Festival of Making

Explore our portfolio of current and past projects to see how communities, artists and makers shape our work.

Latest Projects

The Nasheed Choir

Internationally recognised Nasheed artist Hussnain Hanif formed a new Nasheed choir with 60 students from two Blackburn-based schools.

Come as You Really Are

A celebration of the nation's hobbies, bringing together a network of arts and culture organisations led by artist Hetain Patel and commissioner Art Angel.

Fred Aldous

Each year, the National Festival of Making commissions a unique artist-led window installation at Manchester arts supply store Fred Aldous.

Featured Projects

Our Home: Stitch-School

A collaborative project centred around a giant embroidery table, Our Home was developed with Stitch-School and supported by artist Sana Maulvi.

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Dodecalis Luminarium: Architects of Air

A monumental inflatable sculpture handcrafted by Architects of Air welcomed thousands of visitors into its winding paths and vast domes.

Find out more

Welcome Arch: Dual Works

Co-commissioned by Pendle Festival of Culture and the National Festival of Making, Dual Works created a place to gather, reflect and welcome.

Find out more

Projects A-Z

Adorning with Clay

A workshop series led by artist Aliyah Hussain encouraged skill development and making for well-being, with each participant creating their own ceramic collection.

Assembly

Utilising broken furniture parts, pieces and components, artist Maisie Pritchard combined her own sculptural practice with public workshops.

Blackburn Urban Food Futures

A research-based workshop series delivered by experts in urban agriculture supported residents to explore growing food in towns and cities.

Clocking In

Performance-based installation, Clocking In, worked to combine the sights and sounds of manufacturing and industry with live electronic recording.

Come as You Really Are

A celebration of the nation's hobbies, bringing together a network of arts and culture organisations led by artist Hetain Patel and commissioner Art Angel.

Digital Stories

A creative project led in collaboration by theatre company imitating the dog and the National Festival of Making.

Dirty Faces Cinema

Emerged from the mill towns, youth culture creative studio Dirty Faces transformed Tony’s Empress Ballroom into a cinema.

Dodecalis Luminarium

A monumental inflatable sculpture handcrafted by Architects of Air welcomed thousands of visitors into its winding paths and vast domes.

Festival Commissions: 2023

Opportunities for artists and makers to create brand new projects or develop existing work resulted in interactive, living, and ever-growing installations.

Festival in a Box

600 making kits with activity instructions which were distributed to schools and young people during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Festival on Tour

In collaboration with Blackburn Central Library, the National Festival of Making and Let’s Make Art have developed a collection of making activities.

Fred Aldous

Each year, the National Festival of Making commissions a unique artist-led window installation at Manchester arts supply store Fred Aldous.

Front Room Factories

Co-commissioned with The Super Slow Way, Lancashire’s domestic creators invited video producers O Production into their homes, revealing an industry manufacturing at home.

Future Makers Challenge

Industry-led briefs have asked students to consider exciting new work for the festival programme, resulting in mentoring to bring the winning ideas to life.

Graduate Micro Commissions

In response to the pandemic, the National Festival of Making launched an open call to commission three recent creative degree graduates from any Lancashire-based university.

Hot Bed Press

Printmaker studio Hot Bed Press visited two local primary schools to create joyful screen printed poster designs.

Of Earth & Sky

Artist Luke Jerram, in collaboration with poet Hafsah Aneela Bashir, brought giant-scale poetry to life across Blackburn with Darwen.

Our Home

A collaborative project centred around a giant embroidery table, Our Home was developed with Stitch-School and supported by artist Sana Maulvi.

Rise of the Plastic Artisans

Sodium Films documented the people and processes behind recycled plastic manufacturing, drawing on the innovation at play at Precious Plastic Lancaster.

The Big Reinvention Challenge

A collaboration with Little Inventors saw the launch of a nationwide creative design challenge rooted in sustainability.

The Collective Canal

Architecture and design studio Playground investigated what a more fantastical collective canal, used by everybody, could look like.

The Nasheed Choir

Internationally recognised Nasheed artist Hussnain Hanif formed a new Nasheed choir with 60 students from two Blackburn-based schools.

The Obscura Photowall

A self-documented portrait gallery was created by the Obscura Collective and festival visitors using an analogue plate camera.

The People's Jury

Rooted in principles of co-design, the National Festival of Making worked with Blackburn with Darwen’s People’s Jury on the Climate Crisis over 12 months.

