The WOVEN festival, celebrating Kirklees’ textile heritage & future, returns in 2025 with the theme “Connecting Culture.”
WOVEN started in 2019. It helps people celebrate textile heritage and learn about textiles’ future, covering the region and beyond. The month-long festival displays both textile history and new industry developments.
The 2025 theme is Connecting Culture. Textiles bring communities together. Each year, over 100 events happen, including exhibits and workshops.
“The Red Dress” will be a main attraction. It is a global embroidery project that you can see at Oakwell Hall.
Kirstie Macleod, a British artist, began this project in 2009. It helps women share their stories using stitching. The dress unites people across the world.
The dress includes work from over 300 people from 51 countries. It has been showcased in galleries and museums.
Macleod said the dress removes borders and highlights social justice issues. She mentioned equality and women’s rights, with empowerment as another key issue.
The project includes war survivors from Congo, Rwanda, and Kosovo. Also, students from the Royal School participated, and refugees from Ukraine, Syria and Iran contributed too.
Stitches and stories unite people. 380 individuals from 51 countries created it. It promotes love, peace, and equality and showcases embroidery skills from around the world.
WOVEN 2025 seeks event proposals from groups, artists, and organizations. They offer micro-grants to help textile projects come alive.
Free and ticketed events will feature textiles, showcasing local and international art. Workshops teach textile techniques, while talks explore textile heritage, and community projects connect cultures.
Councillor Carole Pattison said the festival is great. It showcases textile history, sharing diverse regional stories and featuring artists and community groups.
She is happy “The Red Dress” visits Kirklees, having traveled the world already. She wants Kirklees’ story woven in to help inspire people.
The council wants more art opportunities for towns and villages. It wants reasons for people to visit and immerse themselves in local history.