Women Who Make

Launched on International Women’s Day, Saturday 8 March 2025, Women Who Make is a year-round programme of gatherings celebrating artists, makers, designers and activists who identify as women. The programme includes talks, guided walks and studio visits, all aimed at supporting creativity, collaboration and connections.

Women Who Make is a platform for sharing skills, insights and stories. We will be highlighting our diverse and talented community of Women Who Make artists and makers over the festival period.

Creative Director Claire Tymon is working with our team of curators to shape the programme: Sophie Gresswell, Samantha Whelan and Stephanie Walsh.

Sophie is an artist, poet and arts practitioner exploring interconnected ‘living’ heritage. She aims to encourage us in sitting with unknowns and finding space for a deeper sense of connection which transcends our individual lifespan, and amplifies the way our human stories intersect over generations, through cultures and between historical narratives to bring us to the current moment in time, and inform the very people we are today.

Samantha is a Co-Founder and Chief Executive of Platform Thirty1, a women-led organisation based in Derbyshire. They use creativity and the arts to work on generating agency and power, so that those they work with can tackle any societal, environmental, political, personal or cultural problem that is important and impactful to them, their family and/or their community.

Steph has worked within the cultural sector in Derbyshire for over 20 years. Currently in post as Senior Economic Development Officer at DCC, with a remit for culture, tourism and international links. Steph is a project manager for Derbyshire Makes and manages the international partnership between Derbyshire and Toyota City in Japan. Steph is also a photographer, creative practitioner, workshop lead and guided walk facilitator with a passion for arts, wellbeing and nature connection.