Wirksworth Festival launches with popular Art and Architecture Trail drawing 140 artists
More than 140 artists will be exhibiting their work in homes, public spaces, business premises, gardens and sheds during the launch of this year’s Wirksworth Festival.
The Art and Architecture Trail on September 13 and 14 will include painters, ceramicists, jewellers, textile artists, ironworkers, printmakers, sculptors and more. There are also two packed Designer Maker Markets to browse and enjoy.
For many regulars, the trail is the highlight of the festival, attracting up to 5000 visitors. Each year up to a third of the artists will be new to the event, so there is always something different to see.
Throughout the weekend there are pop up shows. In the past these have included plays, morris dancers, an alpenhorn group, classical musicians, a ukelele group and lots more street music.
The festival works in partnership with MusicWirks who throughout the trail weekend arrange live music in many places. Details can be found on the MusicWirks Facebook page.
Traditionally, the free, public music event, known as Gig on the Roof concludes the trail weekend on Sunday afternoon/evening. However, this year there will be performances on both Saturday and Sunday.
The Arts and Architecture Weekend will be open from 10am until 5pm on both days. Entry wristbands are only £10, free for children 16 years and under, giving access to all 70 exhibition venues across the whole town for the entire weekend. Wristbands are available on the day of your visit from the Town Hall, the Memorial Hall and Haarlem MIll.
A free to use shuttlebus service runs to and from the main car parks continuously both days.
The festival continues until September 21, with this year’s programme comprising dance, comedy, storytelling, drama and music hosted at venues including the Town Hall, Wirksworth Leisure Centre, St Mary’s Church, The Old Lock-up, Wellsprung Church and the Royal Oak Barn. Wirksworth Community Celebration will be hosted at the National Stone Centre on the final afternoon.
For the past few years, the festival has been sponsored by The Ampersand Foundation, to manage an Artist in Residence programme.
The chosen artist lives in a cottage outside of town and works on an exhibition for the following year. The 2024 Artist in Residence Stef Kerek an award-winning Ceramicist from Lancashire will curate the Central Exhibition this year in The Maltings entitled Unearthed.
This year’s Artist in Residence, Ellen Burroughs, started her residency in July. Primarily working in printmaking, the results of her residency will form the major Maltings Exhibition in 2026 and she will be showing work in progress this year in St Mary’s Church.
The Wirksworth Festival began many, many years ago, even before a group of local artists first opened their houses in 1994 and has become established as one of the highlights of the Derbyshire year. Today Wirksworth is a town full of artists, many exhibiting in local galleries, and artists’ own studios.
The Trail Weekend entry wristbands are still only £10 giving access to all 70 exhibition venues across the whole town for the entire weekend. Free for children 16 and under. Purchased from numerous selling points around the town.
A free to use shuttlebus service runs to and from the main car parks continuously both days.
For further details, go to www.wirksworthfestival.co.uk, www.facebook.com/wirksworthfestival