In March 2024, Milton Keynes Arts Centre was invited by Milton Keynes City Council to work on a new Public Art Commission with the village of Sherington, using Section 106 funding which was identified to help mitigate the impact of new developments on the village

We are currently in the early consultation phase of this project, having conversations and running creative workshops with the Sherington community which are designed to engage the wider village in the project, to find out what Sherington means to them, what features they believe are important and what they love about living there. Sherington has a rich history and a very active Historical Society as well as some new developments, bringing in new residents with their own stories and histories to share. We are therefore keen to engage both old and new Sherington residents in the artwork’s planning, making and positioning.

Once we have an idea of what people hold important, we will explore what public art actually means and what residents understand public art to be.

For us we see public art as being a useful way to maintain local distinctiveness in the face of new developments; it can enhance community pride and communal spaces; emphasise culture, heritage and biodiversity. Public art can bring communities together in shaping the environment, facilitating positive change and promoting inclusivity.

Collating findings from these workshops and sessions we want to determine potential sites, and to put together an artist brief. Artists will then be invited to submit a proposal for a new public artwork in Sherington and allow residents to select which proposal they like best. Once an artist is selected, this will begin the second phase of the project.

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