Waterworld

Workshops led by LPM Dance took place in Newfield School, exploring a magical and sensory world through movement, music and play.

Welcome Arch

Co-commissioned by Pendle Festival of Culture and the National Festival of Making, Dual Works created a place to gather, reflect and welcome.

YESS Lad

A group exhibition in collaboration with award-winning charity Venture Arts toured to the National Festival of Making after its debut at TJ Boulting during Frieze London.

Projects

Latest Projects

Internationally recognised Nasheed artist Hussnain Hanif formed a new Nasheed choir with 60 students from two Blackburn-based schools.

A celebration of the nation's hobbies, bringing together a network of arts and culture organisations led by artist Hetain Patel and commissioner Art Angel.

Each year, the National Festival of Making commissions a unique artist-led window installation at Manchester arts supply store Fred Aldous.

Featured Projects

Our Home: Stitch-School

A collaborative project centred around a giant embroidery table, Our Home was developed with Stitch-School and supported by artist Sana Maulvi.

Dodecalis Luminarium: Architects of Air

A monumental inflatable sculpture handcrafted by Architects of Air welcomed thousands of visitors into its winding paths and vast domes.

Welcome Arch: Dual Works

Co-commissioned by Pendle Festival of Culture and the National Festival of Making, Dual Works created a place to gather, reflect and welcome.

Projects A-Z

A workshop series led by artist Aliyah Hussain encouraged skill development and making for well-being, with each participant creating their own ceramic collection.

Utilising broken furniture parts, pieces and components, artist Maisie Pritchard combined her own sculptural practice with public workshops.

A research-based workshop series delivered by experts in urban agriculture supported residents to explore growing food in towns and cities.

Performance-based installation, Clocking In, worked to combine the sights and sounds of manufacturing and industry with live electronic recording.

A celebration of the nation's hobbies, bringing together a network of arts and culture organisations led by artist Hetain Patel and commissioner Art Angel.

A creative project led in collaboration by theatre company imitating the dog and the National Festival of Making.

Emerged from the mill towns, youth culture creative studio Dirty Faces transformed Tony’s Empress Ballroom into a cinema.

A monumental inflatable sculpture handcrafted by Architects of Air welcomed thousands of visitors into its winding paths and vast domes.

Opportunities for artists and makers to create brand new projects or develop existing work resulted in interactive, living, and ever-growing installations.

600 making kits with activity instructions which were distributed to schools and young people during the Covid-19 pandemic.

In collaboration with Blackburn Central Library, the National Festival of Making and Let’s Make Art have developed a collection of making activities.

Each year, the National Festival of Making commissions a unique artist-led window installation at Manchester arts supply store Fred Aldous.

Co-commissioned with The Super Slow Way, Lancashire’s domestic creators invited video producers O Production into their homes, revealing an industry manufacturing at home.

Industry-led briefs have asked students to consider exciting new work for the festival programme, resulting in mentoring to bring the winning ideas to life.

In response to the pandemic, the National Festival of Making launched an open call to commission three recent creative degree graduates from any Lancashire-based university.

Printmaker studio Hot Bed Press visited two local primary schools to create joyful screen printed poster designs.

Artist Luke Jerram, in collaboration with poet Hafsah Aneela Bashir, brought giant-scale poetry to life across Blackburn with Darwen.

A collaborative project centred around a giant embroidery table, Our Home was developed with Stitch-School and supported by artist Sana Maulvi.

Sodium Films documented the people and processes behind recycled plastic manufacturing, drawing on the innovation at play at Precious Plastic Lancaster.

A collaboration with Little Inventors saw the launch of a nationwide creative design challenge rooted in sustainability.

Architecture and design studio Playground investigated what a more fantastical collective canal, used by everybody, could look like.

Internationally recognised Nasheed artist Hussnain Hanif formed a new Nasheed choir with 60 students from two Blackburn-based schools.

A self-documented portrait gallery was created by the Obscura Collective and festival visitors using an analogue plate camera.

Rooted in principles of co-design, the National Festival of Making worked with Blackburn with Darwen’s People’s Jury on the Climate Crisis over 12 months.

Workshops led by LPM Dance took place in Newfield School, exploring a magical and sensory world through movement, music and play.

Co-commissioned by Pendle Festival of Culture and the National Festival of Making, Dual Works created a place to gather, reflect and welcome.

A group exhibition in collaboration with award-winning charity Venture Arts toured to the National Festival of Making after its debut at TJ Boulting during Frieze London.

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