Pedalling Culture announces a summer list of cultural, family friendly events
Pedalling Culture, Milton Keynes’ dedicated campaign to better connect the city’s cultural venues and spaces to its sustainable transport routes, has launched a series of exciting programmes this year, kicking off with three events this month.
From a cycling cinema, an engaging peddler show, to the musical notes of a bicycle bell, these events are set to ignite people’s interest in The Pedalling Culture project, which was launched earlier this year.
On Saturday, 14th July, the Independent Cinema Milton Keynes, in conjunction with Pedalling Culture and the MK Festival Fringe, is hosting a bicycle ride like no other. As the launch pad of the forthcoming Vagabond Film Festival (26-29th July) the guerrilla style, two hour, cycle around the City’s Redway routes will be interjected with short cinema film showings from a specially designed cinema bike from multi- media experimentalists Urban Projections.
Starting at 8.15pm at the big underpass by The MK Gallery, Redway Rendezvous is open to anyone over the age of 10.
From the 17th to the 19th July, the Redways of Milton Keynes will be the travelling base for five, engaging ‘peddlers’. Each will offer something extraordinary and unique, incorporating five specially created soundscapes by sound artist Stuart Moore, while channelling the traditional image of a pack of peddlers, travelling the countryside, selling novelty items, handmade produce or mending and repairing.
This unique, travelling outdoor show, presented as part of the MK Festival Fringe, will weave their way between several of the City’s main cultural sites, including the Milton Keynes Museum and Bradwell Abbey.
On Sunday 22nd July cyclists will be pedalling through the City’s cycle routes to the sound of a very different type of music! In this unique collaboration between Milton Keynes composer Craig McLeish and dozens of cyclists, Bicycle Bell-ero will take to the Redway’s, having swapped their regular bell for one crafted from a repurposed instrument!
These specially tuned bells will be played as cyclists travel the Redway routes around Campbell Park, culminating in the performance of a brand-new short piece of music of massed bicycle bells at The MK Rose. Open to families, individual cyclists, cycle clubs or anyone interested in using pedal power to get out and about, Bicycle Bell-ero, which has been commissioned by The Stables as part of the MK:IF, encourages people to be part of a new musical experience, while exploring Milton Keynes by bike.
Helen Thakrar from Pedalling Culture, comments: “These unique events seamlessly combine the rich and varied culture of Milton Keynes and the 280 miles of cycling and walking routes which weave through the City. We have commissioned these exciting events, to capture the imagination of people, while encouraging them to explore the culture they have on their doorstep.”
With funding from the Arts Council England, Pedalling Culture is an initiative developed in partnership with Milton Keynes Council, Destination MK, MK Gallery, Bletchley Park Trust, MK City Centre Management and the Arts & Heritage Alliance.