The annual event commemorates a landmark moment in global trade union history. Photo: Shutterstock.
Derby’s proud tradition of industrial struggle and community solidarity will once again take centre stage this Saturday as the Derby Silk Mill Lockout Procession, Rally and People’s Festival returns.
With the theme “Remember the past, fight for the future”, the event commemorates the 1833–34 lockout of Silk Mill workers, a landmark moment in global trade union history.
Procession and rally
Starting in Derby’s Market Place at 10.15 am, crowds will gather to hear short speeches from trade union leaders, campaigners and community voices.
At 11.00 am, a procession will wind through the city, led by the samba rhythms of Caleidoscopia and the iconic Lockout Banner. Marchers will carry trade union colours, placards, and banners from a wide range of local and national campaigns.
At 12.00 pm, the procession arrives at Cathedral Green, in front of the original Silk Mill – now the Museum of Making. A floral tribute will be laid at the factory gates where workers were locked out nearly 200 years ago for daring to organise.
A rally will follow, with speakers addressing the urgent issues of today – from workers’ rights and climate justice, to peace and equality.
Live music, poetry and family fun
At 1.00 pm, the Free People’s Festival begins. Set against the historic backdrop of the Silk Mill, the afternoon offers a mix of entertainment and activism – with live music from The James Warner Prophecies, Hang Linton, and Sura Laynes, alongside performances from local spoken word artists.
The festival site will host a wide range of community stalls and street food, with additional activities for children such as face painting, hair braiding, Mehndi tattoos, and an adventure playbus – all funded by local trade unions.
Meet the MU
As a trade union, the MU is proud to support the Silk Mill Festival and the history it commemorates, especially as workers to this day struggle to get decent pay, terms and conditions, and job security.
Come along to our MU stall, chat to Midlands Regional Organiser Stephen Brown and Regional Services Assistant Jenny Simpson, and say hello to fellow Midlands Union members.
History of the Silk Mill Lock Out
The event honours the memory of Derby’s Silk Mill workers, who in 1833 were locked out by their employers for failing to accept a pay cut and renounce their rights to be a trade union member.
This in turn led to one of the earliest organised industrial disputes in the world. Though met with harsh repression, their resistance inspired wider solidarity across the Midlands and laid the groundwork for the modern trade union movement.
View the official event flyer, or for more information and accessibility requirements contact Moz Greenshields (Secretary of the Derby Area Trade Union Council) via mozgreenshields@gmail.com.