TV gardening expert Alan Titchmarsh gives his backing to the WOVEN Festival as 2023 event across Kirklees draws to a close

Growing Colour Together is a flagship project of the WOVEN Festival 2023 to get Kirklees planting natural dyes with the ambitious aim to become the UK’s largest dye garden over time.

Across the festival, which begain on June 3 and ends on July 9, WOVEN has offered a range of engaging Growing Colour Together activities, including eco-printing workshops, community celebrations, collaborative textile installations and more.

With a festival theme of sustainability, Growing Colour Together amplifies this message, with a focus on using natural dye to breathe new life into clothing support of slow fashion.

With Mr Titchmarsh's endorsement, the project has gained further recognition and encourages individuals across Kirklees and beyond to embrace gardening as a means of artistic expression and sustainable living.

Mr Titchmarsh said: “I am delighted to support WOVEN 2023’s Growing Colour Together which has launched Kirklees’ admirable ambition to become the UK’s largest ever dye garden.

"The inspiring project is a glowing example of the diverse ways gardening can be used to support a sustainable industry outside of food production and given Kirklees’ rich textiles heritage, there is no better place to learn these skills.

“The start of the summer is a great time to become involved in this latest gardening trend.

"And with the breadth of community engagement programmes from online resources to practical workshops for all, WOVEN enables everyone across the UK to learn, grow and dye together - even from your own home.

“Being from Yorkshire and having a commitment to and great love of gardening, I want to encourage those from Kirklees and beyond to explore the art of gardening for natural dyeing and take sustainability into our own hands while enjoying the creative process.”

As this year’s festival comes to a close this weekend, WOVEN’s Growing Colour Together team has provided free online resources and activities to start your natural dyeing journey: from personalising clothing to creating art.

For more information about Growing Colour Together and to explore the range of activities and resources available, visit the WOVEN Festival 2023 website: https://woveninkirklees.co.uk