Further to our previous post, here’s a letter / email template that you can easily copy / paste and send to the following people, to help secure funding to save MK11!
Your local councillor - Find them here:
https://milton-keynes.cmis.uk.com/milton-keynes/Councillors.aspx
peter.marland@milton-keynes.gov.uk
ben.everitt.mp@parliament.uk iain.stewart.mp@parliament.uk
** LETTER TEMPLATE: **
To whom it may concern,
I am writing to you with regards to the £5 million funding pot that has been given to Milton Keynes Council from the government, to help support local businesses within Milton Keynes.
We strongly believe that more support should be given to the arts and culture sector in Milton Keynes, more specifically to MK11 Live Music Venue based in Kiln Farm, who are a huge asset to the community, not just as a music venue but as an education hub too. MK11 programs a diverse range of music events that attract a multicultural audience spanning all ages and musical genres week in week out, that brings in thousands of people to Milton Keynes that help prop up the local economy.
MK11 was unsuccessful in a recent bid for the Cultural Relief Fund which was distributed by the Arts Council, despite feedback from the application being extremely positive, having explicitly met and exceeded all the funding criteria. Having been closed since March (the start of this pandemic) the venue has been left in real danger of closure, without any significant support.
The loss of MK11 will be devastating to the local cultural ecology of Milton Keynes and surrounding areas. MK11 provides a grassroots entry for thousands of artists in the region to cut their teeth on a professional stage. The loss of MK11 will have lasting effects on the opportunities of young artists for years to come.
We are kindly asking if you would please support MK11 (& other struggling venues such as Unit Nine), by recommending to Milton Keynes Council that some of the funding goes towards helping them to remain in business and be able to carry on their excellent work within our community. MK11 has helped so many people, from young performers in music education, to work experience students, to apprentices and internships, and of course the community that are positively engaged in the activity of live music!
Please help to save MK11 Live Music Venue.
Kind Regards