The National Festival of Making 2021
"Of Earth And Sky"
In April 2021, The National Festival of Making took over the streets of Blackburn with Darwen with their "Of Earth And Sky" poetry festival, showcasing the talents of local and national poets. 11 of the poems were chosen from over 130 submissions by Lancashire folk to accompany those from internationally renowned poets.
Owing to the restrictions in place, as a result of the global COVID-19 pandemic, this year's festival took the form of street art placed around the borough as excerpts from poems. Bringing to life over 30 poems in painted and life-sized lettering installations in as many locations.
Did you find them all? (Click on a picture to visit the National Festival of Making page and read the poem)
Blackburn Town Centre
Blackburn Cathedral
Railway Road
"A Universe Inside Me Turns"
Blackburn Central Library
Town Hall St
"You've Made Me Dream Of Violets And My Soul's Forgotten Gleam"
Blackburn College
Victoria Building, Blakey Moor
"You Are The World And We Need You Here"
Blackburn Market
Church St
"The Moon Is A Wheel Of Yellow Cheese"
Blackburn Museum & Art Gallery
Museum St
"To Make With Your Hands Is To Leave Your Mark On The World"
Bureau Centre for The Arts
Penny St
"Like A Hive For Bees Buzzing Around With Skill "Arte" Et Labore"
Bus Station
Ainsworth St
"She Held Up The Sky"
Lark Hill
Barbara Castle Way
"The Aroma of Biryani"
The Mall
Lord St
"They Are Joy: Sun-kissed, Wind-kissed, Love-kissed"
Lord St West
The Mall
Market Way
"Don't Ever Believe That You Can't Climb Up, Step Out, And Blossom Into Your Own Beauty"
"Remember There Are Out There More Ways Than Walkers More Dreams Than Dreamers"
Town Centre
King William St
"Separate As Stars, But Held Together By A Love"
Town Centre
Lord St West
"I Invite You To Love The Rain, Yes, The Rain In The North"
Town Centre
New Market St
"Turn Your Hand Towards Mine"
Town Centre
Radio Lancashire, Darwen St
"Ta'ra Lockdown, See Ya Later Dressing Gown"
Train Station
Railway Station Boulevard
"Some Mornings You Open The Curtains And Light Falls Into Your Little World"
Victoria St
Off Barbara Castle Way
"Some Mornings You Open The Curtains And Light Falls Into Your Little World"
Blackburn Out-And-About
Blackburn Central High School
Haslingden Road
"A Simple Call Is All It Takes To Let Them Know That You're Their Mate"
Blackburn Rovers Football Club
Ewood Park, Bolton Road
"Miss You Mate"
Corporation Park
"You Are Nature"
"Did You Forget For A While? That Rocks And Stones Are In Your Bones, Tree Roots And Veins, Galaxies And Brains Are All The Same."
Eanam Wharf
Eanam
"You Made Us Reflect"
Queen's Park
Boat House
"You Don't Know How Much I Want You To See The World"
Serpentine Lake
"Million Hearts Each Working Like Floating Bells Against The Deep Turn Of Heavy Water"
Royal Blackburn Hospital
Haslingden Road
"You Made Us Reflect"
Witton Country Park
Preston Old Road
"Plant Your Hands In Mother Earth, Pull Your Many Selves Up, And Continue Being"
"No Need To Win, Just Play!"
Darwen
Bold Venture Park
Belgrave Road
"Planes Passing By Will Mistake Me For A Rocket And Make Space"
Jubilee Tower
Jubilee Tower
Aka Darwen Tower
"Of Earth And Sky"
Market Square
Market Square
Railway Road
"Having - Love, Hope And Trust"
"My Darling, It's Time To Be Gentle With Yourself"
Olive Park Bowling Club
Olive Park Bowling Club
Olive Lane
"Allow Time To Stand Still"
Our Poem, which was one of the 11 successful local entries...
People Make A Town
by Stuart Quinn
People make a town
Our neighbours and mates
Not terrace-row houses, not old-fashioned slates
Not feather-edged fences, nor wrought-iron gates
People make a town
Nodded hellos and waved goodbyes
Not afternoon heatwaves, not evening-red skies
Not moonsets on hilltops, nor early sunrise
People make a town
Generous hearts and kind souls
Not aqueduct arches, not art on the walls
Not train station platforms, nor grand old town halls
People make a town
Mums hugging children outside of pre-schools
Not book-lending libraries, not shop-window jewels
Not wooden park benches, nor cocktail bar stools
People make a town
Laughing at dad when he’s wearing odds socks
Not internet bargains, not jungle-scene clocks
Not coffee room armchairs, nor wedding belle frocks
People make a town
Grandad dancing with Grandma despite two left feet
Not nursing home gardens, not cobble-lined streets
Not OAP haircuts, nor bingo hall seats
People make a town
Bus drivers, street sweepers and crossing patrols
Not puddles on pavements, not four-thousand holes
Not roadworks to fix them, nor traffic controls
People make a town
Foster parents and Night Safe who help those at risk
Not Victorian buildings, not Renaissance-style bricks
Not roundabout sculptures, not cathedral-walled discs
People make a town
Entertaining children in panto costumes
Not theatre-style seating, not projector-lit gloom
Not cricket pavilions, nor moorland tower views
People make a town
“Appreciate the small things”, “Them’s just the breaks”
Not hidden-smile shopping, not bans on handshakes
Not Tier 4 cancellations of tiered wedding cakes
People make a town
Worry-lined parents of cynical teens
Not social distancing guidelines, not home-quarantines
Not testing site cordons, not queues for vaccines
People make a town
Making plans for the future, and fond memories
Not flowers in springtime, not autumnal trees,
Not warm summer sunshine, nor a stiff winter breeze
People make a town
From delivery-ward babies, to end-of-life care
From morning communions, to late evening prayers
For richer, for poorer, for better, for worse
Yes, people make a town,
You, me, we and us