The festival takes place in Cathedral Square from the 5th–7th September and is curated and produced by Craftspace, a Birmingham based charity creating opportunities to see, make and be curious about contemporary craft. It is free and everyone is welcome to watch and take part.

The Cathedral Square is a major city thoroughfare and meeting point with as many as twenty thousand people passing through and spending time in the public space each day. During the festival each maker is allocated time to create and install their temporary artwork on a specific day, turning the making process into a performance.

The passing public can watch or join in with the creation of many of the artworks and learn different techniques which have, in previous years, included embroidery, casting in concrete, enamelling and spinning wool.

The festival showcases new graduate talent and develops emerging craft businesses. It provides graduates with a professional commission and profile for their CV. Benefits to artists include being able to: enhance skills, test the viability of ideas, respond to a public art brief and a specific site and engage with the public at first hand. It also presents contemporary craft for all to encounter and experience in an unconventional public setting.

Past commissions have included casting jewellery from cracks in paving slabs and contemporary lace pieces on trees inspired by tracking people’s movement around the park. This year visitors can create mini objects using local clay, learn macramé, take time to stitch or collaborate with a designer to make furniture from scrap wood. With different artists working each day, at the end of the festival visitors can expect to see the space adorned with new art works.