Sat 4th & Sun 5th July
National Festival of Making: 4th & 5th July
Learn more about the weekend and download the 2026 What's On Guide in a handy PDF format, along with the Exhibition Guide, to help you plan your visit.
Sat 4th & Sun 5th July
Drop In
Art in Manufacturing: Abigail Hampsey + Artisan Food Producers
Film, sculpture and painting trace rituals of production and preservation, from bread making to bee keeping, positioning these acts of cultural and sociological preservation. Hampsey has worked with the Ormskirk based foundry, Bronzecast; artisan food producers including JJ Sandhams; and within her own bakery and studio to create Focus, a new exhibition of work.
Blakey Moor Terrace
Sat 4th & Sun 5th July
Booking Required
Model Making with Aardman
Learn the art of model making in these fun workshops with Aardman – creators of Wallace & Gromit and Shaun the Sheep.
59 King William Street
Sat 4th & Sun 5th July
Drop In
Exhibition Talks
Meet the exhibiting artists and hear a short talk with guest hosts.
Various Venues
Sat 4th July
Booking Required
Dare!
Swim with silver fish, peer through a telescope, ride the tide and take a leap! Sing, play and dance along on this beautiful voyage of discovery! A show for under 5’s and their adults by the team at More Music.
Blackburn Cathedral
Sat 4th & Sun 5th July
Drop In
Foil Decoration with Mush Studio
Inspired by the vibrancy of South Asian adornment, design your own motifs and patterns to create a hanging decoration.
Blackburn Museum & Art Gallery
Sat 4th July
Booking Required
Conversations in Creativity: Johnny Vegas with Graham Duff
Join us for a special afternoon with actor, writer, comedian and artist Johnny Vegas in conversation with Graham Duff.
Reel Cinema
Sat 4th & Sun 5th July
Booking Required
Block Printing with Natasha Taheem
Print your own bandana using a mix of traditional hand-carved Indian woodblocks and contemporary block designs by artist Natasha Taheem.
The Exchange
Sat 4th & Sun 5th July
Drop In
Tinkertown
Tinkertown is back! Wood-working meets den-building in this drop-in workshop for children. Grab the tools provided by the team and set to work tinkering, building and creating!
Cathedral Gardens
Sat 4th & Sun 5th July
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Kitchen Tables
Enter Kitchen Tables, a space to spotlight the making that happens at home. Our kitchen tables are not just dining spaces - they’re places we make, we work, we gather and more. Here you’ll find a selection of workshops all connected to the many uses of our dining spaces, and what they mean to us.
Cathedral Square
Sat 4th July
Drop In
Makers Market by Hopeful & Glorious
With more traders than ever before, independent makers gather at Blackburn Cathedral for the National Festival of Making’s Maker’s Market, handpicked by expert design and craft curators Hopeful & Glorious.
Blackburn Cathedral
Sat 4th & Sun 5th July
Booking Required
Tassel Making with Jenny Steele
Using a range of colourful, sustainably sourced yarns, learn the heritage craft of tassel making as you create tassels to take home.
The Exchange
Sat 4th & Sun 5th July
Drop In
We Are Alloys
Hetain Patel returns to the Festival with an ambitious new commission spanning moving image, painting and performance, exploring British Asian futurism, family, and myth-making, alongside performances of his acclaimed work Mathroo Basha.
The Exchange
Sat 4th July
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Block Letter Painting with elettr
Explore the flat brush painting technique with signwriter Ellie Heywood by creating your own block letters.
Cathedral Square
Sat 4th & Sun 5th July
Drop In
VR Swings – Volo: Dreams of Flight
Back by popular demand! The VR Swings return to the festival after their debut in 2023. Don’t miss out on Studio Go Go’s thrilling virtual reality swing adventures.
Cathedral Square
Sat 4th July
Booking Required
‘Northern Souls’: Elaine Constantine in Conversation with Dave Haslam
Join acclaimed filmmaker Elaine Constantine and writer, DJ and cultural historian Dave Haslam for a special conversation exploring the making and legacy of Elaine's film, Northern Soul and the enduring importance of telling stories rooted in place, working class cultures and lived experience.
