Art in Manufacturing is the headline commissioning programme of the National Festival of Making, pairing artists with some of the UK’s leading manufacturers.

Conceived as a unique platform for artists to develop their practice and an opportunity to create a meaningful dialogue between artists and the industrial workforce, the commissioning programme explores the social and cultural fabric of place.

To date, Art in Manufacturing has commissioned in excess of 30 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, presented as part of the National Festival of Making’s weekend programme in venues from repurposed town centre shops to Blackburn’s finest heritage spaces. The festival and the works created during residencies make visible the culture made here, and form an invitation to experience this place through a new lens.

In 2025, Art in Manufacturing was shortlisted for the Global Arts Prize.