The festival is coming soon
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
Derbyshire Makes Festival - Chesterfield
Paying homage to Chesterfield's formidable making heritage
The Makory, Chesterfield
The mobile activity space from Derby Museums.
Dare to Dream Workshop
Be a part of a monumental artwork celebrating Derbyshire’s textiles heritage.
Box Making Workshop
Make a beautiful box to take home, led by artist Charlotte Land
Derbyshire Creative Heritage Conference
Honouring Tradition | Inspiring Future Makers.
The Curing Chemists
Mixing a splash of silly science and ridiculous potions and lotions.
ClothesWise Upcycling Workshop
Learn basic hand-sewing and machine sewing skills.
The Chesterfield Postcard Show Workshop
Be part of the fourth annual Chesterfield Postcard Show.
Public Art Launch & Workshop
Launch of Kaleidoscope, a new piece of public art by Lucie Maycock.
Pottery Workshop
Join artist Clare Gage for a hands-on clay workshop.
Kaleidoscope Workshop
Explore colour and light, shadows and reflections with artist Rachel Scanlon.
Mountains of the Moon Film Screening and Drama Workshop
Mountains of the Moon tells the tale of a group of animal friends who together solve their problem of running out of water.
ClothesWise Upcycling Workshop
Up-cycling with Fabric Scraps.
ClothesWise Upcycling Workshop
Clothes-Wise Banner-making.
ClothesWise Upcycling Workshop
Up-cycled Denim Project.
Arts Workshops
Join our resident artists in the school room at Cromford Mills to help them create a huge banner which will be part of the festival weekend
Derbyshire Makes Festival - Heanor
A celebration of all things handmade in Heanor
Reimagine, Transform and Create Anew: A Weekend of Fun with Waste!
Get ready to dive into the world of creativity and reimagine waste as something generous, generative, and transformative
Listening Lounge
Sink into a sofa, pop on a pair of headphones and listen to stories that celebrate the extraordinary power of everyday making in our local communities
Dare to Dream workshops
Join artist Karen Logan to repurpose and reinvent old textiles to create banners and flags to dream a better future
The Makory
Look out for The Makory, a mobile maker space on wheels
MAKE Room Workshop
A place for thinking about how we can all connect with Nature
Hands-on Heanor
Furthest from the Sea are inviting families to get creative together
Embroidered Stories with Lise Bennett
Join artist Lise Bennett to embellish our giant embroidered map of Amber Valley with your stories and stiches
Hubbub Theatre in Residence
Chillout tunes from our Hubbub DJ’s and creative activities all day
Heanor Community Craft Fair
Artisan crafts and foods from local suppliers
Community Living Room - Val & Trev Radio
Drop into ‘Val & Friends Community Living Room’ for a spot of mischief, making and mayhem
Festival Flock with Michelle Reader
Create your own bird from recycled materials with artist Michelle Reader
Mini Makers at Infinite Wellbeing Community Centre
The perfect destination for Mini Makers and their grown-ups to come together for food, play, making and friendly faces
MAKE Room - Walkshop
Art and nature walkshop
MAKE Room - Walkshop
Art and nature walkshop
Big Community Skills Share
Celebrating and sharing the extraordinary everyday making, doing, mending and growing across Amber Valley.
Sprout of the Ordinary: Sow Much Potential
Plant, swap and share seeds in this drop-in family friendly workshop
Mini Makers at Infinite Wellbeing Centre
The perfect destination for Mini Makers and their grown-ups, to come together for food, play, making and friendly faces
MAKE Room - Walkshop
Art and nature walkshop
MAKE Room - Walkshop
Art and nature walkshop
Derbyshire Makes Festival - Cromford
Events inspired by water and local folklore in Cromford
Adverse Camber storytelling
Sharing stories with roots in local folklore
Dare to Dream workshops
Be part of a monumental artwork celebrating Derbyshire's textiles heritage
Easter activities at Cromford Mills
Join artist Netty Reddish to get crafting
Derbyshire Makes Festival - Glossop
Surprise live performances and a giant playground in Glossop
The Makory at Derbyshire Makes Festival - Glossop
A mobile activity space from Derby Museums
The Cat & The Swift - Puppetry
An artistic celebration of birds comes to Norfolk Square
Sound Tapestry
Join Clare Savory in Partington Theatre for a journey through the sounds of Glossop
Doodle It Your Way
Decorate, doodle and design
Lost Stories
Join Gordon MacLellan for stories of Glossop
Gruesome Glossop – Film Screening
High Peak Community Arts’ Film Cuts Club present their take on the history of Glossop
Virtual Norfolk Square
Slip on a VR headset and enter an alternative Norfolk Square
Dare to Dream Workshop
Be a part of a monumental artwork celebrating Derbyshire’s textiles heritage.
MAKE Room Workshop
A place for thinking about how we can all connect with Nature
MAKE Room - Walkshop
Art and nature walk
A Song for Glossop
Join local singer-songwriter Matt Hill to explore what makes up Glossop
MAKE Room - Walkshop
Art and nature walk
Live Surprises
High Peak Community Arts’ Film Cuts Club at Glossop station
Performance Line-Up
Join us to enjoy the results of the projects which have led to the festival
Create a Cyanotype - Sun Pictures
Design your own dazzling blue cyanotype
See, touch, hear & DRAW
Join Saima Rasheed for a journey through the senses
Derbyshire Makes Festival - Bolsover
Celebrating local craftsmanship in Bolsover
Dare to Dream workshop
Be part of a monumental artwork celebrating Derbyshire's textiles heritage
Willow Weaving
Weave a community sculpture with artist Maggie Cooper
The Makory - Bolsover
The mobile activity space from Derby Museums
Buckle Making Workshop
Create models of buckles, inspired by Bolsover's buckle and spur making industry
Banner Making
Join textile artist Ursula Rose Rae to explore creating Textile Banners
Teenage Market
Buy handmade goods from local teenagers
Banner Making
Join textile artist Ursula Rose Rae to explore creating Textile Banners
Buskers
Performers from Bolsover
Banner Making
Join textile artist Ursula Rose Rae to explore creating Textile Banners
Derbyshire Makes Festival - Swadlincote
A celebration of community and making in Swadlincote
Dare to Dream workshops
Be part of a monumental artwork celebrating Derbyshire's textiles heritage