Talks

The Festival’s Talks strand incorporates intimate artist talks, celebrity in-conversations and an industry-focussed conference day. 

Each talk is curated within the programme to provide insight and provoke conversation; whether about artist residency experiences, themes connected to the wider Festival programme, or topical conversations taking place in the cultural industries including strategy and policy.

We work in partnership with Creative Lancashire to deliver the programme and host leading and innovative speakers each year.

Industry Day

Launching the Festival is the National Festival or Making x Creative Lancashire Conversations in Creativity event, which takes place on the Friday of festival weekend. Each year this sees a series of bold and ambitious talks centered on a theme, with past provocations including ‘How can we achieve mutually beneficial outcomes when artists collaborate with academia, arts organisations, or commercial enterprises?’ and ‘What is the potential for place-based arts & culture to affect long-term and effective change in communities’.

Speakers and panellists have included Artangel Director Mariam Zulfiqar, Art critic and writer Elizabeth Fullerton, founding member of Assemble Anthony Engi Meacock and artist Hetain Patel.

Artist Talks

Taking place in-situ within exhibition spaces, current Season Art in Manufacturing artists deliver ‘In Conversation’ talks. These short, intimate events invite audiences to delve into the residency experiences, learn more about an artist’s practice, and gain a deeper understanding of the work presented.

These talks last approximately half an hour with no booking required.

Guest Celebrity Speaker

Well-known celebrity makers have featured in hugely popular talks during the headline Conversations in Creativity event with Creative Lancashire.

Often humorous, always insightful, past guests have included Potter and Judge on The Great Pottery Throw Down, Keith Brymer-Jones; Architect and Television Host, George Clarke; Fashion Designer, Esme Young in conversation with fellow The Great British Sewing Bee judge, Patrick Grant; and Designer and Festival of Making Board Member and Co-Founder, Wayne Hemingway MBE.

This event is ticketed and highly sought after.