Popular textile festival STRUTS into Dewsbury with fun-filled weekend of activities

Textile festival, WOVEN in Kirklees, in partnership with Dewsbury Taking the Lead, is bringing STRUT – an exciting three-day event – to Dewsbury this February, to engage the local Kirklees community in craft skills for the future, as well as to understand what residents, artists, makers and visitors want from the festival in coming years.

STRUT: Celebrating Creativity in Dewsbury will take place from Friday, February 16 – Sunday, February 18 at Dewsbury Town Hall with workshops, music, exhibitions and an area for artists and makers to show and sell available to all.

Kirklees is built on the textiles industry, from humble domestic spinning and weaving beginnings to large-scale mill production and trading; WOVEN celebrates it all.

The biennial festival was initiated in 2019 and is funded by Kirklees Council, but is owned by everyone, including community groups, textile businesses, cultural and educational organisations, artists and heritage sites across the district.

WOVEN’s 2023 festival took place from May – July last year, engaging over 15,000 people with a diverse programme which focused on ensuring the continued growth of essential textile skills.

The first STRUT: Fashion + Music + Identity took place in June 2023 with a community catwalk popping up in the centre of Dewsbury, surrounded by a host of activities including crafts, a music stage from Kirklees Year of Music 2023, a skatepark and more.

This year’s STRUT will be an active space for making – full of free workshops for skill-building, live music hosted by Kirklees Year of Music, a makers’ market and more. Here’s what’s happening over the three days:

Friday, February 16, 12.30 – 5pm, Dewsbury Town Hall

Drop in and visit the free, family-friendly exhibition celebrating the people of Kirklees who strutted their creations at last year’s STRUT, and see images from SATURDAY TOWN, by award-winning photographer, Casey Orr.

Pop-up, drop-in, outdoor, free, family-friendly, fun and creative art workshops throughout the day led by Children’s Art School.

Before the event, talk to the WOVEN team about the future of WOVEN in Dewsbury at the WOVEN Future Planning Session from 10am – 12pm. Book your free ticket: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/woven-future-planning-session-tickets-773605343407?aff=oddtdtcreator&fbclid=IwAR1p13njGz_JrCyDhgYnVfZ1yK9_2VqMXg34xadF67-bDlxBI4sJJISSnWM

Saturday, February 17, 11am – 4pm, Dewsbury Town Hall

See the family-friendly exhibition as well as join in with the WOVEN community event. Full of fun workshops for skill-making, music and activities for all the family – this event is a place to find out more about the groups doing great things in Dewsbury.

Free activities taking place all day include:

Make a "jam jar greenhouse” to grow your own natural dye plant with artist Karen Stansfield.

Create a concertina sketchbook with artist Harriet Lawson.

Sound Walks with Duncan Chapman from Manasamitra (Sounds of Dewsbury tours: 11am – the Looking Up walk; 12.30pm – The Artworks walk; 2pm – the Heritage walk).

Have your portrait taken at Casey Orr’s Pop Up Photo Studio.

Free face painting with Artifaces.

Pop-up, drop-in, outdoor, free, family-friendly, fun and creative art workshops throughout the day led by Children’s Art School.

Community and Makers’ Market.

Treat yourself to handmade crafts and meet groups supporting creativity in Dewsbury including: Craft and Laughter Community group; ESapphireShop; Mindful Maker CIC; Naturally Woodland; Nesh; Paige Eden; Real Hand Sewnful; Quirky Doodle Ceramics; Taylor made by Anne; Zillion Arts and Crafts; Callaloo Carnival Arts; Alpoopers; CLEAR, Dewsbury Arcade; Thread Republic; Dewsbury Community Outreach; Dewsbury and District Third Age; Kirklees Cohesion Team.

Kirklees Year of Music will be providing free live music from Lizzey Ross and Lloyd Degler, Mitchy Music; Dewsbury Community Choir; Simon Walker; Crystal Visions throughout the day and DJ Beth Holloway will take to the decks from 3 – 4pm.

Talk to the WOVEN team about the future of WOVEN in Dewsbury.

Sunday, February 18, 11am – 4pm, Dewsbury Town Hall

Drop in on Sunday to meet the WOVEN team, let them know what you think of WOVEN, if the festival is working for you and your community. Plus get creative and have a go at making your very own zine with the team from Thread Republic.

Also, visit the free, family-friendly exhibition celebrating the people of Kirklees who strutted their creations at last year’s STRUT, and see images from SATURDAY TOWN, by award-winning photographer, Casey Orr.

Since late 2023, the WOVEN team has been out and about in the community talking with those familiar and not so familiar with the festival to find out what people want from the programmes WOVEN offers in the future through a dedicated consultation programme.

STRUT will give the people of Dewsbury a chance to meet the team in person and discuss their thoughts on WOVEN’s future in the district.

WOVEN is all about connecting Kirklees’ strong textiles heritage with today’s innovative developments in industry, spotlighting the talents of those in the district, teaching new and long-lasting skills for all, and elevating the creative expression of rich and diverse local communities.

WOVEN has a strong focus on teaching children, young people and those who have no or limited experience in textiles, sewing and crafts, to learn simple stitching, practising dexterity and enable new skills and a mend mentality for the future.

WOVEN aims to potentially ignite new hobbies and passions for the future, even sparking a career aspiration within textiles in the future and the activities on offer at STRUT, as well as those at the consultation events, align with this focus and vision.

Visit STRUT: Celebrating Creativity in Dewsbury from Friday, February 16 – Sunday, February 18 at Dewsbury Town Hall.

Unable to make it but still want to have your say on the future of WOVEN? Fill in this online survey: https://hatchprojects.wufoo.com/forms/m1xc33l60rhxpv3/?fbclid=IwAR2xJZz_VWGSNrjvD18YnGU7lfTGeXPg-XLEOosbBLFB9D5CMwg-WL3_kSA

Find out more about WOVEN and access textile resources: https://woveninkirklees.co.uk/