"Horrockses on Stilts" - Encounter Festival 2026

Something spectacular is arriving this September…

An iconic Preston label, brought to life in an exciting new way by Wolf Entertainments & Events.

Get ready for Horrockses Fashions to land at The Harris Quarter for Encounter 2026.

Horrockses on Stilts is a large-scale participatory procession project commissioned for Encounter Festival 2026 in Preston. Inspired by the iconic Horrockses Fashions textile legacy and developed in partnership with community organisations across the city, the project combines oversized illuminated stilt costumes, community-made dresses, live performance, and public procession.

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Across summer 2026, community participants will work alongside artists and facilitators to collectively create a series of wearable dresses inspired by Horrockses designs and Preston’s textile heritage.

The project also supports the training and development of new stilt performers in Preston through a 6-week programme led by Creative Director Joshua Holden. Several performers from previous projects have already progressed into paid professional performance work.

The procession coincides with the opening of the Harris Museum exhibition:“Horrockses Fashions: Everyday Glamour & the Art of British Ready-to-Wear”.

Throughout the project, behind-the-scenes documentary footage will capture the making process, participant stories, costume construction, rehearsals, and the lived experience of becoming part of a city-wide procession.

Horrockses on Stilts forms part of the wider development of Preston’s growing processional arts and outdoor performance culture ahead of Preston Guild 2032.