Reel Cinema
Sat 4th & Sun 5th July
Drop In
Make a Mini Bog in a Jar
Join Lancashire Wildlife Trust, Lancashire Peat Partnership and Blackburn BID to create your own micro-ecosystem inspired by the structure of the peat bog on Darwen Moor.
Cathedral Square
Sat 4th & Sun 5th July
Drop In
Art in Manufacturing: Alina Akbar + Automobile Manufacturing Sector
Collaborating with car modification industries, Alina Akbar has created a new film score, composed entirely from recordings of modified car engines. Presented as an immersive installation VICKED, the work frames behindthe-shutters garages as contemporary artisans operating within the visual language of luxury and aspiration in working-class contexts.
Barton St Yard
Sat 4th & Sun 5th July
Drop In
Quite Unfit for Females by About Time Dance Company
Quite Unfit for Females is a tribute to the Dick, Kerr Ladies football team - a pioneering women's team from Preston formed from a munitions factory workforce. The performance tells the story of the team’s defiance when the FA announced a ban on women’s football in 1921.
King William Street
Sun 5th July
Drop In
Live Tufting with Alena Ruth of Manchester Tufting Workshop
Ever wanted to give rug tufting a go? Now's your chance to add a few lines to the collaborative piece!
Blackburn Museum & Art Gallery
Sat 4th July
Booking Required
Dirty Faces: An Opening Ceremony
Dirty Faces: An Opening Ceremony is a montaged wormhole of Lancashire media: a pirate television broadcast stitched together from experimental shorts, documentary fragments, discussion programmes, music videos and early internet uploads long lost to the digital ether.
Reel Cinema
Sat 4th & Sun 5th July
Drop In
Pattern + Pulse with Uncultured Creatives
Head to the Uncultured Creatives studio where you’ll find paper weaving and music making, inspired by the connections between Jacquard textile technologies, synthesisers, pixels and electronic music.
14-16 Lord Street West
Sat 4th & Sun 5th July
Drop In
Studio TIP Circular Free-Play
Play, invent and assemble, using materials sourced from factories locally! Discover the hidden life of materials in manufacturing, how they feel, and connect and become something new.
Blakey Moor Terrace
Sat 4th & Sun 5th July
Drop In
Mask making with Let’s Make Art
Join artist duo Karen and Alice of Let's Make Art to make some seriously impressive masks. This workshop is inspired by Fredun Shapur's 1970's Four Faces idea and is sprinkled with Let's Make Art's signature colour and Joy and a new take on the classic design.
Blackburn Museum & Art Gallery
Sat 4th & Sun 5th July
Booking Required
Leather Workshops with Diamond Awl
Diamond Awl Leather Workshop share their expert craftsmanship in the art of leatherworking with these bookable taster sessions.
The Exchange
Sun 5th July
Booking Required
Rave Culture: A New Era Screening
At Reel Cinema, catch the feature-length screening of Rave Culture: A New Era, an electrifying journey into the heart of the rave revolution, with roots in 80’s Blackburn.
Reel Cinema
Sat 4th & Sun 5th July
Drop In
Audley Community Park – Event Postponed
Audley Community Park - Event Postponed
Sat 4th & Sun 5th July
Drop In
Art in Manufacturing: Matter at hand + Darwen Terracotta
Matter at hand is the design practice of Lewis Jones, working across architecture, material science, and hands-on construction. Continuing his two year residency, Jones will be exhibiting new installation work created with Darwen Terracotta.
Prism Contemporary
Sat 4th July
Drop In
Sing with Blackburn People’s Choir
Discover the joy of group singing and connect with local heritage as the Blackburn People’s Choir guides voices of all experience levels through traditional Lancashire working songs.
Cathedral Square
Sun 5th July
Booking Required
Lost Harmonies meets Suspended Motion
Film Screening followed by an In Conversation with Sima Gonsai and Uthra Rajgopal
Reel Cinema
Sat 4th July
Booking Required
Puppet Making for Adults with Tat Vision
Spend a morning crafting cardboard puppets with papier-mâché pop artist and performer Tat Vision. Adults only!
