Milton Keynes City of Codes and Light Festival 2024 A Spectacular Celebration of Art, Culture, and Technology in Milton Keynes

Milton Keynes, UK – 19th August 2024: Milton Keynes Islamic Arts and Culture (MKIAC) charity is thrilled to announce the return of its iconic City of Codes and Light Festival, which will be taking place from Wednesday 2nd October to Saturday 5th October.

This year's festival will explore how artificial intelligence intersects with art, science, and technology through a series of immersive learning activities, interactive workshops, and thought-provoking symposiums.

The festival joins the Milton Keynes AI Festival (29 October - 1 November 2024) in celebrating the first anniversary of the World’s First AI Safety Summit, held at Bletchley Park last November. The Milton Keynes AI Festival will bring together business leaders and AI experts from the city and beyond for events, conferences and hackathons hosted by major city organisations who are innovating through technology.

Attendees can expect a transformative experience that highlights the role of AI in modern innovation while fostering creative dialogue and collaboration across multiple disciplines.

 Attendees will have a unique opportunity to explore the dynamic intersections between culture and STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics), discovering how ancient wisdom and modern technology converge to inspire innovative thinking. By bringing together artists, scientists, educators, and performers, the festival will spark a lively exchange of ideas, showcasing the harmonious collaboration between art and science to create a more connected and brighter future.

 The four-day event will start with a thought-provoking symposium on Mathematics, AI and Creative Patterns at Bletchley Park and culminate on Saturday evening with an extraordinary projection on the MK Central Library by Limbic Cinema. This will be followed by the Electric Drummers leading the Parade of Lights and joined by Eva the Polar Bear, a large mechanical puppet. The event will culminate with an exhilarating 'Theatre in the Sky' display by the world-renowned drone art show company Celestial, accompanied by the electric sounds of Jimi Needles & the Club Classics Orchestra at Campbell Park.

This year’s festival will also explore the theme of the fascinating world of bees and their ability to construct intricate, geometrically flawless structures. A visual representation of this idea has been the creation of an interactive artwork called "The HIVE," created by local students and artists and will be on display in the Central Library on Saturday, 5th October for a month.

Through a captivating blend of art, light, and technology, the festival will celebrate the beauty of nature’s engineering alongside human creativity, demonstrating how these elements come together to inspire new ways of thinking.

“We are honoured to bring our drone art to this year’s City of Codes & Light Festival - a hugely well-respected event that celebrates innovation, art, wisdom and technology, which align perfectly with our values,” said John Hopkins, CEO and Co-Founder of Celestial.

"The City of Codes and Light Festival isn’t just a celebration of creativity and technology; it’s a platform to explore the transformative potential of artificial intelligence. By intertwining AI with the rich cultural tapestry of Milton Keynes, the festival highlights the role that AI plays in shaping our future while also honouring the significant contributions of Islamic heritage to modern technology and innovation. With events designed for all ages and backgrounds, the festival aims to unite the community, fostering a deeper understanding of how AI and cultural diversity can work together to create a more inclusive and connected society," shared Anouar Kassim MBE, CEO, Artistic Director, and Founder of MKIAC.

Festival Highlights:

Wednesday, 2nd October

Mathematics, AI and Creative Patterns: Bridging Tradition with Innovation

Festival Launch Event: The festival will open with a seminar at Bletchley Park, museum and heritage site, which celebrates the achievements of the WW2 codebreakers, and where the first global AI Safety Summit was hosted in 2023. Attendees will enjoy inspiring speeches covering the historical development of geometric patterns in Islamic art, showing how these designs are rooted in mathematical principles. Speakers will also discuss how modern AI techniques can replicate and innovate on these patterns.

Confirmed speakers:

Dr Brigitte Stenhouse, History of Mathematics Professor at The Open University: Her work looks at how mathematicians build communities and gatekeep knowledge, with a particular interest in the ways in which women have forged careers as mathematicians.

Dr Oliver Gingrich, Co-Founder and Art Director for one of the world’s biggest 3D projection companies, Art in FLUX, media artist and researcher. His recent work has involved turning EEG brainwaves into visual/audio art works.

