Making it fun for all is festival promoters' aim

FESTIVAL chiefs are pledging there will be fun for all the family during Blackburn's biggest weekend of the year.

Promoters of the National Festival of Making, which returns to town on Saturday and Sunday, July 6 and 7, have pulled out all the stops to create fun opportunities for all ages.

Twenty-five different venues are hosting more than 50 activities as part of the annual spectacular, supported by Blackburn with Darwen Council, Arts Council England and the Brian Mercer Trust.

The Bureau’s Shared Sounds scheme is back with new activities plus there's chance to make music with recycled instruments with Gamelan in the Cathedral Gardens, and Elmer storytelling and crafts at Blackburn Library.

In The Making Rooms, the Fab Lab will showcase their new ceramics 3D printer, creating keyrings from recycled plastics and seed bombs from shredded cardboard.

The STEAM Zone at Blackburn College provides the chance to find out more about science, technology, engineering, rt and maths. Blackburn Youth Zone is open too with more STEAM activities to enjoy. Youngsters can also find out about ‘pipes and poo’ with One Tenth Human - exploring what really happens when you flush a toilet.

Meanwhile Blackburn Museum - celebrating its 150th birthday – will also be open both days for activities.

Elena Jackson, festival co-director, said: “We pack our programme full of things to suit the whole family – from the little kids to the big kids. The best bit is that almost everything is free too.

“We want people to come and enjoy the whole festival weekend and so, on top of the many things that there are to get involved with, we also have live music, performances, food, makers markets and more – literally something for everyone.”

She added: “Every year, tens of thousands of people turn out for the festival – Blackburn with Darwen’s biggest event of the year. The festival is a fun celebration of all things ‘making’ – from the kitchen table to the factory floor, proudly showcasing the work of leading UK creative talents, alongside emerging and next generation artists.

“We want Blackburn to be seen as the natural home of making, both in the past - with the town’s rich links to the cotton industry - and looking to the future too, we have so much creative talent right here to celebrate.”

Their website - www.festivalofmaking.co.uk - offers a full activities guide and maps to venues.