The Drummer's Arms
Sat 4th & Sun 5th July
Drop In
Practise makes Pigeons
Explore Sheffield-based artist Ben Hall's (Mr Ben) first ever solo exhibition and residency "Practise makes Pigeons" at Blackburn Museum & Art Gallery.
Blackburn Museum & Art Gallery
Sun 5th July
Drop In
Mbira Taizé with Millicent Chapanda
Listen as Millicent Chapanda leads a celebratory performance, traditional to the Shona people of Zimbabwe.
Cathedral Square
Sun 5th July
Drop In
Adventure Arts
Join the Adventure Arts team and create your own sock monster who can even accompany you on an adventure walk!
Blackburn Library
Sat 4th & Sun 5th July
Drop In
Silk and Stone: Living Relics
A digital motion artwork created by Sana Maulvi, drawing inspiration from the intricate Persian patterns and florals that flourished during the Silk Road era.
King William Street
Sat 4th
Booking Required
Celebrating Our Peatlands – Lancashire Wildlife Trust Stitching Workshop
Bring the beauty of the Lancashire moors to life through slow stitching, needle felting, and embroidery in a creative workshop inspired by Blackburn Cathedral's 'Table for the Nation' exhibition.
Blackburn Cathedral
Sat 4th & Sun 5th July
Drop In
What does Lancashire taste like?
Join artist Molly Bland as Food Futures and the National Festival of Making explore together what a true ‘Lancashire Feast’ might be.
King William Street
Sat 4th & Sun 5th July
Drop In
Green Screen Pop Music Video Experience
Head to Reel Cinema where you’ll find Young Film Academy with a green screen workshop - become a star in a Festival music video!
Reel Cinema
Sat 4th & Sun 5th July
Drop In
Bewonderment Machine
Both a magical journey for small children and a kinetic public sculpture, The Bewonderment Machine is an artist-built carousel, powered by a bicycle.
Cathedral Square
Sat 4th & Sun 5th July
Drop In
Hypnotic Record Player Animations with Nick Sayers
Draw hypnotic animations using record players, bike cogs, colour pens, and a mobile phone camera!
Cathedral Square
Sat 4th & Sun 5th July
Drop In
Ian’s Print Rally
Come and join in with the National Festival of Making’s Print Rally, created by Ian Halawi and supported by Fred Aldous! Look out for print stations dotted around town and collect a series of two-colour prints to fill up your zine.
Blackburn Library
Sun 5th July
Drop In
Walking Down The Street Gamelan With More Music
Time to MAKE MORE MUSIC! More Music’s Walking Down the Street Gamelan is a beautiful sounding collection of recycled instruments for pre-school children aged 0–5 and their families.
Cathedral Gardens
Sat 4th & Sun 5th July
Drop In
Unhurried Hands with Chris Webb
Drop-in to Unhurried Hands for a workshop that encourages pause, reflection and slow making.
Blackburn Cathedral, Blackburn Library
Sat 4th & Sun 5th July
Sign up on the day
Graeme Brown Woodcraft
Use a range of simple tools to create your own beautiful set of buttons using foraged wood collected by Graeme.
Cathedral Square
Sun 5th July
Drop In
The Imaginarium with Shared Sounds
Shared Sounds Imaginarium invites babies and children 0-4years and their families to experience a special festival edition of their weekly immersive creative play sessions.
Launchpad
Sat 4th July
Booking Required
Mera Lyari: Screening + Q&A with Director Abu Aleeha
Join Director Abu Alleha for a screening of Mera Lyari, which tells the inspiring story of two girls striving to become professional footballers. The screening will be followed by a Q+A with Abu Aleeha.
Reel Cinema
Sat 4th & Sun 5th July
Booking Required
Flower Crown Making with Yuliia Ivanova
Create a flower crown inspired by Ukrainian traditions. Using colourful artificial flowers and natural textures, you’ll design a unique wreath to take home.
