Women Who Make Festival

Saturday 4th October 2025

10am – 4pm

Masson Mills

Set around the compelling ‘ Standing In This Place’ exhibition by artist Rachel Carter, explore a vibrant showcase of women makers, artists, designers, storytellers, and activists.

Featuring workshops, talks, demonstrations and a community sewing bee with Alex Murphy, former contestant on BBC’s The Great British Sewing Bee.

Join us for a day of creativity, collaboration, and connection.

• ‘Standing in This Place’ exhibition by Rachel Carter 
• Artist Showcase / Makers’ Market – discover work, meet makers, and see creativity in action
• Workshops & demonstrations
• Talks from 4 inspiring speakers (see below for more details)
• Community Sewing Bee with Alex Murphy, former contestant on the BBC’s The Great British Sewing Bee 
• Weaving demonstrations on heritage looms
• Walk (details coming soon) 

What you need to know:

Entry is free –  register today to book your place and to stay updated on the programme.

You can also book add-on tickets when you register for selected talks and special activities (see below).

Please note: The Masson Mills’ Textile Museum Weaving Shed will be open to explore as part of the festival for free. Milly Melbourne will be running weaving demonstrations on heritage looms throughout the day.

Parking charges apply. 

Derbyshire Makes in partnership with Masson Mills and Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage Site.

Inspired by Derbyshire’s spirit of innovation, we’re inviting families, and community groups to craft flags, banners, and garments that showcase dreams, aspirations, and bold ideas for a brighter future.

Led by artist Sue Reddish with special guest Alex Murphy (former contestant on the BBC’s The Great British Sewing Bee), and our Dare to Dream artists Bernie Rutter and Christine Thomas, this drop-in workshop invites you to craft banners, flags and garments that carry your dreams and ideas for the future. Using old fabrics and found materials, transform everyday textiles into powerful symbols of hope and change.

No experience needed – just imagination and a desire to make something special.

Drop in, get involved, and leave with your own piece of artistic activism.

From weaving demonstrations on heritage looms and family friendly activities with the World Heritage Site team, explore making in action, meet inspiring women makers, and try something new

Details coming soon (add-on tickets will be made available).

Register today to book your place.

Meet and connect with women artists and makers from across Derbyshire and beyond. The Artist Showcase is more than a market – it’s a space to see creativity in action. Discover unique handmade work, watch demonstrations, hear about the stories behind the pieces, and, where available, take home something special.

Katie Abey is a creative human on a mission to make a positive difference with her art. Known for her colourful, witty illustrations of “perturbed animals and lots of rainbows,” Katie channels her sensitivity into uplifting, empowering work that champions individuality and embraces weirdness. Alongside her husband, she runs Punnydukes – a magical shop in Derbyshire – and has illustrated more than 50 children’s books. In this talk, Katie will share how she has turned her unique traits into superpowers, built a thriving creative business, and why connecting to your authentic creative magic can guide both life and work.

At the heart of the talk is the story of Wild Roots Creative, a nature-based social enterprise that grew from a simple idea: that nature-based activity can transform lives and improve wellbeing.

We’ll dive into real stories and research that show how crafting together and working with nature fosters meaningful connections between people of all ages. From creating gifts for others to working on collaborative projects rooted in nature and sustainability, the impact goes far beyond the craft table.

This is a celebration of what happens when creativity, community, and care for the Earth come together. Whether you’re a lifelong maker or just curious, this talk invites you to reconnect through the simple, powerful act of crafting.

Created by sculptor Rachel Carter & the Legacy Makers

Commissioned by The National Justice Museum

Come along to hear sculptor Rachel Carter discuss the journey to create ‘ Standing In This Place’ exhibition by artist , an ambitious new sculpture that gives representation to the under-represented, and gives voice and recognition to the contributions of thousands of unnamed women who were the driving forces behind the East Midlands cotton textile industry during Industrialisation.

The statue’s inclusion in a public park places Nottingham at the forefront of historic female recognition; and makes Nottingham a regional, national and global leader in acknowledging the significant contribution women have made to the British economy and society in their roles as enslaved workers in the Americas and Caribbean and as factory workers in industrial Britain.

Textile artist and PhD researcher Sue Russell takes us inside her creative process of weaving as a research tool. Inspired by Masson Mills and the Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage Site, Sue’s woven explorations draw on the building, river, people, and cotton – four key elements that interweave to tell the story of this historic site. In this talk, she will share her journey into weaving, her research at Masson Mills, and the woven pieces that reveal how place, history, and material come together in textile form.

You can book a place on any of the talks when you book your place to attend.