Vital Signs MK 2025 - Report - Page 23
Arts & Heritage
Vital Action:
Westbury Fabric & Fibre Guild (WFFG) needed support to plan
and deliver joint textile art workshops in collaboration with
the Middle Eastern Cultural Group.
“I’d never done batik before and
loved it; it was exciting to see
the group display of batiks at the
library and to point out which one
was mine to friends who have
never seen that side of me. And
then the evening of readings in
English and Arabic was such an
uplifting experience. It is hard
to describe, but it felt like a
very gentle but positive shift in
consciousness.”
This initiative aimed to host an exhibition showcasing
the work created during these workshops, encouraging
cross-cultural sharing of stories and stitch techniques. By
facilitating these workshops and the subsequent exhibition,
WFFCG hoped to enhance cultural understanding and
creative exchange within the community.
The £2,960 grant from MK Community Foundation made
a signi昀椀cant di昀昀erence by enabling members of both the
Westbury Fabric and Fibre Guild (WFFG) and the Middle
Eastern Cultural Group (MECG) to come together and learn
new skills in textile design and surface decoration.
This collaboration allowed members to visit each other’s
meeting places, with many visiting the Westbury Arts Centre
for the 昀椀rst time and expressing interest in future visits.
WFFG members embraced Islamic design principles and even
learned to write a few words in Arabic script. The participants
were thrilled to see their work professionally presented in
gallery spaces at Westbury Arts Centre and Milton Keynes
Central Library. One workshop participant shared:
“I’d never done Batik before and loved it; it was exciting to
see the group display of batiks at the library and to point
out which one was mine to friends who have never seen
that side of me. And then the evening of readings in English
and Arabic was such an uplifting experience. It is hard to
describe, but it felt like a very gentle but positive shift in
consciousness.”
Workshop Participant
Vital Statistics
•
Milton Keynes received £2,275,905 of Arts Council
England funding in 2023/24. This is an increase from
the £1,837,438 received in 2018/19.18
•
In Milton Keynes, there are 1,990 businesses in the
creative and cultural sectors (13.75%). This is higher
than the proportion of creative and cultural businesses
in the South East (6.87%) and higher than the
proportion in England (9.3%). Additionally, this is higher
than the percentage of creative and cultural businesses
across the whole of the UK economy (12.65%).19
•
The number of creative and cultural businesses in
Milton Keynes has decreased from 15.8% in 2019
to 13.75% in 2023.
•
The proportion of people who engaged with the arts in
person in the previous 12 months to being surveyed in
Milton Keynes is 89.39%.20
•
In contrast, the proportion of people that engaged with
the Arts digitally in the previous 12 months to being
surveyed in Milton Keynes is 36.41%.21
This experience has built a solid foundation for future
collaboration, creating a sense of mutual respect between
the groups.
Vital Question:
How can we support the Arts and Heritage
Sector to establish a joint place-making plan
and marketing strategy to amplify the sector’s
reach and impact in the local community?
18
https://www.artscouncil.org.uk/research-and-data/our-data/national-investment-dashboard)
https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/dcms-and-digital-economic-estimates-businessdemographics-2023/dcms-economic-estimates-business-demographics-2023-main-report
20
https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/participation-survey-2023-24-annual-publication
21
https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/participation-survey-2023-24-annual-public
19
Vital Signs MK - 12th Edition 2025
23
