Entitled Through the Lens, an exhibition of my official photography for IF Milton Keynes International Festival was on display at The Stables in Milton Keynes from November 2024 until March 2025.
Curated by the IF team and featuring 30 of my from 2010 to 2023, from sizes A3 to A0, it covered my unstaged, artistic responses to the city-wide music, art, theatre, installation and public intervention activity held over 10 intensive days every two years.
Scroll down to see all the images with my brief commentary about each subject and the photography behind it or jusr view the images as a slideshow.
All images and content ©ShaunArmstrong2010-2024
For The Birds (2018)
As seen in The Guardian
The transformation of the historic woods at Linford Manor Park into a self-guided journey around a light and soundscape, created by some of the most dynamic sound artists in the UK, was a highlight for many at IF 2018. A series of unfolding wonders as evening turned to night.
There is a short, sweet-spot with this sort of photography in terms of timing; too early in the evening and you lose the colour/contrast/drama and too late (i.e dark) it’s almost impossible to capture any context around the lit work. And when set over a large area, being in the right place at the right time is a challenge. This unstaged capture, as I followed an unsuspecting couple ‘into the light’ of feathers works well I think and is itself a favourite image for many too, being presented at A0 size in the exhibition.
Compagnie Artonix: The Colour of Time (2016)
Inspired by the Indian Holi festival, Compagnie Artonik drew together dancers and performers to undertake a street performance and parade, drawing designs on the street before a dramatic and participative finale to all those attending/watching.
I think this image captures the joy of participation from the citizens of Milton Keynes in this free event and is presented at A0 size in the exhibition. I was chatting to someone who said this event was their most memorable family one as their young son couldn’t believe he was allowed to throw powder where and over whatever he wanted!
It doesn’t take too much to realise that to get this sort of shot you have to be ‘involved’. Luckily my gear was well-protected as there’s nothing more a camera loves than large amount of power being thrown at it. I have a picture taken of me that looks a little similar to the one above…
Gratte Ciel: Place des Anges (2023)
2 images in the exhibition.
Set over two nights, this aerial ballet of suspended and high-speeding acrobats on wires was a triumph of skill and spectacle. And feathers. Lots of feathers. Which can still be found in amongst the bushes near The Point, if you go hunting.
As a photographer, high speed people flying about in the air on wires, at night, picked out by intermittant spot lights for dramatic effect, was another but business-as-usual challenge photographing IF.
The brief is always to capture the people, the place, the performance (ideally all of these at the same time) all wrapped up in a sense of enjoyment, engagement, diversity and ‘Milton Keynes’ whilst at the same time maintaining technical excellence and aesthetic creativity. At every event, every time and usually with variable and challenging lighting in unknown situations.
Rosemary Lee: Under The Vaulted Sky (2014)
2 images in the exhibition
This promenade dance piece involved over 100 dancers of all ages and an installation organised by choreographer Rosemary Lee set to original live music by Terry Mann.
A devising experience and then eight performance runs were undertaken within and around the hidden gem the Cathedral of Trees, modelled on the footprint of Norwich Cathedral, with the audience following and participating in this dynamic visual and aural presentation.
The first image is quite a simple and literal celebration of the title, with just a sole dancer but with so many participants and a variety of set pieces with a large audience, the wider IF library, from which this was chosen, contains many striking images of the show weaving its way through the trees.
The second image celebrates the striking Milton Keynes location chosen for the piece and the music development work being undertaken in situ, to support the dancers.
Ilotopie: Water Fools (2014)
Set on Willen Lake, this had to be one of the most bonkers and quintessentially French pieces of theatre IF has put on. A mixture of floating vehicles and pyrotechnics as a story unfolds about a community waking up and going about its daily, if somewhat bizarre, business.
If wouldn’t be IF without some sort of firework-related piece; this was more gentle than some of the more in-your-face launch events, but exciting all the same.
This event was also memorable for the burgeoning storm that was gathering around MK with additional light and sound adding to what was coming from the lake.
Lucie Lom: The Dreamers (2014)
2 images in the exhibition
This very popular and intriguing piece featured a group of mud-like figures who first appeared in various stages of emergence at MK Railway Station near a newly formed pond…
Each night they miraculously made their way up Midsummer Boulevard appearing on balconies, in parks, atop porte cochere’s and inside bike stores and the shopping centre et al to eventually find their way back towards the water in Campbell Park. To the amusement of the residents.
