Derbyshire Makes in Chesterfield & Bolsover!

Derbyshire Makes,  now in its second year, is Derbyshire County Council’s flagship programme of cultural events across the county. The free Derbyshire Makes Festival is an annual event taking place across six distinct local Hubs from 11th April – 16th May 2026.

Arts Derbyshire is coordinating the programme across six hubs and Junction Arts is the hub lead for Chesterfield and Bolsover.

Derbyshire Makes Chesterfield takes place on Saturday, 18 April, offering a lively celebration of creativity that showcases the town’s rich artistic talent and heritage.

Headlining the festival is The Great Chesterfield Make Off, where 40 local artists will create brand-new work live in Chesterfield Market. The market will become a buzzing creative hub, giving visitors the chance to experience artists at work, discover new talent and see the imagination and skill that defines Chesterfield’s arts scene.

Visitors can also get hands-on in creative workshops and enjoy live street performances in the town centre from internationally renowned artist Matt Pang. The festival will also explore the endangered local heritage craft of lacemaking, highlighting the people working to preserve it, alongside a photographic exhibition celebrating today’s cultural leaders.

In Bolsover, the festival takes place on Saturday 16 May, bringing the town centre to life with a packed day of art, making and performance. The programme includes live music, film, dance, spoken word and poetry, alongside floristry, lantern-making and hands-on heritage activities. The much-loved Teenage Market will showcase the incredible young makers and creators of Bolsover.

A spectacular highlight in Bolsover is Parade – The Giant Wheel — a powerful moving performance travelling from the cenotaph to Bolsover Castle. The parade features a 12-foot Giant Wheel, live music, street artists and a large community cast of local performers, including Bolsover’s own Samba band.

Alongside Derbyshire Makes, Bolsover Festival of the Arts will also take place at Bolsover Castle, with a packed programme of live music, spoken word, dance, art installations and artisan markets.

The Makory 

The Makory, Derby Museums’ mobile makerspace, will tour town centres and communities throughout the festival period, supported through Derbyshire Makes History – a two-year programme with an exclusive heritage focus, funded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund, complementing the wider three-year Derbyshire Makes programme.

Bringing carefully selected heritage objects (including rarely seen items) together with free, artist-led drop-in workshops, The Makory creates a welcoming pop-up space for creative exploration and conversation right where people live.

Dare to Dream 

Dare to Dream is a countywide creative mass participatory initiative inviting people of all ages to create flags and banners from repurposed materials that express hopes for the future. Community sewing bee events and workshops will run in community venues during spring, building a growing collection that will continue towards a major installation planned for 2027.

Women Who Make

Women Who Make is a year-round programme that connects women across Derbyshire through creativity, conversation and shared experience. During the festival period, talks, guided walks, workshops and networking events offer ways to meet makers, access heritage spaces and develop new skills.  

Festival dates and Hub programming lead organisations:

• Cromford Mills – Saturday 11 April – Arkwright Society
• Chesterfield – Saturday 18 April – Junction Arts
• Swadlincote – Saturday 25 April – People Express
• Heanor – Saturday 2 May – MakeShift
• Glossop – Saturday 9 May – High Peak Community Arts
• Bolsover – Saturday 16 May – Junction Arts

For more information and how to get involved, visit www.derbyshiremakes.co.uk and sign up to the mailing list.

Follow on socials: @DerbyshireMakes