Today saw the start of Milton Keynes Festival Fringe; a
week long event which runs partly concurrently with the Milton KeynesInternational Festival 2014 which begins tomorrow. During these two festivals I
am going to be doing some brief reviews of what I've experienced each day.
Upper
Room by Deborah Last
Upper Room is an installation of colourful, yet not
overpowering, body prints over beautifully drawn pictures of the anatomy, some
external, some internal, some quite full skeletons, some partial
representations. It mixes the visual art with interviews recorded with
participants about how they feel about their bodies and how they felt about the
body printing process.
The interviews are played in a way which means they
overlap each other and I found myself moving from one to another as snatches
caught my interest.
This feminist exhibition in the main library in Milton
Keynes from now until 24th July 10am - 4pm explores notions of beauty and
self-worth amongst women, some of whom have faith and some of whom don't. It
seeks to explore femininity and faith - be that faith in an external force or
faith in oneself. I found it fascinating to hear the answers given which
indicated this was a liberating process for many participants.
Breathing
Room by Anna Berry
The Breathing Room in the Shopping Centre is a fascinating piece from Anna Berry.
It contains what can best be described as trees of paper cones made from
reclaimed paper which has come from commercial outlets in the centre and
outside charities, not for profit groups and political parties. These trees
breathe in and out making a wonderful sound as they do so.
I am not sure of the science between this but it is a
wonderful sight to behold which initially doesn't look that magnificent but as
you stand there it grabs you and feel yourself drawn in. The sound of the paper
breathing which can best be described as a cross between the sound of the sea
and the sound of the forest is soothing and gentle.
Standing opposite John Lewis, just up from Next and
adjacent to an empty shop where they are displaying plans for the extension of
the shopping centre this installation looks wonderfully out of place and
eccentric. In the mist of the generic stores designed to make us spend is
something free to make us breathe and help us be.
To me it highlights what Milton Keynes misses in its
centre, independent quirky shops which give a city life and the chance to
breathe with individuality. This installation is open from 11-4pm daily. As
with the previous exhibition it is free to view.
Pristine
in Blue
This production by Neil Beardsmore and put on by The
Play's The Thing Theatre Company is on at 7:30pm each evening until Saturday at Arts Central,
above the main railway station in Milton Keynes. The studio in this venue
wasn't ideal, especially in the heat. The audience were having to fan
themselves with the programme sheets and the view of the stage was for many of
us restricted.
That said the play itself was well worth the £8 entry. It
is an examination in part of the anti-capitalist movement and how social
movements operate and are policed. The other main theme is love and the nature
of love and commitment.
The way in which patriarchy plays out in left wing
politics on occasions is well examined as are aspects of what it means to be of
mixed heritage in contemporary society.
The writing, as I heard somebody say on the way out,
reminded them of John Osborne's Don't Look Back in Anger and I can see why.
This was the story in part of an angry young man.
The young cast of three: Sheetal Kappor, Shaun Cowlishaw
and David Hemsted were excellent and were warmly applauded at the end of the
show.
If you get the chance to see it I would highly recommend
this show to you, but I would say take a bottle of drink in with you and a fan
if you have one.
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