The festival is on now
A free festival across Derbyshire, celebrating making in all its forms.
Friday 28 March - Sunday 27 April
Derbyshire Makes Festival unfolds across six local Hubs over five weeks. In Chesterfield, Heanor, Cromford, Glossop, Bolsover and Swadlincote, there will be artist talks, craft-based demonstrations and making opportunities, as well as exhibitions, performances and more.
See Glossop’s central square transformed into a giant playground, or stop by the Big Community Skills Swap in Heanor. Each Hub location is programmed by local cultural partners, with activities informed by the stories and history unique to the area. And threading its way between these locations is the mobile workshop and gallery The Makory.
Festival Events
From Earth to Art Exhibition
Take a look at this fantastic exhibition this weekend and throughout the summer
Swad’s Reet Good Art Trail
Follow the trail and unscramble the letters hidden near each piece of artwork. Windows
The Earth Our Wealth
Clay Heads exhibition
Patchwork of Possibilities
View this beautiful community-made patchwork
Ukrainian Community Pottery Display
Take a look at this incredible ceramic display
Skellett Brothers Ceramic Exhibition
Come and see this extraordinary exhibition provided by Studio Skellett
Fibro Friends Exhibition
Ceramics exhibition expressing emotions through sculpture
Treading Lightly
Drop-In Interactive and Eco-Friendly Art Workshop with Sasha Archer
The Makory - Swadlincote
The Makory is a mobile activity space from Derby Museums with free drop-in papercraft workshops onboard
Derbyshire Makes Festival - Swadlincote
A celebration of community and making in Swadlincote
Print Like the Past
Drop-In Letterpress Printing Workshop with Chris Barker from The Smallprint Company
Vintage Poster Display
A Place for Serious Research or Gentle Reminiscence
VR Demonstration
Experience a peaceful digital representation of Derbyshire’s woodland spaces while discovering the story of an object made from it
Animation Workshop
Take part in an immersive, fungi inspired animation workshop
Coil Kiln Making
Hosted by Sharpe's Pottery museum. Be inspired by Sharpe’s very own historic bottle kiln and make your own miniature version using ancient coil-building techniques
Mycelium Network Stop Motion Animation Workshop
Youth Landscapers Collective invite you to co-create an animation based on the connecting power of fungi’s mycelium root networks in the forest
Live Painting
Join Amanda Hughes for her live painting show
Crochet Corner
Fancy learning a new hobby?
Card Making
Join Karen Dabell in this card making workshop
Drop-in Banner Making Workshop
Have a go at simple stitch and print techniques
Street Art Station
Unleash your inner street artist with Tom from OptionOne
Forest Makers’ Market
With live demos and willow weaving workshops, enjoy this handpicked celebration of craft inspired by the beauty, materials, and spirit of the National Forest
Pop-Up Food Corner
Enjoy a variety of food and drink options at our pop-up food corner
Everyone’s A Maker Portraits
Get Your Portrait Taken by Photography Students from Burton and South Derbyshire College
Elements by Jo
Have a go at weaving your own bookmark
Dare to Dream - Abigail Wastie: Weaving Workshops
Join Abigail throughout the day as she hosts her sustainable making workshops
“Make and Take” Drop-In Ceramics Workshop
Get hands on with clay with ceramicist Elaine Lim-Newton!
Have a Go at Throwing a Pot
Join Derek Harbinson from The Great Pottery Throwdown, in this fantastic pottery wheel workshop
The Paramount Car
Come and take a look at the only surviving Derbyshire Paramount
Makers' Alley
Take a wander down the ‘pop-up’ Makers’ Alley and discover various crafts
Craft Swapping and Sunflowers
Join Swad in Bloom in this wonderful craft exchange
Pop-up Watercolour Exhibition
Immerse yourself in this wonderful exhibition of watercolour paintings by Amanda Hughes
Dare to Dream - Abigail Wastie: Weaving Workshops
Join Abigail throughout the day as she hosts her sustainable making workshops
Have a Go at Throwing a Pot
Join Derek Harbinson from The Great Pottery Throwdown, in this fantastic pottery wheel workshop
“Make and Take” Drop-In Ceramics Workshop
Get hands on with clay with ceramicist Elaine Lim-Newton!
Oddstuff - The Makers of Swadlincote
Guided Heritage Walk with Hazel McDowell
Flower Bashing (Tataki-zome) Workshop
Join Philippa Day and discover how to use natural dyes
Natural String Making
Join Katherine Parrish to make your own string from natural fibres (flax, nettles, brambles)
Big Ideas, Tiny Poems
Drop-in Poetry Workshop with Attie Lime
Skeleton Life Drawing
Drop-in Drawing Workshop with Steph Coley
Industrial Shadow Boxes Workshop
Create a layered industrial scene inside a shadow box
Elements by Jo
Have a go at weaving your own bookmark
Drop-in Book Folding Workshop
Turn old books into something totally new
Dare to Dream - Abigail Wastie: Weaving Workshops
Join Abigail throughout the day as she hosts her sustainable making workshops
Dare to Dream - Abigail Wastie: Weaving Workshops
Join Abigail throughout the day as she hosts her sustainable making workshops