<div><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Exploring the relationship between MK, its unique design and architecture, and the growth of skateboarding gives fresh insight into how new towns build their own cultures, communities and histories.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">MK’s important story remains unrecorded and is largely unknown outside of the skate community. However, MK Council has secured £97,800 of National Lottery Heritage Funding in order to deliver a new project – MK Skate, which will celebrate MK’s contribution.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Launching as part of the inaugural ‘Festival of Creative Urban Living’ in September, MK Skate will include <em><strong><a href="https://www.boardriding.com/Events/mk-skate-on-street-exhibition-milton-keynes-uk-2019" target="_blank">city centre trail</a></strong></em>, an <strong><em><a href="https://www.boardriding.com/Events/mk-skate-exhibition-milton-keynes-uk-2019" target="_blank">exhibition</a></em></strong> and a book, as well as a permanent record stored for future generations in the city's archive and MK Museum.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Well-known first generation MK skaters will be invited back to tell their part of the story and share their skills and include:</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><em><strong><a href="https://www.boardriding.com/Photographers/leo-sharp" target="_blank">Leo Sharp</a></strong></em> - an internationally published action sports photographer and one of the UK’s most prolific skateboard photographers. His career in skate photography spans well over two decades, with a good proportion of this spent working as full time Photo Editor at the UK’s leading skate magazine: Sidewalk.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><em><strong><a href="https://www.boardriding.com/Photographers/wig-worland" target="_blank">Wig Worland</a></strong></em> - celebrated fashion photographer, who began his career photographing the early skate scene in Milton Keynes</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><strong>James Jessop</strong> - a British contemporary artist who trained at The Royal College of Art (RCA) and lectures at City and Guilds of London Art School. His work is influenced by early New York City Subway art and pop culture.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Leo Sharp and Wig Worland have generously offered MK Skate access to their large archive of skateboarding photography, whilst James Jessop will create a new artwork for the exhibition which will be gifted to the city.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The multigenerational community of local skateboarders will help tell this story by sharing memories, their personal collections and through oral history, film and photography.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Cllr Jennifer Marklew, MK Council’s Cabinet Member for Culture said: <em>“This is a unique and fascinating project, much like Milton Keynes itself. It’s also timely that we look into our skateboarding history, given that skateboarding will make its first appearance as an Olympic sport next year. Yet again, MK is ahead of the curve!”</em></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Events information: </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><ul><li><em><strong><a href="https://www.boardriding.com/Events/mk-skate-exhibition-milton-keynes-uk-2019" target="_blank">MK Skate Exhibition</a></strong></em>: 27 September – 22 December 2019, Unit 8 Sunset Walk, centre:mk, Milton Keynes, MK9 3BE,<span style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.87); font-family: Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: left; text-decoration-color: initial;"> </span>United Kingdom</li><li><em><strong><a href="https://www.boardriding.com/Events/mk-skate-on-street-exhibition-milton-keynes-uk-2019" target="_blank">MK Skate On-street Exhibition</a></strong></em>: 26 September 2019 - 6 January 2020, it runs in a series of underpasses along Midsummer Boulevard at Marlborough Gate, Saxon Gate, Witan Gate, and Elder Gate, Milton Keynes, United Kingdom</li></ul></div>