Volunteer - Festival of Making

Registration is now open to volunteer for the National Festival of Making on the 4th & 5th July 2026, taking place in Blackburn Town Centre!

It wouldn’t be possible to run the festival weekend without the support of our fantastic volunteers. From workshop helpers to exhibition invigilators, evaluation support and brew bosses, every single volunteer helps make the festival the success that it is.

National Festival of Making is continuing its partnership with Chip In – a place-based volunteering project. Chip In are working closely with the Festival team to support our volunteering programme and be your point of contact.

Want to become a Festival Maker? Fill in this short form and Becca and Uzma from Chip In will be in touch soon. If you have any questions please get in touch with hello@chipinbwd.co.uk.

Note: You must be aged 16 or over to volunteer over the festival weekend.

What to expect

The festival is a celebratory and joyful weekend where 100s of artists and makers, volunteers, partners and event staff welcome 40,000 visitors to Blackburn.

The festival is open to the public from 11am – 5pm. You can choose to volunteer for a ‘half day’ (3 hours), a ‘full day’, or even the full weekend! All volunteers will receive a t-shirt, and for people volunteering the full day, a lunch voucher will be provided.

Roles include: Information point helper, Workshop assistant, Evaluation team member, Multitasker, Brew boss and Artwork invigilator. In the registration form, you have the choice to sign-up to all the roles that interest you. Chip In and the Festival team will then match you to a role based on what the programme requires. You will be notified of your role about 2 weeks before the festival, however Becca or Uzma will also be in touch to chat through your interests much sooner than that.

There is a training session that will take place at Blackburn Central Library on Thursday 2nd July between 5.30 – 7pm. We invite all volunteers to attend this, as we’ll talk you through some key information, answer any questions and take you on a quick tour of the festival site. There are also optional extra sessions to sign up for which give you deeper insight into the festival – you can find more information about these on the registration form.

After the festival, you will be invited to an informal celebration event at Blackburn Museum & Art Gallery. This is a chance to come together again to celebrate all your hard work, collect your volunteer certificate and for us to share our gratitude with you. We’ll share some sneak peeks of festival photography, and of course, snacks will be provided!

Why Volunteer?

In 2025, we had over 100 people sign up to volunteer. At our Volunteer Celebration Evening, we asked everyone “What motivated you to volunteer over the festival weekend?” Here’s a snapshot of what they said:

I enjoy arts and crafts but don’t often get the chance to do stuff so I took this opportunity to take part and help
I wanted to gain work experience and develop my confidence more
I wanted to make a difference and help out the community I live in
I do it every year and enjoy it. I like mixing with others and having fun
Just nice to give something back to Blackburn
Good way to get communication experience
I have been to the Festival every year. I didn’t get the chance to last year so I made sure I was involved this time around
Chance to engage in something artistic
To help showcase our town

We would like to say a huge thank you to everyone who has volunteered with us over the past 8 festivals.

An older woman smiles at the camera, wearing round glasses and yellow ear protection headphones around her neck. She has short, light brown hair and is dressed casually. The background is softly blurred.

Festival Volunteer, 2023. Photo by Robin Zahler.

A young woman with plaited hair, wearing a black headband, a beige faux fur coat, and a purple T-shirt, smiles while holding a notebook and pen. She stands indoors with a blurred background.

Festival Volunteer, 2024. Photo by Robin Zahler.

A person wearing a Festival Maker T-shirt stands in front of a stage with a BBC sign. The stage has bright lights, and there are red-and-white striped barriers in the foreground.

Festival Volunteer, 2018. Photo by Robin Zahler.

Two men stand closely together in an art gallery, looking intently at framed artwork on the wall. Colourful abstract paintings and an exposed brick wall are visible in the background.

YESS Lad, 2023. Photo by Rachel Bywater.

A boy wearing a beige cap and denim jacket folds paper at a table, while a person in a purple shirt assists beside him. They are participating in a practical activity indoors, under natural light.

Origami Workshop by Foldworks, 2024. Photo by Robin Zahler.

A woman in a white shirt gestures whilst talking to another woman outdoors, holding colourful pamphlets. They appear to be at an event or market, with marquees and people in the background.

Festival Volunteers, 2023. Photo by Robin Zahler.

A woman in a navy hijab and purple Festival Maker shirt talks to someone at a table with colourful arts and crafts supplies. People and posters are visible in the background.

Festival Volunteer, 2024. Photo by Robin Zahler.

