Groundwork
Tracing the Pathway

Groundwork with Tracing the Pathway is the second installment of Common Ground 2018–19.

Common Ground is Milton Keynes Arts Centre’s community participation and artist development programme supported using public funding by Arts Council England. Offering a twelve-month season of distinct projects, each presenting high quality and meaningful opportunities for engagement between a diverse spectrum of artists and communities living in Milton Keynes. 

July – September 2018

The idea of what and where home is, is a key inspiration for arts and research collective Tracing the Pathway, currently comprising of artists Ashleigh Bowmott, Cara Davies, Mads Floor Andersen and Thomas Eke. Since 2015 the collective has taken time to return to each member’s hometown to produce a series of new site-specific and responsive artworks, interventions, events and festivals across the UK, Europe, the Middle East and USA.

Cara, Ashleigh and Thomas grew up in Milton Keynes and are vitally passionate about championing cohesive creative communities in the city, developing a cross-art platform for and about Milton Keynes, which examines the initiatives and interventions one might need to put in place in order to lay the Groundwork for a thriving cultural infrastructure.

Groundwork is multifaceted. It is grassroots, organic and responsive, and since it began, it has operated as an umbrella project for a variety of activities: curating unique artworks; supporting the professional development of local artists; and providing a platform for both local and internationally renowned artists to make deep, long-lasting and meaningful connections with Milton Keynes and its residents.

Milton Keynes Arts Centre has commissioned Groundwork with Tracing the Pathway as the second instalment of Common Ground 2018–19; twelve-month season of distinct projects, each presenting high quality and meaningful opportunities for engagement between a diverse spectrum of artists and communities living in Milton Keynes. Supporting the collective and resident artists in the curation of workshops, film screenings, talks, professional development sessions, performances, walks, residencies and mentoring sessions.

To compliment the public events programme at MKAC, we will open the Arts Centre’s gallery to the general public as a co-working studio. This offering provides a communal shared space to any individuals, freelancers, cultural or artistic organisations looking to find a friendly site to work in.

The gallery will also double up as an open-studio for Tracing the Pathway as they curate and produce the Groundwork Weekender, and will also operate as a work base for Groundwork’s commissioned artists – Aaron James, Anna Berry, Beatrice Jarvis, Hayley Newman, Katie Fields, Laura Cooper, Phil Smith, Priya Chohan-Padia, Sapphire Goss and Thomas Cuthbertson, as they work towards the production of a series of unique works for and about Milton Keynes which will be presented at the Groundwork Weekender.