Blackburn Library
Sat 4th & Sun 5th July
Drop In
Art in Manufacturing: Penelope Payne + Haworth Art Gallery
In response to time spent with Haworth Art Gallery, a Grade II listed country style Arts & Crafts house in Accrington, Penelope Payne presents a new sculpture and sound work, Canon, exploring the historic domestic setting as a lens for examining how personal stories, social structures, and inherited values shape one another over time.
29 Northgate
Sat 4th & Sun 5th July
Drop In
E-waste Scavenging with Noisy Toys
Un-Making: like making, but the other way around… Join e-waste scavengers Noisy Toys as they dismantle and rebuild waste tech into something new!
Cathedral Gardens
Sat 4th & Sun 5th July
Drop In
CRT Threefold with Obscura Collective
Join Obscura Collective for their alternative take on the group portrait using outdated video technologies and inspired by the French surrealist drawing game “Exquisite Corpse”.
Blackburn Museum & Art Gallery
Sat 4th & Sun 5th July
Drop In
Riso Collage Portrait Studio
Create a collage portrait then watch your design be live printed on the Riso machine, transforming your artwork into a distinctive two-colour print.
Blackburn Museum & Art Gallery
Sat 4th & Sun 5th July
Drop In
Taste Lancashire Food Producers Market
Find out why Lancashire is the tastiest county when you meet and buy direct from local producers at the food and drink market.
King William Street
Sat 4th & Sun 5th July
Drop In
Indian Dance & Storytelling with Sohan Kailey
Jump on the Maharajas’ Express Train and journey across the foothills of the Himalaya Mountains. Join in the fun of the colourful Bhangra dance across the farmlands of Punjab, visit the street markets of New Delhi, full steam ahead to the Taj Mahal, and party Bollywood style in the streets of Mumbai!
Blackburn Museum & Art Gallery
Sat 4th July
Drop In
Veggie Synth Jamz with More Music
Join Kriss Foster from More Music to make tasty electronic sounds with almost anything juicy. Simply tap a fruit or vegetable and make music!
Blackburn Cathedral
Sat 4th & Sun 5th July
Booking Required
Screen Lancashire
This year’s National Festival of Making will host a special Screen Lancashire programme exploring film, place, storytelling and regional identity through international screenings, talks and participatory activity across the festival weekend.
Reel Cinema
Sat 4th July
Booking Required
Sgraffito Plate Workshop with Mr Ben
Explore the ceramic decorative technique of 'sgraffito' and create a bespoke earthenware plate with carved indigo motifs.
Blackburn Museum & Art Gallery
Sat 4th & Sun 5th July
Drop In
Mariia Petrovska
Listen to contemporary and Ukrainian folk music played on the Bandura, a traditional string instrument.
Cathedral Square
Sat 4th & Sun 5th July
Sign up on the day
Folk Mobiles with Karolina Merska of Folka
Inspired by traditional Polish folk crafts - pająki chandeliers and wycinanki (papercuts) - Karolina will teach you how to create a unique colourful mobile using ribbons and paper.
Cathedral Square
Sun 5th July
Booking Required
Contemporary Short Films from Pakistan
Curated by Foundation Art Divvy and selected by young people from ‘One Voice’ Blackburn.
Reel Cinema
Sat 4th & Sun 5th July
Drop In
Meaningful Merch with Gay Bennett of Lived in Repairs
Swap out mass-made festival merch for something handmade. In this drop-in workshop you’ll learn Sashiko — a traditional Japanese hand-stitching technique — and create your own keepsake to take home.
Blakey Moor Terrace
Sat 4th & Sun 5th July
Drop In
The Red List with Heritage Crafts
Did you know there are some crafts at risk of becoming extinct in the UK? Heritage Crafts will be taking over a space in Blackburn to highlight their ‘Red List of Endangered Crafts’, featuring expert Makers all focussed on keeping these skills alive.