A woman helps a child with a screen printing activity at a table, surrounded by colourful posters with positive messages. In the foreground, a person wears a purple Festival Maker shirt. Other people watch the activity.

Hot Bed Press, 2024. Photo by Robin Zahler.

Two young adults stand outdoors, smiling and waving. The woman holds colourful leaflets and carries a rucksack, while the man gestures with open arms. Green trees and bushes are visible in the background.

Festival Volunteer, 2023. Photo by Robin Zahler.

A volunteer in a purple shirt helps a visitor at an outdoor workshop, surrounded by people and children under a marquee with trees and activity stations in the background.

Architecture for Insects Workshop by HemingwayDesign, 2025. Photo by Fiona Finchett.

Two women smile as they create colourful art on a table covered with flower patterns, using coloured powders at a lively, festive indoor event decorated with vibrant hanging banners.

Rangoli Workshop by Sonia Sabri Company, 2024. Photo by Robin Zahler.

A woman wearing a blue Festival Maker shirt carries several drums through a busy indoor event space, with other people and more drums visible in the background.

Afro-Brazilian Percussion Workshop by Global Grooves, 2025. Photo by Robin Zahler.

A man and a young girl sit at a table, engaged in an arts and crafts activity. The man is explaining something while the girl listens. Craft supplies and colourful paper are on the table, with other people blurred in the background.

Flag making Workshop by Nudrat Alexander Mughal, 2023. Photo by Robin Zahler.

A person with ginger hair and glasses, wearing a purple shirt, sits at a table painting letters on a large sign. They focus intently, holding a paintbrush near a cup of blue paint, with art supplies nearby.

Sign Writing Workshop by byUMBERTO. Photo by Fiona Finchett.

Two older women sit on a colourful crocheted blanket-covered sofa, engaged in conversation. One woman is knitting whilst the other listens. The scene is set outdoors with a blue backdrop and blurred figures in the foreground.

Crochet Workshop by Crochet Crazy Creations, 2024. Photo by Robin Zahler.

Two women sort through colourful yarn and wool on a wooden table indoors. One woman in a purple shirt is reaching for green wool, while another in the background kneels and looks at the materials. Natural light fills the space.

Backstrap Weaving Workshop by Alexandra Lucas, 2024. Photo by Fiona Finchett.

Two people swing on a large outdoor swing set while others sit and socialise at picnic tables under a canopy. The scene is lively, with greenery surrounding the area, and a man stands nearby watching.

Volo: Dreams of Flight by Studio Go Go, 2023. Photo by Robin Zahler.

Two smiling women stand at a table. One woman holds a sign that reads LET YOUR SMILE SHINE while the other gestures towards it. People and colourful posters are visible in the background.

Hot Bed Press, 2024. Photo by Robin Zahler.

A smiling woman sits on a chair near a stone wall, holding papers. A crutch rests beside her. Next to her is a sign with a blue arrow and text reading, “More festival activities this way!” decorated with flowers.

Festival Volunteer, 2023. Photo by Rachel Bywater.

Three people stand outdoors at a stall, one holding a poster and wearing a purple shirt, whilst others look on and discuss. A large white marquee and trees are visible in the background on a sunny day.

This Must be the Place Workshop by MikeSian Studio, 2025. Photo by Fiona Finchett.

Chip In x National Festival of Making

National Festival of Making is pleased to be working with Chip In – a place-based volunteering project. Chip in is not just about volunteering, its passion is about people and communities.

We are working together to continue developing our volunteering programme and Chip In will be your point of contact, in the lead up to the Festival and over the weekend.

By completing the sign up form you will be registered on the Chip In platform and an account will be created for you. You can log in at any time to manage your registration, chat to us directly and check out other volunteer opportunities. Importantly, you can also unsubscribe at any time after you’ve volunteered with us should you choose.

If you have any questions about this or would like to chat to a member of the Festival team, please email us, call 07766 240 474 or message us on social media. You can also find contact details for Chip In at the top of this page.

The festival was incredible, the atmosphere was so upbeat and enthusiastic, the volunteers were so friendly and welcoming and knowledgeable, and the workshops were inspiring and informative. There was so much to do and my whole family LOVED the day.

Festival Visitor

Every year is amazing! A wonderful feast for the senses, a real sense of community and a great atmosphere. Brilliant volunteers, fantastic highlighted career pathways and experiences and how fantastic to see all the creatives from the local area!

Festival Visitor