Hot Bed Press

Nine colourful posters with bold, overlapping text featuring positive messages like “LET YOUR SMILE SHINE,” “NEVER LOOK DOWN AT YOUR FEET LOOK UP AT THE STARS,” and “SHOW KINDNESS TO THE WORLD” displayed on a white wall.

Created in collaboration with local primary schools and inspired by the work of Sister Mary Corita Kent, a series of posters was developed to radiate positivity, colour, and creativity in our festival spaces.

We partnered with Manchester-based Hot Bed Press in 2024 to design and deliver a series of printmaking workshops in local primary schools.

Working with Roe Lee Park Primary School and St Mary’s & St Joseph’s RC Primary School in Blackburn, we introduced students to a range of printmaking techniques and supported them in creating a collection of large-scale screen prints inspired by the bold, typographic style of Sister Corita Kent – an artist with an innovative approach to design and education.

Students developed uplifting statements that intended to spark joy, before voting for two final slogans per class. These selected phrases were then sent to Hot Bed Press, who prepared the screens for a second in-school workshop where students learned the fundamentals of screen printing and created their own prints. Guided through the process and encouraged to experiment with colour and composition, they produced a series of one-of-a-kind screenprints.

The students’ posters inspired a wider collection displayed during the festival weekend throughout our workshop spaces. Festival audiences were also invited to take part, creating and taking home their own screen-printed versions inspired by the project.

Four schoolchildren wearing uniforms stand together indoors, looking at artwork or papers with interest. One girl in the foreground holds a sheet, while the others observe attentively. The setting appears to be a classroom or art space.
People gather around a table where a person in striped dungarees demonstrates screen printing. Colourful posters with motivational phrases are displayed on the wall. A person in a Festival Maker shirt stands in the foreground.

About Hot Bed Press

Hot Bed Press is A HOT BED OF ACTIVITY and the place to be for print. From screenprint to etching, relief print to letterpress, they’ve got large, well-equipped facilities and the expertise to support you, whether you are new to print or an experienced printmaker.

Set up in 1994 when a small group of printmakers dedicated their time to creating a space for people to print and learn about print, Hot Bed Press has since become a staple for printers in Manchester and beyond.

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