Blakey Moor Terrace
Sat 4th & Sun 5th July
Sign up on the day
Mushroom Growing and Fungi Drawing
Head to Kitchen Tables where you’ll find Stockport Fungi who will be sharing their extensive knowledge and creativity around mushrooms! Have a go at growing your own on Saturday, or get up close and draw the detail on Sunday.
Cathedral Square
Sat 4th July
Drop In
Stormy Garden Tales with Shared Sounds
Catch Stormy Garden Tales, including original music and songs, costumes, flower pot fun, and lots of opportunities to participate.
The Bureau Centre for the Arts
Sat 4th & Sun 5th July
Drop In
Corn Dolly Making with Vic Jay
Corn dollies are an ancient, rural straw craft, traditionally made from the last sheaf of wheat at harvest time. In this workshop, you’ll learn to make a ‘harvest knot’ variety, using a traditional plaiting technique.
Blakey Moor Terrace
Sat 4th & Sun 5th July
Booking Required
Pieces of Us: Cubist Faces in Mosaic with Qemamu Mosaics
Create a mosaic portrait inspired by the bold, abstract style of Picasso’s Cubism. Expect vibrant tiles and a gallery of beautifully unexpected faces by the end of the workshop.
The Exchange
Sat 4th & Sun 5th July
Drop In
Punjabi Roots
Watch vibrant, high-energy dance performances accompanied by the powerful rhythms of live Dhol drumming that will get your heart pounding and your feet moving. A dynamic and colourful spectacle not to be missed!
King William Street
Sat 4th July
Drop In
Table for the Nation
A 13 meter table made from ancient, fossilised oak is in residency at Blackburn Cathedral as part of their Centenary celebrations.
Blackburn Cathedral
Sat 4th & Sun 5th July
Drop In
Dog Daisies
Dog Daisies is a widescreen indie-pop group based around the home-studio adventures of songwriter Stephen Hudson.
Cathedral Square
Sat 4th & Sun 5th July
Drop In
Columbian Printing Press – Have a Go
Use the traditional 1875 Columbian Printing Press in Blackburn Museum and Art Gallery to create a relief print.
Blackburn Museum & Art Gallery
Sat 4th & Sun 5th July
Drop In
The Super Slow Way – Event Postponed
Programme Update: Super Slow Way activities at Audley Community Park have been postponed.
Sat 4th July
Booking Required
Zine Club with Andy Mathison
Get creative with paper, collage, and paints to produce their own unique lo-fi publication to share with the world.
The Bureau Centre for the Arts
Sat 4th & Sun 5th July
Drop In
Flights of Fancy
Make fantastical cardboard bird hats and puppets, and show them off in a fun mini parade!
The Bureau Centre for the Arts
Sat 4th & Sun 5th July
Drop In
Banner making with Sam Selley
Create your own mini fabric banner adorned with felt, patterned fabrics or even detailed embroidery.
Cathedral Square
Sat 4th July
Drop In
The Batcave
From painting Warhammer miniatures and hunting for rare trading cards to embarking on epic Dungeons & Dragons quests, The Batcave is the ultimate hub for every tabletop adventurer.
The Batcave
Sat 4th July
Drop In
Cotton Kings Feature Film – Open Auditions
Calling all aspiring actors and local talent! The award winning Bashford Twins are holding open auditions for an upcoming feature film; Cotton Kings.
Reel Cinema
Sat 4th & Sun 5th July
Drop In
Sol Cinema
Watch a short film in Sol Cinema; the World’s smallest mobile picture house, entirely powered by Solar.
King William Street
Sat 4th July
Drop In
Instant Songs Studio with More Music
Singer songwriter Kriss Foster from More Music is on call to be your songwriting shepherd and your melody magician!
Blackburn Cathedral
Sat 4th & Sun 5th July
Drop In
Melodrome Stage
Don't miss the Melodrome Stage at Cathedral Square with live music and performances from local and national musicians throughout the day.
Cathedral Square
Sat 4th July
Drop In
Blackburn & Darwen Community Band
Enjoy a lively performance of music from pop, film and musicals by Blackburn Community Band. With over 30 enthusiastic young musicians, there's something for everyone to enjoy.
