Assemble: Derby’s Making Festival 2026

A celebration of all things making – meet the makers and discover what you can make!

Assemble: Derby’s Making Festival is a family-friendly showcase of invention, creativity and resourcefulness, celebrating making in all its shapes and forms.

Back for 2026, Assemble brings together over 60 artists and makers from varied disciplines to share their passion and skills with you and to encourage you to have a go at making yourself. Last year’s event saw audiences of over 1,500 in attendance and featured more than 50 makers on-site. With demonstrations in everything from ceramics and embroidery to laser-cutting, weaving, jewellery-making, letterpress printing, metalwork, robotics, clay-modelling and automata, this event is perfect for families and may even inspire the little ones to become makers of the future!

This years spectacle makers include:

Emily Holtom: Emily is best known for her live typewriter poetry, creating personalised poems on the spot in response to stories, memories and ideas. Writing on her vintage typewriter, she creates each poem in the moment for the person in front of her, making poetry a shared and spontaneous experience! @emily_onthepage, emilyholtom.com.

Simoen Kai – A nature artist and wood carver. 

Johnny White – Back by popular demand, this year johnny will be creating a new installation called ‘Pedel Powered People’.

Kakuo – A Chesterfield based social enterprise looking to identify and remove barriers that exclude the disabled from accessing mainstream music, creative arts and wellbeing participation.

Kids Invent Stuff – Engineers Ruth & Shawn from Kids Invent Stuff will be leading a Studios takeover with drop-in activities across the day. 

Suitable for all ages – under 16s must be accompanied by an adult.  £5 for those aged 16 and over / FREE to under 16s and Derby Museums Friends.

Booking recommended.

Attendees with a disability who need an essential carer do not need to pay for their carer. To reserve a free support ticket please contact Dan@derbymuseums.org, or turn up on the day.

Assemble is generously supported by Vaillant.

Images (c) Kate Lowe Photography / Derby Museums.