Your Heritage
MK Arts for Health is a charity based at Milton Keynes Hospital that aims to promote health and wellbeing, and build stronger communities, through creative activities. The charity worked with Buckinghamshire County Museum to create a locally-relevant exhibition at the hospital. The Roman and Medieval pottery displayed had been discovered through archaeological excavations during the building of Milton Keynes in the 1960s and 70s. Local artists made the modern ceramics in the 1980s.
MK Arts for Health used the exhibition as inspiration for a series of activities with local groups to engage them with the heritage of the area. These included practical pottery classes with schools, creative music and animation workshops with young people from disadvantaged neighbourhoods, and reminiscence sessions with hospital patients. Heritage open days were also held for the wider local community.
The project provided valuable skills for participants and created a more uplifting environment for hospital patients and visitors, as well as attracting new volunteers to work with MK Arts for Health. It also helped build the capacity of MK Arts for Health staff and established Milton Keynes Hospital as a high quality arts and heritage venue for the local community.