I have a lovely selection of images in the various locations that could form their own exhibition, as many offered that desired content of a powerful IF installation in a clearly obvious Milton Keynes location with a good dose of humour and intrigue.
The first image reveals the way these instalations draw in and challenge folk is everyday spaces.
The second omits the usual crowd of many interacting people to concentrate wholly on their journey, as if I was one of them…
Museum of The Moon by Juke Jerram (2021)
Having slipped a year because of the COVID pandemic, IF 2021 presented a more socially distanced, slimmed-down but longer (21 days rather than the standard 10) festival.
Returning to the Cathedral of Trees, Luke Jerram’s moon installation was placed amongst the canopies to produce an other-worldly juxtaposition with the surrounding nature. It arrived to balance out his Earth (Gaia) installation which was hanging in the Middleton Hall shopping centre earlier on in the Festival.
Many people came to walk and sit around the Moon during the balmy summer days, but I shot this more considered image into the sun as the young man wondered about the orb above him. I know he knew I was taking the shot, but according to his Mum he quite likes the limelight so was happy not to run away! Me too. I particularly liked seeing insects in the air which can be seen at the exhibition as this image is presented at a large A0 size.
Graeae in association with Strange Fruit: Against The Tide (2010)
Presented as part of The World Picnic in Campbell Park, this outdoor presentation saw to-be-regulars, disabled-led UK theatre company Graeae, collaborate with Australian performing arts company Strange Fruit, to tell a tale about living in a world with the challenge of receding oceans. Alongside a stage and soundscape the defining feature was the use of 4m long bendy sway poles to allow aerial choreography and interaction.
This shot was an attempt to capture a detail of the more abstract interaction of people and shape alongside wider shots which set the scene and location, but missed the characters of the individuals, which this achieves.
Ray Lee: Chorus (2014)
Ray Lee was British Composer of the Year for Sonic Art in 2012.
Chorus was a set of around 12 giant metal tripods with spinning arms with speakers that emitted transfixing harmonious sounds across the various locations they were placed at across the Festival: MK Railway Station, The Hub and Fred Roche gardens, shown here with Church of Christ the Cornerstone and a few early evening stars.
Giving a War of the Worlds vibe, this shot was created using a tripod (with some degree of irony) to ensure the light trails created could be resolved without the rest of the image blurring, to create something visual to match the sounds. This is probably only one of a handful of times I’ve not free-shot as usually there’s so much going on it’s not practical to haul it around.
A little like For The Birds, a slightly pre-sunset timing enable some separation of the buildings from the dark blue night sky, something that becomes impossible only a little while later at night.
Architects of Air: Mirazozo (2010)
One of my favourite images and experiences. Mirazozo was Architects of Air’s first inflatable structure or ‘luminarium’ to grace IF and at the time, the largest structure they’d ever built and was placed in the concourse directly outside of MK Railway Station.
A little like walking inside a giant, living, bouncy castle, the domes and tunnels, inspired by architecture from around the world, allowed light to enter to produce a myriad of colour, shape and wonder not unlike a stained-glass window. Along with a musical soundscape it was a place where you could stay, explore and let your mind wander.
I produced many abstract shot from inside Mirazozo (how could you not?) but capturing visitors unstaged as they explored it gave a real sense of proportion and a human side to this other-worldly experience.
The World Famous with Terrafolk: Full Circle (2010)
The first event at the first IF was a massive free event heralding a transition from winter to spring to summer.
With its Campbell Park setting, large crowd and musicians playing inside flower-like pods to a backdrop of lights, intriguing pyrotechics and fireworks, this set the scene and theme for a part of what IF would become and continues to deliver some 15 years later.
As the first page of the programme revealed:
“The challenge of launching a brand new international festival is not for the faint-hearted, but in Milton Keynes anything is possible and magical things can - and do - happen.
Our vision is to create 10 extraordinary days that will use the city as a stage and showcase incredible artists and events that will surprise and delight, creating life-long memories for you to cherish and share”
Monica Ferguson, Festival Director, 2010
The Lone Twin Boat Project (2012)
3 images in exhibition
Building a beautiful 30ft boat from wooden artefacts donated by the public and sailing it around the coast of the UK, as part of the London 2012 Cultural Olympiad. Fair enough.
Getting it to berth in Milton Keynes, possibly one of the statistically furthest points from the sea and commissioning a unique series of accompanying songs and music by Adrian McNally and The Unthanks. That’s IF!
