Call for Artists - Now Open

Melbourne Festival Art & Architecture Trail

20-21 September 2025

Click the poster for details

Make a Date for Melbourne Festival

In 2024, 68 hosts welcomed 163 regional artists and over 5,000 visitors to the 2024 Melbourne for the Art & Architecture Trail.

Melbourne Festival is an amazing event thanks to our hosts, helpers, volunteers and amazing artists' support.

Entry has remained £5 per adult (under 18’s free) since 2008.

Melbourne Festival puts art at the heart of South Derbyshire. Come and see for yourself!

SPRING GOLD

at Creative Melbourne Gallery

SPRING GOLD features an extraordinary collection of original artwork—paintings, prints and mixed-media works by an impressive line-up of artists including Jo Polmear, Kara Strachan, Kate Westwood, Mark Langley, Steve McLoughlin and Peter Watson, alongside beautiful glass by Emma Mayle and ceramics by Bradley Spencer, Sylvia Glover, Helen Butler and Louise Roe.

Time to shake off the winter blues with a trip to Creative Melbourne Gallery & Studios for SPRING GOLD a collection of stunning landscapes and bright florals, glass and ceramics to brighten up your home.

Creative Melbourne is at the top of Church Street, just off Melbourne Market Place so why not make a day of it - visit the gallery, the fabulous independent shops and cafes in the Market Place and pop down the hill to Melbourne Pool and see Melbourne Hall and the 900 year old Melbourne Parish Church, parking is free so no need to hurry home!

Creative Melbourne Gallery & Studios are open from 10-4 Wednesday to Saturday, SPRING GOLD is open until 12th April. We guarantee a warm welcome and a great selection of original work, prints and cards.

In addition to our featured artists don’t miss the stunning work by our studio artists Sujata Aten, Michelle Holmes and Patrick Twiss-Prentice.

Open Wednesday - Saturday, 10 am to 4 pm until 15th March

CREATIVE MELBOURNE GALLERY, Wellington House, Church Street, Melbourne DE73 8EJ

JOIN OUR VOLUNTEER TEAM!

Would you like to meet new people, learn new skills, or feel you could help in some way??

You may have an interest in art or would like to be part of an organisation that helps the local and wider creative community.

We are looking for new volunteers to expand our friendly team of volunteers who help at our Creative Melbourne Gallery and at Melbourne Festival. Flexible hours morning or afternoons, one session a month or more! Full training will be given.

Or just call 07765 819 428, email us, or drop into Creative Melbourne Gallery

SPACES TO CREATE…

Creative Melbourne Gallery and Studio launched Spaces to Create, a new mentored artist development programme, in 2023. The programme aims to promote the creative industries in South Derbyshire by supporting creatives in becoming self-sustaining small businesses.

Phase One of the programme ended in May 2024, and we recruited our next group of artists in September 2024.

This opportunity is not solely for visual artists: our 2023/ 2024 artists included a poet, a digital creative, and a photographer.

Spaces to Create is open to creative people who can utilise the hotdesking space and benefit from supported development. We have now launched Phase 2 Applications.

The six artists who participated in the Pilot Project took up hotdesking residence in our newly launched space above the Gallery. This opportunity is not solely for visual artists; you could be a writer, digital creative, photographer, game designer, or producer. We are open to creative people who can utilise the hotdesking space and benefit from supported development.

Spaces to Create aims to promote the creative industries in South Derbyshire by supporting creatives in becoming self-sustaining small businesses. Please contact us at info@melbournefestival.co.uk if you would like to find out more!
We would like to thank South Derbyshire District Council for their support for Spaces to Create.

BLOSSOMING

Spring & Summer 2024

Join the Creative Melbourne Team for “BEARING FRUIT,” our FREE Community Creative Workshops this Summer.

There are great options whether you are under-5 or nearly-95 and ideas for families of all ages in between!
All workshops are artist-led, in accessible spaces - including outdoors.
All materials are provided so take you pick, book a place, bring yourself and HAVE A GO!

Under 5’s

Families

We thank Arts Council England, Foundation Derbyshire, Derbyshire County Council, South Derbyshire District Council, and Melbourne Community Care for supporting creative community workshops in Melbourne during the Summer of 2024.

Sponsored by Community Care

Thank you for visiting our website. Melbourne Festival & Creative Melbourne are both part of Arts Melbourne CIC