About Us – WOVEN

WOVEN is a celebration of innovation in textiles across Kirklees

WOVEN is a biennial festival that began in 2019, with the next big event in summer 2025.

It is initiated and 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 theme is generations of innovators, connecting a strong heritage with today’s innovative developments in industry, university research, a strong arts and crafts scene and the creative expression of the district’s rich and diverse communities.

Whilst a big festival event will happen in June every other year, there will also be long term projects and smaller events happening in between.

The festival is a spotlight moment, showcasing projects from communities across Kirklees, without whose passion – from knitting and crochet, yarn bomb and stitch groups, to schools, artists and workshop leaders, who come out to celebrate in force – the festival would not be so vibrant and energetic.

Partnerships are also key to ensuring that WOVEN has a lasting impact. Our careers programme, working with The University of Huddersfield, Textile Centre of Excellence, EVOKE, and C+K Careers, has created an online resource, live industry tours, engaged in employability programmes, and has been a focus for a number of research programmes. With support from the Paul Hamlyn Foundation Teacher Development Fund, WOVEN has enabled five primary schools to explore ways in which textiles can be embedded across the curriculum.

The themes for the 2023 festival were developed from an urgent need to highlight the environmental impact of textiles on the planet, resulting in two core strands: Growing and Sewing.

Growing Colour Together

Over the last year we have been working hard to develop our understanding of natural dyes and the wonderful ways we can be creative and caring through dye processes. During the festival there are lots of opportunities to learn about everything from plant to pigment and get involved in the conversation. Growing Colour Together is supported by Arts Council England and the Mayor’s Safer Communities Fund

Celebrating the Stitch

This strand will see us support local Stitch Heroes across the district with STRUTing upcycled and embellished outfits on a catwalk, our Mission to Mend Roadshows, Sing and Sew alongside HERD, community quilts, stitch socials, craftivism and everything in between!