This is the first of three images from this project in the exhibition. This one shows the simple job of getting the boat off its transporter and into location in Queen’s Court in the middle of Centre:MK, by swinging it via a massive crane from the service road over the surrounding buildings, whilst much hand-wringing took place worrying about the point-loading on the road (!).
It’s not the most artistic shot, but portrays a sense of what goes on behind the scenes to bring extraordinary work to the people of Milton Keynes. And a nice early call to add to the more nocturnally-focused programme of events to cover.
The second image shows the boat in situ in Queen’s Court in the middle of Centre:MK - visible from the adjoining boulevards the bright woodwork drew shoppers and visitors to the viewing platforms to learn more about its origin and journey and to get up close and personal.
And the final one shows how people were drawn and engaged with the boat and the project. Whether that was a resonance with a certain component’s story or just the sheer beauty of the craftsmanship or materials. I like this one as it highlights musical instrument components as a nod to the heritage of The Stables.
I always seek natural and un-staged personal moments and reactions to all that IF undertakes, regardless of age, gender or any other (mis)defining categorisation.
What these images don’t show and what I was able to capture with full access to inside the boat, rather than the public viewing platforms, was how the inside was just as fantastic, creative and whimsical as the outside, if not as lacquered to a high sheen for sea-going use.
Rebecca Louise Law: The Place Between (2023)
Commissioned by the Centre:MK in collaboration with IF, internationally-renown artist Rebecca Louise Law worked with local MK residents to create multiple strings of wired, dried flowers which hung from the roof across Middleton Hall within the shopping centre.
Visitors could then walk amongst the flowers listening to a soundscape of stories and music created by sound-artist Jason Singh, using biodata captured from living plants around the City.
This installation provided many opportunities for artistic long shallow depth-of-field shots of people engaging with the flowers both visually and aurally, such as this gentleman taking a well-earned artistic distraction a time for reflection away from his toy shopping.
SKRYF with words by Jackie Kay (2014)
There’s something quite satisfying watching a little wheeled robot write poetry with sand. Just your normal IF experience.
This little ‘fella’ was known as SKRYF, who fter having being set up by his Dutch handler Gijs Van Bon with words, courtesy of leading writer and poet Jackie Kay (who also delivered a powerful ‘audience with’ during the Festival) happily trundled off across paths and open spaces such as Willen Lake, outside Centre:MK and here at MK Theatre/MK Gallery happily pooping literary sand in his/her/their wake.
Intrigued children pointing and clutching their Festival brochures was a totally natural albeit PR-friendly occurrence; one of my golden rules is No Intervention. For me, if it doesn’t happen, it’s not worth photographing. And if you don’t capture the moment, move on and do better…
Station House Opera: Dominoes (2016)
2 images in the exhibition
Working with 200 local participants (in bespoke t-shirts!) Station House Opera built a 2 kilometre line of upended ceramic blocks from The Point (above) through the heart of the centre of Milton Keynes which were then, well you know how dominoes work, to a cheering crowd along the whole route.
Passing though landmarks, along streets, through people’s homes (see image #2) and punctuated by tall, collapsing block structures, it took around 25 minutes for the whole line to collapse. Luckily no one ‘intervened’ and it all ran smoothly, culminating in a large structure collapse at Margaret Powell Square.
Once over, many collected whole or broken slabs as ‘souvenirs’. As you do.
Be Flat: Follow Me (2023)
2 images in the exhibition
The most recent Festival featured urban acrobats from Belgium, picking out a unique route up and across and within the buildings around Central Milton Keynes.
Starting as a pre-gathered group of watchers/participants carrying their chairs from a secret meeting place, passers-by were invited along with the ‘flash mob’ to witness some of the most hair-raising and gasp-inducing manoeuvres, alongside other set acrobatic and balance pieces.
I’m sure the iconic porte cocheres were not designed to be leapt from, not the high window ledges and cladding scaled, traversed and grabbed by two leaping Belgians. But there you go. IF you have the skill…
Photographing something like this, in fact most IF activity over these 15 years, is an intense mental and physical challenge as you are unaware of where the performers and the public will go, how each location will settle, what will actually happen and what imagery is found/offered that captures the human interaction, the performance, the location and all whilst creating a technically and aesthetically competent interesting image with available light.
