The National Festival of Making returns to Blackburn on 5–6 July 2025 for a vibrant weekend of creativity, community and craftsmanship. Celebrating making in all its forms, from heritage craft to contemporary design, the festival transforms the town centre with art, performance, and hands-on experiences.
This year’s headline speaker is architect and TV presenter George Clarke MBE, who appears in conversation with festival co-founder Wayne Hemingway MBE. Tickets will be available on a ‘pay as you feel’ basis.
At the heart of the programme is Art in Manufacturing, featuring new commissions from Matter at hand (the design studio of Turner Prize-winning Assemble co-founder Lewis Jones) with Darwen Terracotta, Morag Myerscough with Crown Paints, and Liaqat Rasul with Herbert Parkinson (part of the John Lewis Partnership). These commissions highlight the powerful intersection of making, material and meaning.
Outdoor Programme Includes:
- Those in Glass Houses by Matt Pang and Owen Reynolds
- Loud & Proud by Punjabi Roots
- Pipes and Poo by One Tenth Human
