Milton Keynes International Festival aims to bring 'hope and joy'

Each of the 28,000 white cones in Breathing Room was made on kitchen tables in Milton Keynes

An arts festival will "give people a sense of hope and joy" after 16 months of Covid-19 restrictions, organisers have said.

Milton Keynes International Festival, which takes place every two years, was postponed in 2020 due to the pandemic.

Concerts, theatre, dance, music and visual arts installations can now be seen across the town until 30 July.

Festival director, Monica Ferguson, said it was "phenomenally important" this year.

"It's always a landmark event, every two years in the cultural calendar, but this one in particular will just give people a sense of hope and joy," she said.

Although Covid restrictions are due to end in England from 19 July, Ms Ferguson said they would still be asking people to use hand sanitiser and wear masks in crowded areas.

"We've planned for the event to be as safe as possible," she said.

"We're asking people to book online, so we can allow for social distancing, and allow people space and time to experience the festival and we will continue to do that right through to the end."

Some of the installations include a tunnel of cones, arrival and departure boards and an app taking you on a journey around Campbell Park.

Artist Anna Berry hopes Breathing Room will change "how people feel about the world around them"

Breathing Room at Centre: MK is described as "a large-scale kinetic artwork that people can move through".

The tunnel of 28,000 white synthetic cones - each made on Milton Keynes kitchen tables during lockdown - and built around parts of recycled bicycles, "move as if the structure is breathing".

Artist Anna Berry said it was "designed to change how you experience space around you" and she hoped it would change "how people feel about the world around them".

"Some people seem to be quite moved, I've had a few people cry... people laugh, some people are a little bit creeped out, so it seems to affect people in different ways," she said.

Yara+Davina hope their artwork Arrivals + Departures "opens up conversations around birth and death"

Yara+Davina's artwork Arrivals + Departures in City Square shows arrival and departure boards, displaying names of people submitted by the public, as a way of celebrating and commemorating a birth or a death.

Artist Davina Drummond said: "We wanted to tap into that emotional connection that we have [with these boards] and use that as a way to open up conversations around birth and death."

Drake Music's Planted Symphony takes you on a mythical journey in Campbell Park

Drake Music's Planted Symphony is an interactive audio trail where melody, installations and stories take you on a journey and aim to bring the canal side to life.

Chief executive Carien Meijer said it hoped to "just take you away from the busyness of everyday life and let you experience nature and just be alone with your thoughts and with the music and artistic experience".