Discover MK
The Discover MK Showcase area is on the first floor at Central Library. It is the primary showcase for the archive, museum and heritage of Milton Keynes and the surrounding area. It has a regularly changing series of exhibitions throughout the year and more information can be found on the Discover MK website.
40 Years of Care - MK University Hospital at 40 - 3 October to 16 December 2024
This exhibition celebrates the 40th anniversary of Milton Keynes Hospital, or Milton Keynes University Hospital (MKUH) as it is now known.
Archive photos, press cuttings and artefacts help to tell the story of the hospital over the past 40 years with contributions from MKUH, Living Archive MK, Arts for Health MK, The Friends of Milton Keynes Hospital & Community and the Milton Keynes Hospital Charity.
This is another fantastic exhibition brought to you by Living Archive MK.
When Marianne and Britannia Meet Exhibition at Central Library
10 December 2024 to 6 January 2025
In partnership with the UK’s National Archives and the French Diplomatic Archives, the Alliance Française de Milton Keynes presents When Marianne and Britannia Meet, an exhibition marking the 120th anniversary of the Entente Cordiale.
Tracing the history of the Entente Cordiale agreements and their global repercussions, the exhibition brings together for the first time, or reunites, archives of great historical and symbolic significance.
Visitors will discover remarkable documents (archives, cartoons, etc.), which will immerse them in the Belle Époque and the diplomatic negotiations which aimed at building peace between the two countries.
You’re invited to join the opening event on Friday 13 December from 11am until 1pm with Charlotte Faucher, co-curator of the exhibition, Dr Brunet from the OU and the Lord Mayor (still tbc). There will be 2 free guided tours (one in French and one in English).
The exhibition has been curated by Charlotte Faucher (University of Bristol) and Guillaume Perissol (Institut français du Royaume-Uni) and made possible thanks to the generous support of Natixis Corporate & Investment Banking and the Friends of the French Institute Trust.
Register for the event on the Alliance Francaise Milton Keynes website.
Connecting Threads Exhibition at Central Library
5 December 2024 to 2 January 2025
An exhibition of found and original textile art created by members of the Westbury Fabric Fibre Guild, the Middle Eastern Cultural Group, and friends from the wider stitching community of Milton Keynes.
Visit the Event Space on the ground floor at Central Library to see this exhibition.
JOIN ME: Our 2020 Events - Memorial Quilt at Stony Stratford Library
Visit Stony Stratford Library to see this lockdown memorial quilt on display. It’s a community quilt project by Thread Thread Wine to memorialise the events that we most missed in 2020, whether cancelled, lost or postponed because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Soraya Tate, founder of Thread Thread Wine
At Christmas 2020 I decided to make a memorial quilt, dedicated to acknowledging the events and opportunities that we lost in 2020.
- I would create a quilt square about my own losses.
- I would invite others to do the same about their losses.
- I would join the pieces to make a quilt.
- I would display the quilt in December 2021 at an event for the makers.
This is the project so far; I hope you enjoy viewing it and reading about it. We have 42 submissions and the quilt is 3m long.
We have made some of the squares into cards for sale, to raise money for the mental health charity MIND.
If you would like to contribute your artwork to this project, please email Soraya or visit the Thread Thread Wine (TTW) Facebook page.
Read more about the background to this project, the inspiration and the artists who have contributed by visiting the Memorial quilt project page.