Top artists are set to work with three of the borough’s leading businesses as part of the National Festival of Making’s ‘Art in Manufacturing’ programme.
Back for 2023, the impressive scheme will this year see the talented artists collaborate with five different local manufacturers.
This will include Cookson and Clegg, part of Patrick Grant’s Community Clothing offer based in Shadsworth; Herbert Parkinson, a Darwen textile company which is this year celebrating 70 years as a proud John Lewis Partner and Blackburn-based The Cardboard Box Company, which has been a loyal festival partner since its inception in 2017.
Now in its fifth year, ‘Art in Manufacturing’ places artists in residence with some of the UK’s leading manufacturers as part of the National Festival of Making.
Curator of the Art in Manufacturing Programme and co-director of the National Festival of Making, Elena Jackson said: “We’re incredibly proud to have welcomed each of the artists and manufacturers to this year’s National Festival of Making programme, our first as an Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisation.
“2023’s commissioned artists have hugely ambitious practices with individual focus on audience experience, access and imagination.
“We can’t wait to see the ideas that have been crafted by artists emerging from these residencies – ideas that will be at the heart of a packed programme of thought-provoking exhibitions, workshops and interventions for our audiences to experience.”
The National Festival of Making is free to attend and is a unique celebration of making and manufacturing – from the kitchen table to the factory floor.
It boasts everything from making workshops to impressive art installations, theatre and musical performances, makers markets, delicious street food, talks, tours and more.
In the most recent funding round from Arts Council England, the CIC was awarded National Portfolio Organisation status, recognising its contribution to the cultural regeneration of Blackburn and wider Lancashire, achieving an economic impact of approximately £1m annually and supporting the development of a strong, place-based cultural ecology.
Leader of the council, Cllr Phil Riley said: “Blackburn with Darwen is a real hot bed of culture and creativity.
“The National Festival of Making is a big deal and we’re incredibly proud to host it here in our borough and play an integral part as strategic partner too.
“The Festival celebrates the unique making heritage of our borough, creating a distinctive sense of place while boosting our town’s tourism profile and supporting local businesses – it’s fantastic.”
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