urban Living?
From 26th September - 13th October, Midsummer Boulevard in central Milton Keynes will host the first ever ‘Festival of Creative Urban Living’ - bringing together artists, architects, designers, urban planners, thinkers, creatives and MK residents to deliver a free programme of exhibitions, events, creative workshops, performances and much more…..
Developed, curated and programmed by raumlaborberlin – an experimental architectural practice, the Festival will explore the idea of ‘The Built, The Unbuilt and The Unbuildable’ within an urban environment.
The programme itself will take place in a temporary campus of remarkable and playful buildings and structures.
Visitors will be able to enjoy and experience central MK in an entirely different way and think about what it might become and look like in the future!
Whilst the Festival campus will occupy the city centre, raumlabor have developed two other creative projects - Bike School and Beds United aiming to get visitors out and about in MK, whilst also inviting residents to experience and visit different parts of the city.
Bike School - has MK forgotten how to cycle?
raumlaborberlin think that MK is the perfect bike city, with our amazing Redway network of complete off-road cycling and walking infrastructure which means you can pretty much go anywhere in MK by bike or foot without ever having to see, hear or smell a car!
We know, at present our Redways are underused by both residents and visitors - and raumlabor want to change this!
Bike School will be part of the Festival campus offering a two-week free programme of guided Redway bike tours, bike repair and maintenance, free bike hire, pimp my bike, cycle in cinema and a programme of discussions which will explore how MK can become climate neutral by 2030.
Beds United
MK has a very unique design layout – with many of our residential areas hidden behind the millions of trees, which make the city such as special place to live.
Often, people who visit MK ask – where are all the people?
Beds United will offer both visitors and residents the chance to find out!
raumlabor invite the citizens of Milton Keynes to host an overnight guest who may be visiting for the Festival or could already live in MK – but in a different part of the city.
There idea is that they would like every residential area within the grid square and beyond to have one (or more!) hosts for the duration of the Festival.
Now, we know what you are thinking… this is just like air b-n-b…
Well – on first appearances - but Beds United will offer much more. Hosts will all get to meet each other, have dinner at MK Gallery, exchange ideas and stories and also have their portrait taken, by a specially commissioned photographer.
Guests who sign up for the Beds United experience – won’t get to choose where they stay - instead the Festival team will pair up hosts and guests.
Most importantly – no money will change hands (hosts will be reimbursed with any costs incurred for food or laundry by the Festival).
Would you like to be a host?
Would you like to welcome a guest into your home and show them what an amazing place MK is to live?
If you are interested and would like to know more head to over Festival website – www.afcul.org
