Festival of Making

Co-commissioned by Pendle Festival of Culture and the National Festival of Making, the Welcome Arch acted as a place for gathering, welcoming people to each festival and connecting people and place.

Selected through an Open Call, designer-makers Dual Works hosted creative workshops focusing on meaningful conversations with intergenerational groups in Pendle and Blackburn before beginning their design.

The vibrant structure was informed by these workshops, aiming to reflect the sense of place and geography of our two Lancashire towns, drawing together what unites us.

The arch fulfilled a ceremonial function at the opening of Pendle Festival of Culture before moving to Blackburn for the National Festival of Making weekend, where visitors were able to sit and enjoy the changing colour reflections created as the sun came out.

Accompanied by workshops using offcuts from the making process, participants were able to take a piece of the festival home with them.

Welcome Arch was longlisted for the RIBA Journal MacEwen Award 2025, a celebration of 30 projects which epitomise architecture for the common good, and is now used at a community hub in Nelson.

About Dual Works

Dual Works is a designer-maker studio based in Birmingham with experience and a track record in creating bespoke projects tailored to the needs of diverse communities of interest and place. As designer makers with broad creative, fabrication and materials knowledge, they bring practical skills and experience in project management, artistic endeavour and creative facilitation including residencies, exhibitions and events. Further to this they have a vast teaching experience to call upon, where they have worked with students across a wide range of 3D design and creative subjects.

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About Pendle Festival of Culture

Pendle Festival of Culture is an annual event for Pendle communities, who come together in solidarity and celebration of art and culture. Through the festival, communities gather in a spirit of shared identity to celebrate the diversity of Pendle. The Festival of Culture is a key, annual event supported by This is Nelson, the arts and culture strand of the Nelson Town Deal, delivered in partnership between In-Situ, Building Bridges Pendle, Super Slow Way and Pendle Council.

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A person with curly hair, glasses, and a black-and-white printed shirt stands smiling with arms raised under a wooden archway on a city street; deckchairs and buildings are visible in the background.

The Welcome Arch by Dual Works, 2023. Photo by Robin Zahler.

An adult and child engaged in a workshop, surrounded by colourful art supplies on a table.

The Welcome Arch by Dual Works, 2023. Photo by Robin Zahler.

Colourful outdoor market stalls with yellow and orange panels and wooden frames stand on a tiled plaza. Shadows and sunlight create patterns on the ground; modern buildings and trees are visible in the background.

The Welcome Arch by Dual Works, 2023. Photo by Robin Zahler.

A person holds a colourful, geometric, translucent panel at an outdoor event, where people sit and gather under matching vibrant, modern wooden structures. Bright orange and yellow panels provide shade.

The Welcome Arch by Dual Works, 2023. Photo by Hayley Salter.

A young child with curly hair, wearing a patterned jumper and green trousers, walks on a paved surface near colourful wooden structures at an outdoor event.

The Welcome Arch by Dual Works, 2023. Photo by Robin Zahler.

A smiling person with curly hair and glasses leans on a table, looking at someone off-camera. They are indoors, and other people are working in the background.

The Welcome Arch by Dual Works, 2023. Photo by Emma Colbert-Mooring.

People gather outdoors at a public event; some sit under colourful, geometric canopies while others walk by. Tents and trees are visible in the background, creating a vibrant, lively atmosphere.

The Welcome Arch by Dual Works, 2023. Photo by Fiona Finchett.

A group of people stand outside, engaged in a lively conversation. One person holds a bright yellow frame.

The Welcome Arch by Dual Works, 2023. Photo by Emma Colbert-Mooring.

A woman and a child smile whilst holding up colourful kaleidoscope viewers, looking through them at an outdoor event. The child wears a pink jacket and headband; the woman wears a navy jacket and jeans.

The Welcome Arch by Dual Works, 2023. Photo by Hayley Salter.

Two children play and smile among colourful wooden structures in an outdoor public space, whilst adults sit at tables and others enjoy the lively atmosphere in the background.

The Welcome Arch by Dual Works, 2023. Photo by Fiona Finchett.

