News Update #2: Winter 2022 |
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News: Board Update
We’ve had quite a few changes to our Board this autumn. We’ve just said farewell to Maria Wogan, a Trustee for the last 11 years and an outstanding Chair. We can’t thank her enough for her unstinting professionalism and dedication to the charity during this time. We also sadly said goodbye to John Cove, who has been a great contributor to our Board since 2013. We thank them both for their guidance and valued support. Our newly elected Chair is Katharine Sorensen, a Trustee since 2016 and Vice-Chair for the last few years, and stepping in as Vice-Chair is Dr Tayo Kufeji, a Trustee since 2019. We’re delighted to welcome new Board members Chris Kubiak and Tanya Coles and would like to take this opportunity to thank all of our Trustees for their continued dedication and commitment to our charity.
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We are looking for a Trustee from the Arts and Culture sector to join the board!
We are particularly interested in hearing from professional artists, musicians, writers, and other creatives who may be currently working or retired, who might like to get involved, particularly artists from diverse communities.
Image: (L) Retiring Chair Maria Wogan and (R) new Chair Katharine Sorensen
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Current Temporary Exhibition at
Milton Keynes University Hospital:
Informed by natural forms, Astrid’s mandalas are reminiscent of delicate snowflake patterns, tinged with colour. Each artwork is formed of a three-layered inkjet print designed by the artist, painstakingly cut by hand with a scalpel.
They are on display in Milton Keynes University Hospital MKUH Level 2: Corridor Exhibition between Ward 6 and ICU/Neonatal, Dec 2022 - May 2023.
Image: Mandala Series (2005 - 2006) handcut inkjet
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Local Events: MK DAD 2022
Once again we were delighted to support MK Disability Awareness Day, which was held outside this summer at the MK Rose, Campbell Park on 14 July – thankfully in lovely sunshine! The event was attended by the Mayor of MK and the High Sheriff of Buckingham.
We had an inspiring, creative and fun-filled morning, meeting and celebrating our community together. With support from our curator Emma Barford, we commissioned artist Katie Fields to provide an activity using wild inks to create mindfulness paintings. Members of the Camphill MK and MK Snap Communities took part and thoroughly enjoyed this relaxing activity. See how in the short video on our website!
MK DAD is funded by Community Action MK/The Transformation Board.
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Partnership Project:
Art, Nature & Wellbeing
We are currently partnering with Milton Keynes Arts Centre and The Parks Trust, MK to deliver a free, fully subscribed 10-week art and nature themed course. It is for young people ages 12-17 from the Milton Keynes area who may be feeling adverse effects of the pandemic on their physical and mental wellbeing.
Using natural materials found in the calming surroundings of Milton Keynes Arts Centre and Great Linford Manor Park, lead artist Susan Erskine-Jones is encouraging awareness and appreciation of the natural world through creativity to support participants’ wellbeing. Other invited artists are providing hands-on opportunities to make ceramics, books, textiles and natural dyes, as well as working with collage, printmaking, painting and drawing.
Funded by MK Community Foundation.
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Workshops: Art Bubble
During the Covid-19 Pandemic many of us have faced health challenges and been left feeling anxious or with difficult experiences to process. Since August we have been delivering a series of free Art Bubble workshops for ages 18 and over, from any background with a diagnosis or pre-diagnosis of a mental health concern. In a safe, friendly space, over four weekly art sessions, a professional artist supported the exploration and expression of concerns through different drawing, painting, and collage activities. See more images and feedback on our website.
Art Bubble funded by Milton Keynes Council: Covid Team.
Image: paper collage, workshop series 2
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Volunteers Update: Creative Courtyards
We've had a busy and delightful season in the Hospital courtyards, and finally we have our shed! We began with the hardest work - attending to a backlog of tidying and weeding as pandemic restrictions interrupted our access. After order was restored, our volunteers visited Camphill Community Gardens and were very impressed and inspired by their huge array of produce and their dedicated team.
Creative Courtyards at MKUH funded by MKUH Charity.
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Opportunities: Volunteering
We have a number of volunteer opportunities to work with us both at the hospital where our offices are based, and also at our arts workshops in the community. Volunteering has lots of benefits; you can make new friends and learn a new skill plus gain in confidence and give back to your community.
So if you’re a student, retired or looking for work; volunteering could be the perfect option.
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Drumming and making music circle group at MK University Hospital
This autumn we sourced, purchased and delivered a piano, drums and percussion to the Campbell Centre, MKUH, an acute, inpatient mental health unit for working age adults. The centre provides a range of therapeutic treatments and activities for those needing hospital admission when suffering a mental health problem.
In November our Director, Ben Heyworth, and Chair, Katharine Sorensen, were privileged to see the beneficial effects of the instruments supplied when they were used for the first time at an Arts for Health MK funded Drumming Circle and music making
session, led by a professional drummer.
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Funding Partners
With thanks to our core funding partners for their continued support of our projects and of our work in the Hospital and in the community.
Donations are welcome and can be made via our dedicated website Local Giving
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Please forward this newsletter onto your friends and colleagues, and they can click the link below to sign up. |
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Follow our social media channels for Arts for Health MK activity updates
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