People & Groups

People are at the heart of our work. We collaborate with community organisations, grassroots groups and sector networks to explore how arts, culture and making can support collective wellbeing and positive change.

Creatives of Blackburn (CoB)

The Creatives of Blackburn (CoB Collective) is a free monthly meet-up for 18–35-year-olds living and working in Lancashire, facilitated in collaboration with Blackburn Museum & Art Gallery. The group comes together to explore collaborative projects, take part in creative workshops, and enjoy a supportive social space.

Sessions offer a space to connect, share knowledge, and receive guidance in creative and professional development. While supported by facilitators, members actively contribute ideas, lead projects, and take ownership of their work.

Members also benefit from subsidised trips, including major exhibitions and cultural events across the UK. The collective shares opportunities for paid work and volunteering, and since joining, members have launched their own freelance projects, gained references for entering the creative sector, and secured employment through connections made within the programme.

CoB Collective regularly collaborates with partner organisations, offering chances to build networks, gain practical experience, and access further freelance opportunities.

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Focus Group

The National Festival of Making Focus Group is an audience-led advisory group passionate about our festival and their local community. The group comes together to provide ideas and insights to help shape the future of the National Festival of Making, helping make sure it remains exciting, inclusive, and relevant to the communities we serve.

Formed through an open invitation for contributors, this informal group takes the form of a meet-up, with no selection process – anyone who is interested in being involved is more than welcome. The aim of the group is to hear the thoughts and experiences of community members in relation to our work, go on trips for inspiration, and share more about our processes.

We welcome people of all backgrounds to get involved, especially those who are:

  • Connected to the local community
  • Passionate and eager to learn more about creativity and making
  • Interested in contributing time, energy, and expertise to the Festival’s development

Whether you’re a festival volunteer, artist, a local resident or simply someone with a keen interest in making, we’d love to hear from you. All we ask is that you are over the age of 18.

Get in touch to find out more.

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Creative Alliance

The Creative Alliance is a partnership between  The Making Rooms, Super Slow Way, British Textile Biennial, Uncultured Creatives, Culturepedia, The Bureau Centre for the Arts, Prism Contemporary, Blackburn Museum and Art Gallery and National Festival of Making. 

As part of the partnership, each year, paid year-long internships have been offered annually since 2021. Each Creative Alliance intern joins a partner organisation, gaining professional development, skills-based training, and cross-sector opportunities shaped around their individual interests.

Volunteering

It wouldn’t be possible to run the National Festival of Making’s annual festival without the support of our fantastic volunteers.

Every single volunteer helps make these events what they are by getting involved and supporting our work. From information helpers to workshop assistants, there are many roles to suit all interests.

For each festival weekend, over 100 people aged 16 – 65+ have the option to volunteer for half a day, a full day, or even the full weekend! By getting involved, volunteers get to meet new people, work with artists and makers and be part of a national event in Blackburn.

Learn more about volunteering

LANDS

LANDS is the name of an arts and sustainability working group programme seeded by Arts Lancashire. LANDS is run by a small Executive Committee made up of artists and representatives from Lancashire arts and culture organisations, including Festival of Making CIC.

An acronym for Lancashire Arts Network for Developing Sustainability, LANDS is a vital programme of climate action, engagement, advocacy and support for Lancashire artists and arts organisations.

It aims to deliver climate justice by working together as a sector to address the unequal impact of the climate crisis and foster a sustainable creative community. It will do this by sharing knowledge and best practice across our local sector about making artistic practice more sustainable as part of a wider commitment to contribute to Lancashire’s net-zero target.

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I’ve become part of an extremely supportive and wildly creative network of passionate individuals. Every aspect of the Festival and year-round work is meticulously planned and beautifully considered, and Blackburn is richer for the huge range of opportunities it provides.

CoB Member and Creative Alliance Intern

I enjoy arts and crafts, but don’t often get the chance to do stuff, so I took this opportunity to take part and help.

Festival Volunteer