The National Festival of Making is inviting artists, makers and creatives of all kinds to express their interest in newly released opportunities.
Applications now closed.
The National Festival of Making weekend will return to Lancashire on the 8th & 9th of July 2023, filling the streets of Blackburn with free participatory making opportunities, workshops, performances, talks, exhibitions, markets and more.
We have now released open calls for two different types of opportunities:
Festival Workshops: Delivering a workshop as part of our 2023 Festival programme
Festival Commissions: Developing a project or piece of work that will be experienced or displayed at the Festival
Read on to learn more about the opportunities and find out how to apply.
Festival Workshops
Our workshops programme is an important part of the Festival, offering our audience the opportunity to take part in high-quality, contemporary making experiences.
We are looking for imaginative and distinctive ideas that engage our multi-generational audiences with inspiring ‘making’ content.
Deadline: 15th March 2023
Festival Commissions
As part of the 2023 festival programme, we are releasing commission opportunities for artists/makers/collectives to develop new work or projects, the outcomes of which will be exhibited or experienced over the Festival weekend.
We are open to all ideas that connect to our Making Themes, including:
- Visual art of any form
- Combined art of any form
- Creative concepts that demonstrate and reflect the diversity of society with an emphasis on ‘making’
- Development of a festival structure/props/festival wayfinding
- Participatory festival activity
- Work that results in a festival exhibition
- Performance and music experiences
- STEAM-focused projects – Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Maths
- Sustainability-driven projects
- Projects exploring making or manufacturing histories in a contemporary way
- Outdoor installations for children
Deadline: 15th March 2023
Important Information
During our programming process, we are inviting artists/makers to send us proposals, as well as delivering open calls.
If you would like the application information in a different format or to discuss alternative ways to submit an application, please email daisy@decopublique.co.uk. We are open to many alternative ways to submit, including video/audio recordings of workshop outlines.
Festival of Making CIC’s aim is that our workforce, contributors and partners are representative of the diverse society we live in and that each individual feels respected, supported and able to give their best. We encourage applications from all backgrounds and communities and welcome discussions about specific individual requirements. Please contact us by emailing Daisy at the details above, or email info@festivalofmaking.co.uk