WOVEN, the biennial festival that celebrates textile heritage and innovation, has received funding from Arts Council England to support three local community hub projects in collaboration with Chestnut Centre in Deighton, Birkby and Fartown Library, and Ravensthorpe Community Centre.
These partnerships, supported by the mental health charity Support 2 Recovery (S2R) and Kirklees Libraries, help communities create their own experiences for the WOVEN festival. They encourage people to share ideas that showcase their unique cultural identities and goals.
The theme for WOVEN 2025 is Connecting Culture, highlighting the festival’s role in uniting communities through the universal language of textiles.
Throughout the festival, various free and ticketed events will celebrate textiles across Kirklees. These will include exhibitions showcasing both local and international textile art, workshops teaching traditional and innovative textile techniques, and talks and tours that explore the region’s textile heritage and future. Additionally, community projects will connect diverse cultural backgrounds through textiles.
Councillor Carole Pattison, Leader of Kirklees Council and Cabinet Member for Culture said:
“I’m delighted that this funding success will enable WOVEN to provide more artistic and creative opportunities throughout our towns and villages.”
Micro-grants and crowdfunding opportunities
In addition to the local hub projects, WOVEN, Kirklees Council and Spacehive will offer some micro-grants for community textile projects and events that raise funding through the civic crowdfunding platform Growing Great Places.
These projects could be anything from workshops, exhibitions and talks to tours or yarn bombs.
Apply for funding
Events should take place between Sunday 1 June, and Monday 30 June 2025. Proposals need to be submitted by Sunday 2 March 2025.
To apply for funding please visit our page on the spacehive website.
For more information on WOVEN 2025 and to submit event proposals, visit the WOVEN website.