Sunny Bank Mills hosts a print festival on March 1st and 2nd. It includes a Print Fair, workshops, and open studios.
Free workshops teach zine making and bookbinding. Printmaking workshops are also available. The People Powered Press has a pop-up exhibition. Artists open their studios in the mills. “Ones to Watch 2025” launches. Drop in to the textile museum and archive.
The Print Fair showcases over 60 artists. Printmakers and bookmakers will sell items. Collectives and studios also participate. They celebrate print and bookbinding. Screenprints and monoprints will be there. Risographs and collagraphs are available too. You can find zines and hand-bound books.
Stallholders come from across the UK. Basil & Ford and Angela Hall attend. West Yorkshire Print Workshop is included. Ploterre, Ellie Way, and others participate. Concrete Nature is just one example.
Natalie Kolowiecki is an Arts Events Co-ordinator. She is excited for the Print Festival’s return. The Print Fair has many prints and books. Artists range from new to traditional.
The People Powered Press returns. Their exhibition takes over the third floor. “These Northern Types” was shown in 2018. It was the first display of their press. The press holds a Guinness World Record.
Their exhibition features large-scale works. These were printed at their Saltaire studio. It has a 12-meter wide mural. The exhibition also has 1.5-meter letters. Photographs of works since 2021 are shown. These were installed across Bradford and Leeds.
Visitors can design and print a letter. They will use the press’s mini version. They contribute to a unique alphabet. It will be added to the exhibition.
Workshops are available by booking. You can learn collagraph printing. Bookbinding and journal-making classes exist. Drypoint and lino printing are offered. Zine-making workshops are available, too. Some workshops may sell out. Check for spaces on the day.
The artist community holds open studios. Find them in the Twisting and Spinning Mills. The Red Lane Studios also participate. You can meet artists and buy art.
The “Ones to Watch” exhibition opens in the gallery. It shows Yorkshire artists’ work. The museum and archive is open. Learn about cloth and mill workers.
Spend a day or weekend at the Print Festival. The Craft Café sells food and drinks. Mill shops and food outlets stay open. Under 12s enter the Print Fair free.
Sunny Bank Mills has an art gallery. There is a studio community, too. They have a textile museum and archive. They also host other creative businesses.