Derbyshire Makes History Heritage Grant Awards

We’re delighted to announce the first recipients of the Heritage Grant, supporting a rich and varied programme of heritage-focused activity taking place across the county during 2026.

The Heritage Grant is part of Derbyshire Makes History, a two-year programme funded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund. It complements the wider Derbyshire Makes programme with a specific focus on celebrating Derbyshire’s industrial heritage of making – particularly textiles, knitting, ceramics, and mining – and on supporting heritage skills, stories, and community participation.

Following strong interest from heritage organisations and community groups, funding has been awarded to a diverse set of projects that will engage local people through exhibitions, performances, workshops, installations and digital heritage activity.

Heritage Grant Awards

The following projects have been awarded a Derbyshire Makes Heritage Grant and will be developed and delivered during 2026 as part of Derbyshire Makes History. 

• Celebrating Lace Making in Chesterfield

• Lamp Light: Stories of South Derbyshire’s Mining Past

• SUNBURST – Bretby Art Pottery project

• Wheels of Change at Cromford Mill

• Fred at the Pithead Baths’ theatre performance

• Buxton Makes History – year-round heritage activities

• Glossop’s Film Heritage – youth group film commission

• The Bedrock of Bolsover – Heritage building skills demonstration

• Blackwell Brides - heritage craft workshops, installation and oral histories

These projects reflect the breadth of Derbyshire’s heritage – from mining and geology to ceramics, lace, film and social history.

We look forward to sharing more about these projects as they develop, and to welcoming audiences across Derbyshire to experience them during the Derbyshire Makes 2026 festival period and beyond.

Further rounds of Heritage Grants will be available later in the year, with opportunities for heritage organisations, museums and community groups to apply.