Every day, millions of us dedicate time to our favourite hobbies; as a way to express ourselves and be creative. Whether you make it, modify it or collect it, we want to hear from you. The loudest presentation of our quiet pastimes, Come As You Really Are is an exhibition of artist Hetain Patel’s work, alongside objects that have been lovingly created by people across the UK.
At the heart of this project is a nationwide community of people whose labours of love are a lens through which the artist presents an alternative portrait of the UK.
As part of the 2025 National Festival of Making, with Blackburn Museum & Art Gallery we will exhibit Come As You Really Are by Hetain Patel, a new exhibition featuring contributions from hobbyists across Lancashire and the UK.
Alongside the exhibition, we will host talks, performances, film screenings and workshops across the weekend. Details to be announced soon.
Open Call: Get Involved
We are looking for people from Lancashire who want to share their favourite hobbies and be part of this exciting exhibition. Could this be you?
We are looking for passionate people who would like to publicly display the things they have made or collected as part of their hobby. The hobbies can be anything, from painted rocks, crocheted frogs, model trains or beekeeping equipment, the choice is yours!
Exhibited objects will be on display at Blackburn Museum and Art Gallery from Friday 4th July to 23rd August. We will need your objects from late June until the end of August.
We are also looking for people who:
- Want to perform their hobby (choirs? dancers? freestyle footballers?)
- People who can teach or demonstrate their hobby (eg craft skills, traditional skills, unusual pastimes) during the National Festival of Making weekend on 5 – 6th July 2025.
Remember, the hobbies can be anything from henna painting to clog dancing, lace making to a one-shot live D&D campaign! We are open to all ideas.
Who is Eligible to Apply?
We welcome responses from anyone living in or with connections to Lancashire and has a hobby, collection, or pastime to share.
If you are a hobbyist whose work has a direct connection to Blackburn Museum and Art Gallery and its collections, we are particularly interested in hearing from you.
And if you have an alternative idea, get in touch!
How to Apply
Fill out this short form to tell us a little about yourself, what you do in your spare time and why you do it. The form takes less than 5 minutes to fill out.
If you would like the application information in a different format or to discuss alternative ways to apply, please email applications@festivalofmaking.co.uk. We are open to many alternative ways to submit including video and audio recordings.
We can’t wait to see what you share!
Deadline for Applications: Friday 28th March 2025, 5.00 pm.
To apply, click the below link!
Commissioned and Produced by ARTANGEL.
