The City of Codes and Light Festival 2023
Prepare for a four-day festival of innovation, art, science, and technology, taking place in Milton Keynes between 4th and 7th October 2023. Building upon the triumphs of previous festivals, MKIAC is once again teaming up with esteemed cultural, educational, and business partners, as well as talented artists and digital technologists, to curate an unforgettable experience.
The festival's invaluable collaborators include historic Bletchley Park, the centre for decoding intercepted Nazi messages during WWII, SCIoT (MK College) MKCC, Shenley Brook End School, MK Museum, with new additions like MK City Library and MK City Council and supported by Arts Council England and Milton Keynes City Council. Together, they are sparking creativity in local schools, colleges, and community groups through art and science workshops that will be used to put together stunning installations and exhibitions.
The festival will host an array of workshops, academic seminars, thought talks, and artist-commissioned installations, all within the MK City Library. It will conclude on Saturday, October 7th, with an unforgettable fusion of media, music, and movement, seamlessly blending STEM with artistic expression. The best part? Admission is entirely FREE, ensuring that everyone can engage in a diverse array of activities and events that champion creativity, innovation, and community involvement.
Award winning group 1001 Inventions will be running ‘Journeys from Alchemy to Chemistry’ sessions every day at the MK Library for the first time as part of the festival. Through interactive activities and experiential learning basic principles of chemistry will be introduced in a creative and inspiring way.
Sessions will be offered FREE-of-charge for children but space is limited so please complete the registration form on this link no later than September 25th.
Programme
Wednesday, 4th October
Launch of City of Codes & Light Festival at Bletchley Park
6 PM - 8:30 PM | Bletchley Park, Sherwood Drive, Milton Keynes MK3 6EB
Symposium on “Coding through Innovation Technology” at Bletchley Park with special guest Deputy Mayoress Cllr Marie Bradburn.
Speakers: Charlene Hunter MBE, Founder and CEO of Coding Black Females, Dr. Oliver Mag Gingrich, Director at Art in Flux and Dr Brigitte Stenhouse, Lecturer in the History of Mathematics at Open University.
Moderator: Paul Thomson, SEMLEP
Thursday, 5th October
Environment, Technology and Mental Health Symposium at SCIoT
10 AM - 12:30 PM | South Central Institute of Technology, Sherwood Drive, Milton Keynes, MK3 6DR
Schools visit for a symposium on Environment, Technology and Mental Health. This discussion brings together science communicators, artists, students, and mental health professionals to understand the collective importance of the environment for our mental health as well as tangible ways to support our own wellbeing and those around us.
Speakers: Jenny Worby, MK College, two head girls from the schools, and Simon Fitzgerald, Horiba
Moderator: Paul Thomson, SEMLEP
Friday, 6th October
1001 Inventions: STEM Activities in the Library
10 AM - 6 PM |Milton Keynes Central Library, 555 Silbury Blvd, MK9 3HL
Journeys from Alchemy to Chemistry sessions will take place at MK Library for the first time as part of the festival. Through interactive activities and experiential learning basic principles of chemistry will be introduced in a creative and inspiring way.
Sessions will also be offered free-of-charge for children aged 7-11 (Key Stage 2) with their teachers (school groups) or parents (home-schooled groups) from 4th to 7th October 2023.
Saturday, 7th October
City of Codes & Light Festival Celebration
7PM – 9:45PM | Milton Keynes Central Library, 555 Silbury Blvd, MK9 3HL
7 PM Meeting at the library for the Illumination of the Library followed by the digital lantern parade to Campbell Park for a laser and music show.
7:30 PM Echoes from the Golden Era illuminetion of the Library by Limbic Cinema.
7:45 PM Digital lantern parade, with mesmerising luminous giant puppets by street theatre company Inko-Nito, making its way to Campbell Park for the laser and music show finale there.
9:45 PM Festival ends.