British Textile Biennial

In 2025, British Textile Biennial (BTB) explored invention and innovation in textile production; through indigenous knowledge to space-age technology, from the earliest form of shelter, the tent, to space suits, and from plant-based dyes to the first polymers.

With artists and designers, BTB25 revisited the textile pioneers of 20th century Lancashire inspired by a bold vision of the future that revolutionised our lives, with companies such as Grenfell in Burnley creating innovative materials that clothed explorers in extreme environments and new, synthetic fabrics such as Terylene made in Accrington that modernised ordinary lives with easy care clothing. However, these developments pushed the planet and its resources to extremes, so any future advances must look at ways to reset it and learn from a distant past that is almost lost to us.

Through exhibitions at partner venues, commissions in public spaces, artist residencies and long-term projects with local communities, as well as our year-round education programmes, BTB plays a key role in the cultural development of the area, offering a range of inspirational creative experiences and opportunities for everyone.

Each Biennial casts a new perspective on the role that textiles play in the past, present and future of our world.