Children and adults gather around a table covered with colourful translucent papers, scissors, and tape, engaging in a hands-on craft activity at a lively community event.

The Welcome Arch by Dual Works, 2023. Photo by Fiona Finchett.

Branches with leaves are visible through irregular-shaped cut-outs in a solid orange surface. The scene is tinted pink, creating a surreal and abstract effect.

The Welcome Arch by Dual Works, 2023. Photo by Emma Colbert-Mooring.

A girl in a pink coat leans over a table, drawing on paper, whilst two adults stand nearby. One adult wears a Made in Birmingham shirt and the other smiles, watching the girl.

The Welcome Arch by Dual Works, 2023. Photo by Emma Colbert-Mooring.

Hands tighten a bolt with a screwdriver on a wooden structure, outdoors.

The Welcome Arch by Dual Works, 2023. Photo by Emma Colbert-Mooring.

A smiling artist engages with a group of children around a table.

The Welcome Arch by Dual Works, 2023. Photo by Emma Colbert-Mooring.

Children pose looking through colourful viewfinders held to their faces, in an outdoor setting.

The Welcome Arch by Dual Works, 2023. Photo by Fiona Finchett.

A smiling child in a colourful dress and green hoodie holds hands with an older woman in a pink jacket, walking outside under an arch.

The Welcome Arch by Dual Works, 2023. Photo by Emma Colbert-Mooring.

Several people work together assembling a wooden structure with bright yellow and orange panels outdoors. One person faces away, adjusting parts, whilst others hold pieces and converse, focused on the project.

The Welcome Arch by Dual Works, 2023. Photo by Emma Colbert-Mooring.

A man assists children with a colourful craft project on a crowded table, surrounded by vibrant paper and festive decorations under a lively, cheerful atmosphere.

The Welcome Arch by Dual Works, 2023. Photo by Fiona Finchett.

A man in a camouflage jacket sits on a bench and strokes a black and white dog, who looks back with a happy expression. People walk and gather in the background at an outdoor event.

The Welcome Arch by Dual Works, 2023. Photo by Hayley Salter.

Two people point at a location on a world map, specifically in North America, while another map is partially visible on the left. One person’s arm is extended whilst another uses both hands to touch the map.

The Welcome Arch by Dual Works, 2023. Photo by Emma Colbert-Mooring.

A young girl in a black dress holds up a large cardboard frame. Other children are seated and engaged in activities.

The Welcome Arch by Dual Works, 2023. Photo by Emma Colbert-Mooring.

People sit and chat under colourful, geometric sunshades on wooden benches at an outdoor event, with food vans and other attendees visible in the background. Trees and buildings frame the lively scene.

The Welcome Arch by Dual Works, 2023. Photo by Hayley Salter.

The Welcome Arch by Dual Works, 2023. Photo by Emma Colbert-Mooring.

An older woman with grey hair smiles whilst sitting under a colourful wooden structure at an outdoor event. People and trees are visible in the background, creating a lively atmosphere.

The Welcome Arch by Dual Works, 2023. Photo by Emma Colbert-Mooring.

Three adults stand smiling under a wooden arch outdoors. All wear shirts with a bold geometric pattern and the word “DUALWORKS.” Deckchairs and buildings are visible in the background.

The Welcome Arch by Dual Works, 2023. Photo by Robin Zahler.

Colourful wooden market stalls with orange and yellow accents stand empty on a paved outdoor area. Nearby, people gather under tents labelled “INFO POINT,” with buildings and trees in the background under a blue sky.

The Welcome Arch by Dual Works, 2023. Photo by Hayley Salter.

It’s particularly important to us that this piece of work was a co-commission with Pendle Festival of Culture and Festival of Making and importantly, a collaborative project with local people from both towns involved from the beginning.

Paul Hartley, In-Situ, a This is Nelson partner organisation

Working with Dual Works, Pendle Festival of Culture and members of the community on this commission resulted in a collaborative, high quality and unifying piece of work. One that embodies the qualities of making we continuously aim to celebrate.

Elena Jackson, Festival of Making CIC

Welcome Arch: Dual Works