Creative way to share ideas about city’s future

Milton Keynes City Council is working with a theatre company on an innovative way to help local people share their experiences about living in Milton Keynes. 

The creative partnership between the city council, theatre company Speak Up! Act Out! and public health experts Ben Caves Associates is part of the development of the MK City Plan 2050, which is an important planning document that will be submitted to the Secretary of State next year.

Each local authority has a ‘local plan’ for their area in order to guide how future development can support the needs of citizens and businesses. One of the topics to be considered is how future changes can have an impact on the health of residents and communities.

The city council has been asking local people for their feedback to help shape the Plan, and more than 2,000 have so far had their say through online surveys and face to face events.

Now, fun creative workshops run by Speak Up! Act Out! are being planned for May and June. They’ll be a mixture of practical activities and discussions where local people can share stories and their experiences of life in Milton Keynes, with a focus on their health and wellbeing. This will culminate in a final presentation of the feedback in September which may be in the form of a film, illustrations or even an exhibition – people participating in the workshops will decide.

The city council hopes this creative approach will encourage even more people to come forward so their voices can be heard too.

Local people are welcome to register their interest in taking part or ask questions about the workshops by emailing Angela from Speak Up! Act Out! at speakactforum@gmail.com

The MK City Plan 2050 will take forward Milton Keynes City Council’s Strategy for 2050 which set out a bold and ambitious vision for MK over the next 28 years, including equal opportunities for all, ‘lifelong’ homes that suit people at all stages of their life, and a pioneering mass rapid transit system. 

A first draft will be published in July for comments.  Once approved by the Secretary of State, it will take over from the city council’s award-winning previous local plan.