Teatro Container: La Cocina Pública (2018)
This was another favourite of mine over the years. Away from the centre of Milton Keynes, in West Bletchley, this outreach project saw a shipping container from Chile placed next to a block of flats. Over the following days it opened to reveal a travelling kitchen and the theatre company’s artists engaged with the local residents to discuss recipes and memories, make aprons and plan a celebration outdoor dinner event with food and a performance about migration.
To document the various stages of this project and see the joy and engagement with the locals was amazing; one of the dinners was slightly frustrated by a massive thunder storm, but the way everyone pitched in to help move everything into the local community centre was actually an added bonus bonding experience.
You can see a fuller set of my images from La Cocina Pública here.
Roger Bernat: Domini Públic (2010)
2 images in the exhibition
Participation and interaction with the citizens of Milton Keynes is now a cornerstone of IF but in 2010 it was a pioneering endeavour not without its sceptics, but challenge is part of the IF DNA.
Those attending this evolving ‘interactive play’ at The Hub wore headphones and as a series of questions unfolded organically, separated into a variety of different roles from demonstrator, to first aider, to bystanders. Not much changes really…
The result was confusion, joy, fear of what was next, but ultimately an enjoyable and touching experience for all concerned.
This was one of my first journeys into careful observation of an unseen and evolving activity around me. Constantly working to capture the people, the MK location, the activity, the wide shots and the details, both individually and collectively to record the story, when video was not as prevalent.
I choose not to listen to the audio in these sorts of scenarios to ensure all senses are on the visual.
The Spiegeltent
This round, wooden structure with its panelled interiors, mirrors and booths has been a permanent feature of IF Festival Central since 2010, providing a flexible indoor entertainment space, with a mixture of seating, for bands and comedians.
It has also hosts micro-circus events with internationally renown troupes of acrobats, jugglers and dancers.
This wide-angle shot shows Gravity & Other Myths: A Simple Space from 2016 enthralling the packed and excited tent with their balancing skills.
All photography at IF is shot without flash using natural (but not always readily available in the Spiegeltent!) light. This along with silent shutter and constantly changing position in a tight environment, ensures as little disruption as possible to the performers and audience.
I’ve only been drawn into the performance twice across many dozens of shows; ask me about Rich Hall and Tom Allen!
La Compagnie Carabosse: Fire Gardens (2012)
The fire gardens in Campbell Park were a multi-location installation of metal structures, towers, bowls and machines all filled to the brim with fire and embers, rendering them red hot as they blazed and smoked away in the evening/night.
This was the first major IF installation that really ‘wowed’* me and therefore has stuck in my memory as my favourite IF component in the 14 years I’ve been photographing the Festival. I think it was also one of the largest attended (10,000+?), aside from large crowd-based shows, over its three days.
Weaved in and around the planted and sloped areas each turn was a discovery, as live music played and drifted across the park. This drama of light, heat, sound could be experienced close up with, as I recall, no intrusive barriers or overt health and safety nannying despite the volumes of people, besides a page at the back of the festival brochure, which everyone read obviously. What an absolute, unfettered joy.
This chosen image, if I’m honest, doesn’t really covey the total drama and power of some of the sculptures, but does give an abstract sense of the unusual anticipation as you entered the fiery gardens as the sun was setting. It also features the former pond that is now the location for the MK Rose feature which was constructed some two years later.
*a ‘wow’ event or performance for me is one that can stop me photographing. Normally I’m so detached as part of my professional need to focus on image capture and not missing a thing I don’t really let myself really experience the installation/art/music/comedy/whatever. Sometimes however, the content just overwhelms the detachment…IF can do that, whatever level your hurdle.
Festival Central (2010)
One of the core blocks of my work for IF is to capture the atmosphere of all that goes on at Festival Central, the home of the Spiegeltent shows, the Arabian Tent free acoustic shows, free family games and entertainment, food and drink offerings and such, where folk and families can just gather and hang out. The heart of IF really.
The festival also engages with many volunteers (the people in pink IF shirts! Purple is for staff and black for production team FYI) who are integral to delivering the overall visitor experience across the City. This shot from 2010 (there are hundreds from this location alone!) was chosen by The Stables as it encapsulates the volunteer, audience and festival feeling.
Despite the quite literal intent and moment-capture, I’m always seeking to include a visual aesthetic in all my work and feel the sight lines work particularly well in this image, naturally bringing your focus towards the volunteer.