Meet the Artists of The Makory Tour 2026

This Spring, The Makory Tour will travel across Derbyshire celebrating the county’s extraordinary heritage of innovators and invention.

From water-powered mills to the workshops, from pioneering engineers and radical designers to mill workers, manufacturers and community makers, Derbyshire has long been shaped by people willing to experiment, question and create something new., Derbyshire has always been a place where ideas are tested, materials transformed and new possibilities imagined.

As part of Derbyshire Makes the 2026 Makory Tour brings together a team of artists whose work connects directly to this legacy of ingenuity.

Innovation isn’t only found in history books. It happens in communities, in craft, in industry – and in the everyday act of making.

The 2026 Makory artists are:

Sophie Gresswell

Jenny Steele

Clare Taylor

Clare Brown

Verity Foster

Milly Melbourne

Working across textiles, ceramics, millinery, sustainable fashion and participatory heritage practice, the artists will deliver hands-on workshops inspired by Derbyshire’s industrial past and creative present.

Each stop on the tour will connect local stories of invention – with experimentation and shared making.

The Makory Tour is not only about looking back. It’s about recognising that Derbyshire’s spirit of innovation is still alive – and inviting everyone to be part of what comes next.

For more details about the artists, visit the About page.

The Makory Tour is supported by Derbyshire Makes and Derbyshire Makes History, with funding from Derbyshire County Council, Arts Council England and The National Lottery Heritage Fund.