Family fun at the National Festival of Making – here’s your handy guide!

The National Festival of Making is back and it’s packed with creative workshops, lively performances, and hands-on activities – making it the perfect family day out.

Whether you and your little ones are interested in crafting, exploring new ideas, or simply enjoying quality time together – make sure July 5th and 6th of July are in your diaries now.

The line-up for this year has to be the most exciting yet, boasting more than 50 things to see and do right across Blackburn town centre.

And with so much to get through and only two days to do it, handy guides have been created – including a full rundown of family fun.

With almost everything being free to enjoy too, it’s time to get planning to make the most of your visit.

Check out the full family fun guide now by clicking this link.

Almost all family friendly activities take place across both days of the festival, however there are a few that fall on just the Saturday or Sunday, so don’t miss out!

Here’s some of our hand-picked highlights:

Saturday:

Start your day exploring the fascinating Come As You Really Are exhibition by artist Hetain Patel at Blackburn Museum & Art Gallery, explore thousands of unique objects created and collected by hobbyists from across the UK. The event also features a new artist film, workshops, and performances. 

Enjoy soulful performances by Nasheed Artist Hussnain Hanif and pupils from local primary schools or get ready to flourish with the HELLO PETAL! paper flower mask workshop. 

For craft lovers, there’s also the chance to create whimsical Split Pin Puppets with artist Ren Wolfe , design your own decorative Jesmonite tray, or grab some tools and help build Tinkertown from used wooden pallets. 

Little racers can craft their own cardboard cars on the READY STEADY GO! adventure trail, and families can contribute to a community embroidery at Stitch-School, or explore the interactive HOME: Zero installation inspired by famous paintings. 

Brace yourself for swinging bricks, comedic catapults, and the orchestrated chaos of glass-shattering domino runs in this adventure of controlled destruction in Those In Glass Houses.

Enjoy live music at the Melodrome Stage, the chance to create your own self-portrait at the Obscura Photowall and design tiny insect homes with HemingwayDesign!

Plus, The Making Rooms is always hugely popular with families. Expect to find creative workshops set in this technology haven on Exchange Street, where there’s something for all ages to have a go at!

Sunday:

Whether you want to catch what you missed on the Saturday or you’re just visiting for the day, much of the above will be back. Plus… 

Scrumptious – a magically sweet show about friendship and ice cream, that takes place on Sunday only. Join Sylvie, a sweetshop owner and her friends from Storybook World as they try to make the world’s finest ice cream.

Join award-winning theatre company One Tenth Human to explore Pipes and Poo and experience the electrifying energy of Bhangra dancing and Dhol drumming.

If you missed the quirky retro mobile touring workshop on Saturday, join Kerris and Leonie in their classic safari caravan, which has been lovingly restored to host workshops. 

More

The National Festival of Making is a celebration of making, from the kitchen table to the factory floor.

Other highlights include:

Art in Manufacturing – featuring brand new work from three groundbreaking artists working with major businesses in the area. 

Joining the line-up for 2025 is Morag Myerscough who has teamed up with Darwen-based Crown Paints. Morag is known globally for her work  characterised by boldness, vibrant colours and high levels of positive energy! 

Matter at hand, the design studio of Lewis Jones, co-founder of Turner Prize-winning collective Assemble, has collaborated with Darwen Terracotta and Faience, and Artist Liaqat Rasul is exhibiting new artwork created with Herbert Parkinson (a John Lewis Partner).

You can read the full rundown on what you can look forward to from Art in Manufacturing using this link.

A special guest appearance from George Clarke – architect, television, presenter, lecturer and writer, best known for his work on Channel 4’s The Home Show, George Clarke’s Amazing Spaces, and more. 

This is a ‘Conversations in Creativity’ event brought to you in partnership with Creative Lancashire and George will be in conversation with Festival Co-founder, Wayne Hemingway MBE. 

Be sure to follow the festival on Facebook and Insta now to be the first to hear how to bag your ticket!

Light Organ – this looks super cool – a captivating audio-reactive installation created by artists Adam Glatherine and Akeelah Bertram and Creative Technologist Simon Fletcher, that transforms your voice into a symphony of light. 

This large-scale interactive installation features 38 illuminated acrylic pipes that respond to sounds captured through microphones positioned around the space.

And, look out for the Great British Sewing Bee judge, Patrick Grant too. He’s set to host meet and greets at his Community Clothing pop-up shop.

Don’t miss out

To find out more about the National Festival of Making, head over to: https://festivalofmaking.co.uk/ now.

And be sure to follow the festival on Facebook and Insta so you don’t miss a thing.