Derbyshire Makes announces inaugural spring festival dates, locations and special guest artist from the BBC’s The Great British Sewing Bee

Derbyshire’s three-year cultural programme – Derbyshire Makes – launches its first free annual festival on Friday 28^th March to Sunday 27^th April 2025, taking place across six locations over five weeks. The Derbyshire Makes festival will visit the town centres of the six community Hubs: Chesterfield, Heanor, Glossop, Bolsover, Swadlincote, and Cromford Mills. Residents and visitors will be able to take part in hands-on making workshops, listen to stories, take inspiration from nature and learn new crafting skills. Festival goers will also be invited to join in a county-wide mass participation activity inspired by Derbyshire’s textiles heritage, led by Alex Murphy, Derbyshire resident and recent contestant on the BBC’s The Great British Sewing Bee.

Derbyshire Makes aims to celebrate making in all its forms and shine a spotlight on the county’s extraordinary making heritage and creative and cultural industries. The Derbyshire Makes festival will be an annual highlight.

The Museum of Making’s Makory mobile activity space will visit each town centre as part of the festival. Activities will have a focus on local heritage collections including never before seen items from both the Museum of Making and Derbyshire Archives to inspire new inventions. Activities in each Hub location will be programmed by local cultural organisations building on their experience of developing creative activities with and for residents in their areas and inspired by local stories. For example, Cromford Mills will be exploring water and how to make your own water-powered machines, whereas festival goers in Bolsover will have the chance to make sculptures from natural materials, inspired by the natural landscape.

Alex Murphy, a contestant on this year’s The Great British Sewing Bee, will be encouraging people to get creative with materials as part of a mass participation making project to be launched in February. The project takes its inspiration from how water enabled Derbyshire to flourish during the Industrial Revolution through water-powered mills and the production of textiles.

Alex will be asking people to express themselves through designing, making, wearing and showcasing textile-based creations. These could include garments, banners, patchwork, quilts, that people have made or repurposed, with an emphasis on sustainability. Any schools and community groups taking part will be encouraged to host catwalk shows to parade their new creations, organise clothes swaps, or lead a procession. Whether a resident, local business, artist, maker or visitor, anyone can get involved in the mass participation project.

Alex Murphy said:
“I’m thrilled to be part of such an exciting project in the county I’m lucky to call home. Making, particularly with repurposed materials, is such an important part of my life. It’s a true privilege to share my skills and enthusiasm, and I can’t wait to see what the people of Derbyshire create through these hands-on activities.”

For more information and how to get involved, sign up to the mailing list visit www.derbyshiremakes.co.uk.

Councillor Barry Lewis, Leader of Derbyshire County Council said: “It’s exciting to see Derbyshire Makes taking shape with an ambitious programme of events and activities in communities across the county, inspired by our proud history of making. We’re keen to ensure that as many people as possible can get involved in making in all its forms and celebrate our heritage as well as the role making plays in Derbyshire now and in the future.”

Peter Knott, Midlands Area Director at Arts Council England said: “It’s brilliant to see this project coming to life following a £780,000 investment through our Place Partnership Fund, which uses money from the National Lottery.

“Culture plays a vital role in bringing communities together. It also makes people feel happier and take pride in the place that they live. So we’re thrilled that Derbyshire Makes is building on the county’s rich heritage of making to inspire and enable more people to enjoy high quality creative and cultural experiences on their doorstep”

Festival dates and Hub programming lead organisations:

Chesterfield – Junction Arts                                                   Friday 28 – Sunday 30 March

Heanor – MakeShift                                                                    Saturday 5 – Sunday 6 April

Cromford Mills – Cromford Mills                                        Saturday 12 – Sunday 13 April

Glossop – High Peak Community Arts                              Tuesday 15 – Wednesday 16 April (Easter holidays)

Bolsover – Junction Arts                                                          Saturday 19 – Sunday 20 April

Swadlincote – People Express                                               Saturday 26 – Sunday 27 April

Full details of the festival will be revealed in February 2025.

Derbyshire-based agencies Local and Arts Derbyshire have been contracted to deliver Derbyshire Makes. Local leads on countywide activity including the festival and mass participation project, and Arts Derbyshire coordinates the programme of activities across the six community Hubs in Bolsover, Swadlincote, Glossop, Chesterfield, Heanor and Matlock/Cromford/Wirksworth.

Derbyshire Makes is funded by Arts Council England’s Place Partnership fund, which uses money from the National Lottery, and Derbyshire County Council and has already secured 50 partners to support its delivery.

www.derbyshiremakes.co.uk

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