Professor Kamal Bechkoum, an experienced academic leader in the UK higher education sector with expertise in computing, engineering, and cyber security. He has held senior positions, including Pro-Vice Chancellor, and led various faculties and strategic initiatives. His recent work at the University of Gloucestershire included leading key cyber security projects. His research focuses on applying artificial intelligence and machine learning to engineering design, cyber security, and big data analytics.

Thursday, 3rd October

‘AI for Good’ Symposium and Masal Music Concert

On Thursday morning, the South Central Institute of Technology will host a symposium focused on the transformative potential of Artificial Intelligence in driving positive impacts through championing young people.

The event will bring together industry experts, business innovators and students in an effort to explore how AI can be used to address some of the world's most pressing challenges.

Building on the successful events in previous years, the Symposium will feature a series of short presentations, panel discussions, and Q&A sessions covering a wide range of topics, potentially including:

• Ethical AI
• AI in Healthcare and Life Sciences
• Sustainable AI Solutions for Environmental Challenges
• Inclusive and Fair AI Systems
• AI and Economic Development

The event will run from 10am-12pm on 3rd October 2024 at the South Central Institute of Technology, Bletchley, Milton Keynes. 

On Thursday evening, guests will enjoy a stunning musical performance by Turkish musicians, Group Masal.

Founded in 2023, Group Masal is redefining Turkish music with a perfect fusion of modern and traditional sounds. With Nese on vocals, Kubra on violin, Güney on guitar, and Sinan on oud, their performances bring classic Turkish melodies to life, blending ancient rhythms with contemporary flair.

Group Masal is on a mission to preserve Turkey’s rich musical heritage while embracing modern influences, creating a truly unique and emotional experience for audiences around the world. 

Catch their captivating performance for free from 6pm to 7:45pm on the 3rd October 2024, at the Milton Keynes Central Library.

Friday, 4th October

STEAM Workshops

On Friday, MKIAC will host workshops for school groups in the Milton Keynes Central Library. These interactive sessions will blend history, science, and creativity, exploring STEAM concepts through hands-on activities and bringing innovation to life for young minds.

Saturday, 5th October

Nature's Algorithm, Digital Lantern Parade, Music Performance and "Theatre in the Sky" Celestial Drone Show

The Hive Art Installation: Ahead of the festival, local students will participate in a series of two collaborative workshops led by prominent scientists and artists Dr Shama Rahman and Dr Oliver Gingrich. The data captured in these workshops will inform the design of a collaborative artwork, The Hive, which will be a visual representation of neuroscience, AI and the concept of social connectedness. This interactive art installation will be displayed in the Milton Keynes Central Library for visitors.

Nature’s Algorithm Projection on the Central Library: At 7:30PM on Saturday an extraordinary projection mapping piece called "Nature's algorithm" will be displayed on the Milton Keynes Library. This piece, which depicts a story of AI and human coding, is created by Inspiral Design, with artwork created by Shenley Brook End School, SCIoT-Students and Bletchley Park and supported by multimedia creative studio Limbic Cinema.

Digital Drummers, Eva the Polar Bear Puppet and Lantern Parade: At 7:45PM, the electrifying Digital Drummers will lead the parade of lights through the streets of Milton Keynes, followed by a hive of bee-shaped lanterns created by local schools and community members. The parade will also feature a large mechanical puppet by the name of Eva the Polar Bear. This vibrant parage will bring the city to life as it winds its way to Campbell Park for the festival’s grand finale.

“Theatre in the Sky” Celestial Drone Display and Jimi Needles & the Club Classics Orchestra: Kicking off at 9:00PM, the grand finale will feature a breathtaking drone display over Campbell Park by Celestial, a global leader in drone animation. The show will bring the stars to life in the form of a show-stopping digital art feature made up of 300 drones accompanied by the innovative sounds of Jimi Needles & the Club Classics Orchestra, who will be creating their signature blend of classical and electronic music. The evening promises to be a celebration of art, innovation AI and Islamic heritage with a stunning fusion of lights, music, and dance. 

