The Fabric of Milton Keynes

The Fabric of Milton Keynes project, which was carried out in 1993/4, enabled 200 people in 11 groups from the four corners of the Borough of Milton Keynes to produce textile ‘maps’, under the guidance of professional artists, that reflected the places, feelings and characters that made their place special to them. Village, new estate, school, workplace, special needs and ethnic groups were among those that took part. There was even a map created by men in the local prison.

A rich mix of textile styles

Milton Keynes is a city of surprises to those who assume that a new city is a homogeneous concrete jungle with neither culture nor soul. The Fabric project reflected many of the true qualities of the place from which it arose. It was a mix of the traditional and the innovatory, with techniques ranging from the old-time skills of felt-making and quilting to machine embroidery and the avant garde use of mixed media.

The Unveiling

All of the groups worked on their own, but their work was displayed for the first time in an exhibition around the cloister of the new City Church. The unveiling of the work was celebrated in a concert at which the participants came together with friends and invited guests to hear songs from the Living Archive Band and a monologue inspired by their work. The men from the local prison were naturally unable to be in attendance (!) but they had made a tape-slide about the inspiration behind their work.