The National Festival of Making\

The festival features several projects which have been specially commissioned for the festival, creating exciting collaborations with artists and makers and building partnerships with organisations and businesses. Manufacturers large and small will collaborate with artists on a series of new commissions, interlacing often traditional techniques and materials with challenging, contemporary ideas.

Placeshakers have launched the MakerShed design competition for architecture and design students to create a small simple structure to house a making activities.

Hawkins\Brown assembled a young team of emerging architectural designers to explore themes from the social and historical context of Blackburn to inform their design. The form of the structure and its apertures reference the Old Market Hall and Clock Tower that once stood in the heart of Blackburn where makers and stall holders thrived in the busy market square.

The structure utilises contemporary modes of digital fabrication including CNC routing and vinyl laser cutting. At the same time MakerShed is intended to celebrate the craftwork, analogue and tactile processes of making. As an adaptive and flexible space, MakerShed will adjust to meet the needs of its maker.

Hawkins\Brown’s MakerShed is designed to be home to Joshua Beaty and Phoebe Kime. These textile artists, who specialise in creative knitting and crochet, are both recent graduates from Central St Martins College, London. The MakerShed will give them a space to demonstrate their rich craft during The National Festival of Making.

Through the work of Joshua and Phoebe the temporary installation will inspire the joy of making by engaging with all ages and backgrounds.

Find out more about The National Festival of Making

Find out more about MakerShed competition