Learning - Festival of Making

A group of people dressed in black observe and sketch a tall stone sculpture inside a spacious, rustic hall with arched windows, exposed brick walls, and a high, turquoise and red ceiling.

Through both our year-round programme and annual festival, we have worked with over 1000 primary and secondary school pupils, as well as developed close relationships with university partners, youth organisations and the library service.

Creating opportunities and inspiration for the next generation of makers is central to our work. This takes us into schools, colleges, and universities, engaging learners from EYFS through to postgraduate level. Whether through one-off projects with artists, industry-related briefs, or collaborative work with academic researchers, learning is at the heart of everything we do and integral to our organisational ethos.

Featured Projects

A man sings into a microphone on stage whilst a group of children in matching green shirts sing behind him.

The Nasheed Choir: Hussnain Hanif

Internationally recognised Nasheed artist Hussnain Hanif formed a new Nasheed choir with 60 students from two Blackburn-based schools.

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Children wearing colourful, animal-inspired paper masks, hats, and costumes stand and pose playfully against a dark background. One child stands on a chair, while another wears a vibrant jacket and decorated hat.

Festival on tour: Let’s Make Art

In collaboration with Blackburn Central Library, the National Festival of Making and Let’s Make Art have developed a collection of making activities.

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A young girl with dark hair and a curious expression observes a small mechanical model with miniature clothing and a washing machine in a brightly lit room.

The Big Reinvention Challenge: Little Inventors

A collaboration with Little Inventors saw the launch of a nationwide creative design challenge rooted in sustainability.

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School Education & Youth Groups

We’ve welcomed primary and secondary schools to our Art in Manufacturing exhibitions, visited schools and youth groups with artists, participated in career days, acted as a bridge for national partners seeking local connections, and developed resources and challenges that have reached audiences nationally and internationally.

Even if we don’t have a current project that fits, we’d love to have a conversation about how we might collaborate in the future.

A person stands against a wall with green and red light patterns projected onto them. Large shadows of another figure appear beside and over the person, creating a dramatic, surreal effect.

Three people make paper at a workshop. One woman in a brown jumper smiles as she helps hold a wooden frame, whilst two others assist, reaching in from the sides.

Post-16 & Higher Education

We have developed close relationships with a number of universities across the UK, working with course leads to collaborate on live projects for students, or through initiating our own briefs and open call opportunities.

We also visit universities or colleges to deliver talks and workshops related to our work. Long-term partnerships have seen tutors and students sharing course skills through workshops over the festival weekend.

If you would like to chat to us about a project, a brief, or getting involved in the festival, get in touch.

Downloads

Head to the Downloads page and you’ll find a body of making resources and tutorials connected to the vast array of projects we’ve commissioned or worked on.

These are available for free, and we welcome you to use them in your curriculum, sessions or just day-to-day. If you can’t find what you’re looking for, drop us an email, as we might just have it, or be able to connect you to an artist or organisation who does.

View Downloads

A person wearing glasses and a mask draws a large face on an activity sheet, with colourful illustrated faces and text visible on the page, sitting at a cardboard box table.

Current and recent partners

Live Briefs that enable students to experience the commissioning and development process of someone working in the creative sector are an essential part of how students can expand their knowledge, skills and supports talent development in the creative industries.

Wayne Hemingway MBE, Non-Executive Board Member & Co-Founder

I think children’s ideas should be taken seriously because we think differently, have unique ideas and don’t always think in a serious way!

Isla, age 11, Project Contributor