MSAxAiM: Making Matters - Festival Day: In the Making

We are pleased to announce In the Making – a one-day festival as part of Making Matters – bringing together local, national & international voices for a focused programme of panel discussions, a building tour & evening networking.

Location: Material Source Studio
Date: Thursday 26 March 2026
Chaired by European Cultural Centre (ECC)

Structured around three high-energy conversations – Making as Process, Making as Communication, and Making as Consequence – the day explores how models don’t just represent architecture, but actively shape how it is imagined, negotiated, and built.

Festival Day Timings:

11:30am – 12:30pm
Model Open House
An informal showcase of working models and process at Material Source Studio from 11:30am.

1:00pm – 1:50pm
Panel 1: Making as Process (How Models Think)

4:00pm – 5:00pm (off-site)
Guided tour of the Portico Library
Led by Purcell, exploring how modelmaking informed the project and competition-winning design. Meet outsie Portico Library at 4pm.

5:30pm – 6:20pm
Panel 2: Making as Communication (How Models Speak) - panel discussion at Material Source Studio following the Portico Tour.

6:30 – 7:20
Panel 3: Making as Consequence (How Models Influence)

7:30pm – 9:30pm
Closing reflections + networking drinks reception

Expect lively debate, practice-based insight, and conversations that extend beyond the gallery – foregrounding architecture as an evolving, collaborative act shaped by craft, experimentation, and social intent. More details including panellists to be announced soon.

Join us over the five-week programme as we host a series of public events exploring themes of making in contemporary practice. These events are open to all, with further details to be announced in the coming weeks via The MSA and AiM websites.

Know what’s Happening Next — before everyone else does.

Get App

Host or Publisher Manchester Architects