King William Street
Sun 5th July
Booking Required
Indie Crib: Building New Pathways for Independent Film with Aeman Ali Afzal and Shabaz Says
Join filmmaker Aeman Ali Afzal and Shabaz Says for an inspiring conversation on filmmaking, social media, audience building and creating opportunities in the digital age.
Reel Cinema
Sat 4th & Sun 5th July
Sign up on the day
Introduction to Jacquard Handweaving
Join Fishbone and Sycamore to try some frame loom hand weaving and make a bookmark.
Blakey Moor Terrace
Sat 4th & Sun 5th July
Sign up on the day
Join The Renaissance: Discover Encaustic Tile Making
Step inside the fascinating world of encaustic tile making and try your hand at one of Britain's most endangered crafts.
Blakey Moor Terrace
Sat 4th & Sun 5th July
Drop In
STEAM Zone with Blackburn College
STEAM is everywhere – from what we make, to how we travel, to how we live. Here, you’ll find a wide range of workshops designed to get your hands working and your mind whirring.
King William Street
Sat 4th July
Booking Required
Tat Vision’s ‘The Prison Puppet Show!’
Join a hardened criminal character as he retells his prison life through found and handmade puppets A fast, silly, and absurd puppet show full of laughs and mischief. Adults only!
The Drummer's Arms
Sat 4th & Sun 5th July
Drop In
Splodge-a-matic Spin Painting Machine
Pedal powered spin art. Make your own painted masterpiece at a bespoke vintage fairground attraction-turned-art machine. Everyone welcome, scream if you want it to go faster!
Museum Street
Sun 5th July
Booking Required
Paper Club with Michiko Fujii
Celebrate the versatility of paper in this playful, hands-on creative session.
The Bureau Centre for the Arts
Sat 4th & Sun 5th July
Drop In
Street Food
Fancy a bite to eat? Sample the most delicious food with our selection of delectable and irresistible street food stalls!
Cathedral Square, Church Street, King William Street
Sat 4th July
Booking Required
Creative Writing workshop with Bernadette Russell
Exploring the theme of ‘Our (Extra)ordinary Lives’ you will find the tools and prompts to start telling your tale.
The Drummer's Arms
Sat 4th July
Drop In
Blackburn Youth Zone: Fun Day!
Whilst visiting the Festival, head over to Blackburn Youth Zone where you’ll find plenty of family friendly making workshops and STEAM activities.
Blackburn Youth Zone
Sun 5th July
Booking Required
Kitchen Lithography with Julia Swarbrick
Discover the captivating blend of art and experimentation in this hands-on Kitchen Lithography workshop.
The Bureau Centre for the Arts
Sat 4th July
Drop In
Rang Qawwal Group
Enjoy sounds of traditional instruments played by eight performers specialising in Qawwali - a form of devotional music.
Cathedral Square, King William Street
Sat 4th & Sun 5th July
Drop In
Playing with Words – a Dada typography workshop
Join artist Mia Bashir in a poster making workshop inspired by the radical art movement Dadaism.
Blackburn Library
Sat 4th & Sun 5th July
Drop In
New Blackburn Ballads with Douglas & Moss
Write a new song telling your story! Following the rich heritage of the working-class Victorian writers of Blackburn, this workshop is open to anyone who would like to contribute stories, words, melodies and ideas.
Blackburn Library
Sat 4th & Sun 5th July
Drop In
Flags of Hope
Design, print and stitch your own piece of community bunting in the Caravanalogue – a quirky retro touring caravan packed with analogue and hand-powered creative tools.
Museum Street
Sun 5th July
Drop In
Daniel Hester
Join musician Daniel Hester who will be playing a set of original songs with a unique but folky feel.
Cathedral Square
Sat 4th & Sun 5th July
Sign up on the day
Spice mixing with SOUTHINDIAN4ME
Dive into the variety and versatility of spices within South Indian cooking by creating your own masala spice mixes to take home.
