VIRTUAL Prague Research & Teaching Conference

Abstract

View film

Textile design education in the United Kingdom is at a crossroads; Higher Education textile design courses are facing closure and declining recruitment. We are facing a unique challenge following the removal of textiles from the national curriculum and its subsequent positioning within two distinct subjects at all 4 Key Stages: Design & