Free spring festival and a special guest artist

Derbyshire Makes Festival will visit the town centres of the six community Hubs: Chesterfield, Heanor, Glossop, Bolsover, Swadlincote, and Cromford Mills. Residents and visitors will be able to take part in hands-on making workshops, listen to stories, take inspiration from nature and learn new crafting skills. Festival goers will also be invited to join in a county-wide mass participation activity inspired by Derbyshire’s textiles heritage, led by Alex Murphy, Derbyshire resident and recent contestant on the BBC’s The Great British Sewing Bee.

The Museum of Making’s Makory mobile activity space will visit each town centre as part of the festival. Activities will have a focus on local heritage collections including never before seen items from both the Museum of Making and Derbyshire Archives to inspire new inventions. Activities in each Hub location will be programmed by local cultural organisations building on their experience of developing creative activities with and for residents in their areas and inspired by local stories.

Alex Murphy, a contestant on this year’s The Great British Sewing Bee, will be encouraging people to get creative with materials as part of a mass participation making project to be launched in February. The project takes its inspiration from how water enabled Derbyshire to flourish during the Industrial Revolution through water-powered mills and the production of textiles.

Alex Murphy said: “I’m thrilled to be part of such an exciting project in the county I’m lucky to call home. Making, particularly with repurposed materials, is such an important part of my life. It’s a true privilege to share my skills and enthusiasm, and I can’t wait to see what the people of Derbyshire create through these hands-on activities.”