For media inquiries, including interview opportunities with Anouar Kassim MBE, MKIAC’s founder, CEO and creative director, and the driving force behind the festival, please reach out to the press contact below.

For more information and a detailed schedule of events, please visit our website at https://www.mkiac.org/.

Ends

Editors notes

About the Artists - Dr Shama Rahman

Dr Shama Rahman is a scientist, artist, creative technologist and futurist. She holds a PhD in the neuroscience and complex systems of Creative Cognition and Innovation, and her work has encompassed the use of wearable technology to enhance storytelling. She is the co-author of ‘Creativity in the Twenty First Century: Multidisciplinary Contributions to the Science of Creative Thinking' and 'NeuroDesign Live’ by Springer. She is a composer, multi-instrumentalist and a multi-genre multi-cultural singer. She has received an Emerging Excellence Award (Help Musicians), been commissioned by composer's residency 'Take V' (Serious), and been a Sky Arts Scholarship and Artangel finalist. She has toured internationally and was the first Sitarist Explorer to perform in Antarctica on the first ever Antarctic Biennale. As an actor, she was the lead of Southeast Asia's first supernatural detective 24-part drama thriller. Her multi-disciplinary practice has led her to be the Artistic Director of the Art/Science creative production agency Jugular Productions, producing interdisciplinary shows, salons, installations, immersive experiences and games. Bringing together this extensive knowledge and work she founded NeuroCreate - using Al and Neuroscience in a symbiotic digital design to enhance human creativity, performance and wellbeing.

About the Artists - Dr Oliver Gingrich

Dr Oliver Gingrich is a media artist, researcher and co-founder and curator at Art in FLUX London. His work often oscillates between intangible phenomena and presence - working frequently with brainwaves, and mixed reality environments. His research focuses on the concept of presence, participatory art forms and the invisible across various media. With the collective Analema Group, the use of high-end technology results in immersive experiences for their audiences (Tate Exchange, 2019, National Gallery X2020). In his photographic series, the artist focuses on questions of male identity and gender (LACMA, Soho Photo NYC). Frequently, Olive utilises biosensors including EEGs to provide new forms of introspection and interactions to his audiences. With a background in Fine Arts (Central Saint Martins, London) and Digital Art (University of Vienna) and a Doctorate in media, Olive practises his art from his studio in Notting Hill, London, and is currently Lecturer at University of Greenwich and post-doctoral researcher at the National Centre for Computer Animation. 

About Eva the Polar Bear: Walkabout Puppet

Meet Eva, created by artist Jessica Rost and commissioned and co-owned by Handmade Parade, the beautiful Polar Bear puppet. Animated by one to two puppeteers, Eva is very interactive and loves meeting people. Her legs move mechanically when she walks and when she gets excited she stands up on her hind legs!

About Celestial

Celestial is a global leader in the entertainment industry, using the latest innovative drone light technology to bring powerful stories to the skies. A UK-based collective of creative animators, filmmakers and tech specialists, Celestial creates pioneering drone art that inspires us to gaze up and reignite our relationship with the stars, our planet, and each other. Their shows also offer a safer and greener alternative to traditional firework displays.

About MKIAC

Milton Keynes Islamic Arts and Culture is an award-winning national charity working in Buckinghamshire and Southeast. Inspired by Islamic arts, heritage and culture that encompasses both traditional and contemporary art forms, MKIAC covers a broad spectrum of inclusive arts-based events throughout the year. They are at the forefront of inclusion and diversity for the creative sector in Milton Keynes.

The establishment of MKIAC was prompted by the 9/11 incident in 2002, and we focus on using the arts and creativity as a vehicle to overcome societal divisions and provide a sense of community in our city.

MKIAC is a diverse grassroots organisation that, right from its infancy, has been a bench-setter for embracing diversity and inclusion. As well as events, the organisation has a strong educational outreach programme.

Milton Keynes has always been a diverse place, with a rich history and prominent institutions. MKIAC has been developing and advocating for cultural diversity and diverse artist development in Milton Keynes and the surrounding region.