Cathedral Square
Sat 4th & Sun 5th July
Booking Required
366 Days of Kindness
Enjoy a part stand up, part storytelling performance by author Bernadette Russell, reflecting on her mission to ‘be kind to a stranger every single day for a year’.
Blackburn Library, The Drummer's Arms
Sat 4th July
Drop In
Making Rhymes: Freestyle, Battle Rap & Spoken Word
Join local MCs Lay-Z and Seek The Northerner for an interactive workshop exploring the art of freestyle rap, battle rap and lyrical creativity.
The Bureau Centre for the Arts
Sun 5th July
Drop In
Circus Skills
Join Josh and Gemma from Wolf Entertainments to try your hands (and feet!) at a whole range of exciting circus skills.
The Bureau Centre for the Arts
Sun 5th July
Drop In
Fun Palaces Makers Workshop at the Bureau
Find out how Fun Palaces bring communities together through creativity, skills-sharing and local action. Explore ideas, meet others and discover how you could get involved.
The Bureau Centre for the Arts
Sat 4th & Sun 5th July
Drop In
The Making Rooms: Town Hall Street
Explore the Eco Lab and Ceramics Lab in their temporary home opposite Blackburn Library. Have a go at natural dyeing, mosaics and more!
9 Town Hall Street
Sat 4th & Sun 5th July
Drop In
The Making Rooms Pop-up: Exchange Street
Find drop-in workshops inspired by The Making Rooms' labs, from crafting wallets from recycled vinyl to soldering robot LED badges.
Exchange Street
Sat 4th & Sun 5th July
Sign up on the day
South Asian Embroidery with Kiran Sidiki
A space to unwind, reflect and walk into the traditional practice of Muka: Metallic thread embroidery from Sindh, Pakistan.
Cathedral Square
Sun 5th July
Drop In
Nicky Phillips
Folk inspired singer-songwriter Nicky Phillips will be performing an intimate set filled with story-telling through music.
Cathedral Square
Sat 4th & Sun 5th July
Drop In
Explore South Asian Truck Art with Zareena Bano
Truck art is a unique and intricate form of expression that transforms everyday vehicles into moving masterpieces. Decorate your own mini truck-shaped plaque inspired by the iconic tradition.
Cathedral Square
Sat 4th & Sun 5th July
Drop In
Creative Skills Workshops with Blackburn College
Enjoy a range of hands-on creative activities across a variety of disciplines in this interactive workshop space led by Blackburn College!
Museum Street
Sun 5th July
Booking Required
The Bashford Twins: Cotton Kings Concept Trailer & Talk
Film directors The Bashford Twins introduce a concept trailer for their new film project, 'Cotton Kings’.
Reel Cinema
Sat 4th July
Drop In
DJ Workshop Open Decks
Try your hand at DJing with Northern Music Projects DJ Workshop!
The Bureau Centre for the Arts
Sat 4th & Sun 5th July
Drop In
Not only a Street Party
Head down to Church Street to find a host of emerging creatives, support a circular economy, be immersed in a pop-up marketplace, and experience live music from local artists co-curated with Blackburn Gigs.
Church Street
Sat 4th & Sun 5th July
Drop In
Joy as Resistance
Don’t miss Joy as Resistance from the Bureau’s Youth Art Group and Inspired by Art, and visit the Open Studios of resident artists on the top floor.
The Bureau Centre for the Arts
Sun 5th July
Drop In
A performance by Douglas & Moss
Douglas and Moss perform new songs created in their songwriting workshops, as well as music from their forthcoming album, 'Path Over Pendle'.
Blackburn Library
Sat 4th July
Booking Required
Geli plate printing with Andy Mathison
Discover the creative possibilities of gel plate printing in this hands-on workshop.
The Bureau Centre for the Arts
Sat 4th & Sun 5th July
Drop In
Ebru Marbling with Arts 2 Heal
Experience the traditional Turkish practice of Ebru marbling, where colours float and dance on water to create unique patterns. Watch live demonstrations and use natural pigments, brushes and styluses to create your own pieces.
Cathedral Square
