British Textile Biennial 2025 to explore past, present and future eras of textile production

The British Textile Biennial (BTB) has outlined the programme for its 2025 edition. The event, set to take place October 2 to November 2, will explore the invention and innovation of textile production, giving visitors insight into the past, present and future of the industry. Dubbed ‘The Future Was Always There’, the event will dive into “the textile pioneers of 20th century Lancashire, inspired by a bold vision of the future that revolutionised our lives”.

A number of exhibitions will define the festival, including ‘Pioneers of the Material World’ at Towneley Hall, Burnley, an exhibit focused on outdoor performance wear; ‘Learning from the Land’ at The Whitaker, exploring various nature-infused techniques of creating textiles; and ‘The Synthetic Revolution’ at Haworth Gallery, which will deep dive into the legacy of polyester invention.

Other events and projects will also celebrate the local industry. Airing at the Fuse Box in Blackburn, Jamie Holman’s ‘Netlon Futures’ film project will unveil the city’s invention of tensile mesh; Christian Jeffrey will exhibit a commissioned football shirt at Turton Tower, showcasing the area’s role in industrial revolution and British football; and, at The Harris in Preston, Hannah Robson will display a piece responding to the Rayon legacy of Courtaulds.

The festival’s finale currently remains under wraps but will reflect what organisers state is an “immersive multi-media event” on the Biennial's last weekend, which will offer visitors “a chance to experience and explore the genre-defying multi-disciplinary work of a globally acclaimed artist/designer”. The retrospective will take place in Burnley, a town where the individual originates. Further details will be revealed in July.