Art in Manufacturing is the headline commissioning programme of the National Festival of Making, pairing artists with some of the UK’s leading manufacturers.
Remarkable artist residencies with factories.
To date, Art in Manufacturing has commissioned in excess of 35 artists to create exceptional artworks, made collaboratively with workforce communities.
The residency programme facilitates access to cutting-edge technologies and unearths hidden heritages – all resulting in remarkable, contemporary artworks.
Season 8 will be announced soon.
Current Season
Each season of Art in Manufacturing sees artists and makers paired with leading manufacturers and unique spaces of making, from artisan producers to industry giants.
The residency programme creates collaborations with highly skilled workforces, facilitates access to cutting-edge technologies and unearths hidden heritages – all resulting in remarkable, contemporary artworks.
Season 8 sees Matter at hand’s residency with Darwen Terracotta continue, plus a new cohort of artist residencies to be announced soon, with works shown at the National Festival of Making in July 2026.
Past Residencies
Over seven seasons, Art in Manufacturing has seen bold, diverse creative works unfold across the mediums and methods of each artist and the manufacturing narrative they choose to portray.
Explore a hand-picked selection of works here, and delve into the full collection on the Art in Manufacturing website (see further information below).
Radical Pairings
An Art in Manufacturing publication, Radical Pairings documents the residencies of five women artists, exploring their practices and the unique nature of working as an artist within an industrial setting.
A work of people, place, art and industry, this publication highlights the limitless potential when artists are invited onto the factory floor.
Art in Manufacturing Website
Designed to capture the detail of each collaboration, the Art in Manufacturing website hosts all the commissions to date, including documentary photography and film of the residencies and exhibitions.
Click below to be taken to the website and explore the commissioning programme in more depth.
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Radical Pairings is a new publication celebrating the work of five exceptional women artists who exhibited new work created during residencies with manufacturers in the North in 2022.