Derbyshire County Council

19/11/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 19/11/2024 13:56

The Great British Sewing Bee contestant creates buzz by joining Derbyshire Makes

The Great British Sewing Bee contestant creates buzz by joining Derbyshire Makes

Published: 19 November 2024

Fans of the BBC show The Great British Sewing Bee will be excited to hear that recent contestant and Derbyshire resident Alex Murphy is leading a major strand of Derbyshire Makes - a 3-year programme of activities inspired by the county's making and manufacturing heritage.

Bee crafty: Derbyshire resident and former contestant on The Great British Sewing Bee Alex Murphy.

We have secured £780,000 in Arts Council England funding for the programme which aims to shine a spotlight on the county's extraordinary making heritage and creative and cultural industries and get more people involved in making in all kinds of forms.

And now Derbyshire Makes has gained the backing of Alex who will be encouraging people to get creative with materials as part of a county-wide mass participation project to be launched in February.

The project takes its inspiration from how water enabled Derbyshire to flourish during the Industrial Revolution through water-powered mills and the production of textiles. And Alex will be asking people to express themselves through designing, making, wearing and showcasing textile-based creations.

These could include garments, banners, patchwork and quilts that people have made or repurposed, with an emphasis on sustainability. Any schools and community groups taking part will be encouraged to host catwalk shows to parade their new creations, organise clothes swaps, or lead a procession.

Alex Murphy said:

"I'm thrilled to be part of such an exciting project in the county I'm lucky to call home. Making, particularly with repurposed materials, is such an important part of my life. It's a true privilege to share my skills and enthusiasm, and I can't wait to see what the people of Derbyshire create through these hands-on activities."

Hot on the heels of the mass participation project, the first Derbyshire Makes festival will launch on Friday 28 March to Sunday 27 April 2025, which will take place across 6 locations over 5 weeks and will become an annual highlight of the programme.

The Derbyshire Makes festival will visit the town centres of six community Hubs in Chesterfield, Heanor, Glossop, Bolsover, Swadlincote and Cromford Mills. Residents and visitors will be able to take part in free hands-on making workshops, listen to stories, ramble on walks to gain creative inspiration from nature and learn new crafting skills.

The Museum of Making's Makory mobile activity space will visit each town centre as part of the festival. Activities will have a focus on local heritage collections including never before seen items from both the Museum of Making and Derbyshire archives to inspire new inventions.

Activities in each Hub location will be programmed by local cultural organisations building on their experience of developing creative activities with and for residents in their area and inspired by local stories. For example, Cromford Mills will be exploring water and how to make your own water-powered machines, whereas festival goers in Bolsover will have the chance to make sculptures from natural materials, inspired by the natural landscape.

Festival goers will also be invited to join in the mass participation project led by Alex.

Whether a resident, local business, artist, maker or visitor, anyone can get involved in the mass participation project. For more information and how to get involved, sign up to the mailing list by visiting Derbyshire Makes.

Councillor Barry Lewis, Leader of Derbyshire County Council, said:

"It's exciting to see Derbyshire Makes taking shape with an ambitious programme of events and activities in communities across the county, inspired by our proud history of making. We're keen to ensure that as many people as possible can get involved in making in all its forms and celebrate our heritage as well as the role making plays in Derbyshire now and in the future."

Peter Knott, Midlands Area Director at Arts Council England, said:

"It's brilliant to see this project coming to life following a £780,000 investment through our Place Partnership Fund, which uses money from the National Lottery.

"Culture plays a vital role in bringing communities together. It also makes people feel happier and take pride in the place that they live. So, we're thrilled that Derbyshire Makes is building on the county's rich heritage of making to inspire and enable more people to enjoy high quality creative and cultural experiences on their doorstep."

Festival dates and Hub programming lead organisations

Full details of the Derbyshire Makes festival will be revealed in February 2025.

Derbyshire-based agencies Local and Arts Derbyshire have been contracted to deliver Derbyshire Makes. Local leads on countywide activity including the festival and mass participation project, and Arts Derbyshire coordinates the programme of activities across the 6 community Hubs in Bolsover, Swadlincote, Glossop, Chesterfield, Heanor, Matlock, Cromford and Wirksworth.

Derbyshire Makes is funded by Arts Council England's Place Partnership fund, which uses money from the National Lottery, and ourselves, and has already secured 50 partners to support its delivery.

You can find the project on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.

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