Published Monday 30 January 2023 at 11:29
The National Festival of Making has announced its return to Blackburn on Saturday 8 and Sunday 9 July 2023.
With a programme that combines art, manufacturing, making and communities, the fifth edition of this exciting festival weekend will present a participatory festival programme celebrating making in all its forms.
The National Festival of Making is a unique celebration of UK making, from the kitchen table to the factory floor. Presenting a programme of work that combines art, manufacturing, making and communities, they commission international and national artists to create world-class works, a year-round programme and a participatory FREE FAMILY festival for all to enjoy.
Coun Phil Riley, Leader of Blackburn with Darwen Council, welcomed the news. He said:
We are delighted to be welcoming the fantastic National Festival of Making back for another year – particularly following their recently achieved National Portfolio Organisation status from Arts Council England.
The Festival always brings a distinctive vibrancy to Blackburn, drawing visitors from far and wide – including overseas – with world-class art installations, workshops and performances.
Each year there is such a variety of workshops and free entertainment that create a real buzz about town, bringing our communities together as we celebrate the rich making heritage that is in our DNA.
Beyond being a great weekend of activities, the festival is a vital part of our borough’s cultural offer. The engaging programme delivered by the Festival team truly celebrates our borough’s unique making heritage, and underlines how important this still is to us now and for the future.
Visitors to the two-day National Festival of Making can expect artist and industry commissions, bookable and drop-in making workshops, celebratory music and performance, artisan craft and local food producers marketplace, STEAM, community projects, talks programme, street food, curated makers markets and much, much more.
This year will also see the return of Art in Manufacturing, the headline commissioning programme of the National Festival of Making – providing artists with an incomparable platform to make new work in and alongside some of the UK’s major manufacturers.
More details of the programme and activities that make us this year’s National Festival of Making will be released over the coming months. Keep in touch at:
Facebook festofmaking
Twitter festofmaking
Instagram thefestivalofmaking
Filed under : arts | Blackburn Town Centre | Culture | Festival of Making | National Festival of Making