THE second National Festival of Making will be ‘bigger and better’ than last year’s successful event, organisers have promised.

Last year’s event attracted 30,000 to Blackburn, and May’s attractions are to include a street performance from a Spanish circus company. Vaiven Circo Danza’s hour-long show ‘Do Not Disturb’ will be performed for only the second time in the UK and the first outside London.

Performed on both days of the festival on May 12 and 13, it will take the audience back to the early 20th century, evoking a day’s work in a factory.

The characters are asked to build a 2.5metre wheel, without any instructions and or knowing what the finished machine looks like.

They fit the various, oversized components together in a colossal and expressive performance show that combines dance, acrobatics and physical theatre with contemporary circus tricks.

Blackburn with Darwen Council leader Cllr Mohammed Khan said: “Residents and visitors alike can look forward to another year of free hands-on workshops, street performance and art installations in the town centre. We hope to build on last year’s success. It will be a wonderful event.”

Cllr Phil Riley, borough regeneration boss said: “This year’s Festival of Making will be bigger and better than last year’s. That was a great success but we want to build on that and make May’s event even more exciting and vibrant to celebrate Blackburn’s history, traditions and future in making things.”

Festival director and Blackburn-raised design guru Wayne Hemingway said: “The National Festival of Making creates lasting memories, we know that from what people told us about last year’s exciting, fun-filled weekend. Aiming high again, the visit of Vaivén Circo Danza, an internationally acclaimed circus company from Spain, bringing a jaw-dropping show to the streets of Blackburn, is just one part of our big plans to start getting really excited about.

“The festival, and this performance, is free to attend, family friendly and something you certainly don’t experience every day.”

Other events announced to for this year’s festival include:

Art In Manufacturing where specially-commissioned artists will undertake residencies to create new pieces of art for display in and around the town centre;

The return of the Maker’s Market at King George’s Hall where selected traders will again bring stalls with the very best in making, from textiles, ceramics, paintings and prints to furniture and one-off artworks.

Street food traders and craft drink producers; more than 100 workshops, activities and demonstrations.