WOVEN 2025: More than 12,000 visitors flock to month-long festival celebrating Kirklees' textile history

This year’s festival, which took place throughout June, saw more than 120 events take place involving community organisations, venues, local artists, schools and the textile industry, attended by more than 12,000 visitors.

WOVEN Festival curator Natalie Walton said: “This year’s festival has been defined by creativity, generosity and community spirit.

“We’ve seen new connections and collaborations flourish and whole communities come together in creative endeavour. My heart is full.”

The community-focused festival saw people of all ages participate in hands-on workshops, exhibitions, installations and creative gatherings.

The festival’s ever-popular yarn bomb trail returned, with Roberttown village and Marsden Park festooned in woolly creations and Slaithwaite’s streets adorned with colourful mandalas. There were “yarnstallations” in Moldgreen, an enchanted woodland in Flockton and giant flowers in Ravensthorpe.

Coun Carole Pattison, Leader of Kirklees Council, said: “I’m delighted that so many people across Kirklees had the opportunity to come together to celebrate our rich heritage and champion the ongoing innovation in our textile industry.

“WOVEN has delivered a wonderful array of colourful, inclusive events that truly reflected the diversity of our communities. A heartfelt thank you to everyone involved in making this a festival to remember once again.”

The programme was packed with opportunities to learn and share skills, from upcycling workshops and natural dyeing sessions to brooch-making and creative mending classes.

Stitch Saturday events in Birstall and Batley encouraged families to discover the joys of sewing together.

A highlight was the installation of The Red Dress at Oakwell Hall. The internationally acclaimed collaborative embroidery project, from artist Kirstie MacLeod, features the work of more than 300 embroiderers from 51 countries and drew more than 3,000 visitors from all around the UK.

Exhibitions across the district explored a range of themes, from the history of the shoddy industry in Dewsbury to the innovation of radical pattern-cutting in Huddersfield.

The festival came to a close with the Dewsbury Mash Up, a day-long programme of textiles, food and fun at the Princess of Wales Precinct in partnership with The Arcade, Dewsbury. This attracted an extra 5,000 visitors to the town.

Mayor of Kirklees, Coun Elizabeth Smaje, said: “WOVEN 2025 has once again shown the incredible power of creativity to bring people together.

“From the awe-inspiring Red Dress installation at Oakwell Hall to the many community-led workshops and exhibitions, every corner of Kirklees has been alive with colour, craft and community spirit.

“As Mayor, I’m immensely proud of how our district has celebrated its rich textile heritage while inspiring future generations. Thank you to everyone who made this festival such a vibrant success.”

Dan Jarvis, senior relationship manager at Arts Council England, said: “We are delighted to have supported WOVEN 2025 through our National Lottery Project Grants investment.

“Since 2019 WOVEN has brought communities together to celebrate Kirklees’ rich textiles history through community participation, pride and creativity and it has been fantastic seeing the engagement with communities deepening in this year’s festival.

“Arts Council England continues to be committed to investing in places such as Kirklees, to empower local people to shape their own cultural landscape.”