National Festival of Making 2026: Open Call for Festival Workshops

About the Open Call

The National Festival of Making is a unique celebration of making, from the kitchen table to the factory floor. Presenting a programme of work that combines Art, Manufacturing, Making and Communities, we commission local and national artists to create world-class works, a year-round programme and a participatory FREE FAMILY festival for all to enjoy. The festival will return to Lancashire on 4th & 5th July 2026, filling the streets of Blackburn with free participatory making opportunities, workshops, performances, talks, exhibitions, markets and more. We are looking for imaginative and distinctive ideas that inspire and engage our multi-generational audiences, from early years through to adults. Workshops make up the largest part of our programme, offering our audience the opportunity to take part in high-quality making experiences and explore new skills and materials.

What is Offered

Opportunity to deliver workshops at the National Festival of Making 2026, with a varied budget dependent on day-rate and material costs, and to engage multi-generational audiences. Between 6-8 new workshops are expected to be commissioned.

Requirements

Applicants must be available for both festival dates (4th and 5th July 2026) and be artists, makers, creatives, collectives, musicians, STEAM leaders, or facilitators. Proposals should include an estimated budget for day-rate and material costs.

How to Apply

Applicants should email 1-2 pages including a brief outline of their workshop idea, a breakdown of their budget (artist fees, materials, travel), the target audience, details of previous workshop experience, and relevant images or links to work (e.g., Instagram/website) to applications@festivalofmaking.co.uk. A full brief can be downloaded from the website.