What’s On in Derbyshire in October?

As the leaves turn brown and the nights grow longer, there are still some brilliant things to watch, listen and be a part of in Derbyshire 🍂

• Kicking off tomorrow, Derby Poetry Festival is a poetry and literature festival held in the centre of Derby. DPF is dedicated to developing new writing talent in Derby and bring excellent work to the city through performances, workshops, slam and panel discussions.
• Celebrate the power of women who make, inspire and transform this Saturday at the Women Who Make Festival, part of Derbyshire Makes. Set around the ‘Standing In This Place’ exhibition by artist Rachel Carter, explore a vibrant showcase of women makers, artists, designers, storytellers and activists at Masson Mills, Matlock.
• Derby Folk Festival has been bringing world class folk music and dance to the city centre since 2007, and it’s back for 2025! From 10-12 October, a number of venues and streets in the Cathedral Quarter will play host to concerts, dances, workshops and crafts.
• GLISTEN Fest is LEVEL Centre’s annual sparkly, sensory festival, taking place from 10-18 October in Rowsley. Filled with light and sound for people with Profound Multiple Learning Disabilities (PMLD), it’s designed to ignite the senses, inspire creativity and create memories that can be shared with family, friends and carers.
• Back again for 2025, Assemble: Derby’s Making Festival brings together over 60 artists and makers from varied disciplines to share their passion and skills with you and to encourage you to have a go at making yourself. Celebrate making in all its shapes and forms at the Museum of Making on 25 October.
• The hugely popular Matlock Bath Illuminations continues to run every Saturday and Sunday until 26 October. A fun-packed family event featuring a spectacular parade of illuminated and decorated boats along the River Derwent. Every Saturday evening, there’s also a magical firework display to behold too!

📢 And then as the last word on festivals…

• After a brilliant tour around the county over the summer, we’re pleased to announce that the much-loved Festivity is back! Arts Derbyshire’s Festivity is returning for the winter season, bringing its vibrancy and fun indoors to escape the British weather. Coming to Sharpe’s Pottery Heritage and Arts Trust Museum in Swadlincote on 22 November, we’ll be bringing a day of exciting free activities for all the family, with everything from powerful spoken word to engaging workshops.

  After the success of Festivity this summer, we are so pleased to be welcoming back our friends from Adverse Camber, who will be curating a great storytelling line-up for the day. Likewise, Derby Poetry Festival is also returning with a brand-new line-up for spoken word. Furthermore, the amazing Paul Johnstone will be the featured artist for the day, so look forward to his unique, beautiful, abstract art.

  If that’s not enough, look forward to even more fun with the arts workshops! This time, we welcome back the local theatre company Hubbub Theatre, who will be providing inclusive, playful creative workshops for all. If you attended the Festivity Arts Showcase at Ilkeston earlier this year, you’ll already know how awesome the team at Hubbub are.

  And if you still can’t make it to any of our Festivity dates, you can still experience some of the fantastic art that the region has to offer from the comfort of your own home with the Festivity Digital Exhibition. Check it out right now on YouTube here!

You can keep a watchful eye on Derbyshire’s festival scene right here on the website’s Festivals round-up page.

If you know of a festival that’s not on our list and deserves inclusion, let us know! Drop us a line with the details at editor@artsderbyshire.org.uk to tell us about it.

Join Stitching Ashbourne at St Oswald’s Church Hall for the Stitching Ashbourne Launch Workshop – a free, relaxed session where everyone’s welcome (no sewing experience needed!). Discover the project, see the central panel design and have a go at stitching one of the patchwork squares that will become part of Ashbourne’s story.

📌 Where: St Oswald’s Church Hall, Ashbourne
⏰ When: 6 October
👛 Cost: FREE (Donations welcome)

Get into the festive spirit with these hands-on pottery workshops, hosted by The Wirksworth Pottery Company. Join Hannah from 12-2pm to create your very own handmade Christmas decorations from scratch, or from 2.30-4.30pm to unleash your creativity at the hand painting Christmas decoration workshop.

📌 Where: The Red Lion Hotel, Feather Star Alehouse, Umami Restaurant & Haarlem Gallery, Wirksworth
⏰ When: 4 October
👛 Cost: £30

Do you know a 13-17 year old with a story to tell? Whether they’re a budding blogger or a secret Notes App poet, Nottingham’s first Nature Poet Laureate, Cara Thompson, is hosting a creative writing workshop in the heart of the stunning Attenborough Nature Reserve. This free Writing East Midlands workshop is an invitation for teens to slow down, get inspired by the world around them and discover their inner nature writer.

📌 Where: Attenborough Nature Reserve, Nottingham
⏰ When: 4 October
👛 Cost: FREE

Stevie Davies Glass is hosting several family fused glass workshops for Wirksworth Wizarding Day! Play with pre-cut glass tiles and shapes to create your own colourful glass design inspired by logos, symbols and motifs from Harry Potter and all things wizard-themed. Perfect for any Potterhead – sessions have been filling up at the speed of a golden snitch, so make your booking ASAP to avoid disappointment.

📌 Where: Stevie Davies Glass, Wirksworth
⏰ When: 5 October
👛 Cost: £18

This autumn, would you like to experiment with art and creativity each day in a flexible and relaxed wellbeing challenge from home, in your own time? Taking part in Draw Day By Day gives you a daily art activity idea (sent by email each morning, with an example image) for 4 weeks. Each idea will be something you can complete in 15 minutes, although you can take as much time as you need. Suitable for all levels and abilities.

📌 Where: Wherever you want, in your own time!
⏰ When: 11 October – 8 November
👛 Cost: £3.50

Spend a day in the Louise Mary Designs studio getting creative making stunning silver bangles and bracelets. You’ll receive step-by-step tuition in classes of no more than 2 people in a friendly, relaxed environment, where you’ll learn traditional silversmithing skills, including how to cut, file, form, solder and polish silver to create your own jewellery.

📌 Where: Sharpe’s Pottery Museum, Swadlincote
⏰ When: 17 October
👛 Cost: £120

Our Crafty Place is bringing the cosy, crafty autumnal vibes with these workshops taking place on 24 October. Learn how to make a stunning hand felted pumpkin using wool fibres and the dry needle felting method, or let your imagination loose and create an autumn-themed collage using fabric.

📌 Where: Our Crafty Place CIC, Ilkeston
⏰ When: 24 October
👛 Cost: £35.79 / £42.89

South Derbyshire District Council is currently developing an arts strategy to help them set out how they, as a council, support and develop arts and creativity across their communities. It helps them understand what’s already happening locally, what people value and where there are opportunities to grow and improve.

This strategy will be shaped by local voices and reflect the needs and ambitions of their communities. Whether you’re an artist, a resident or someone who enjoys creative experiences, they are keen to have your input!

🔗 Click here to take part in the survey

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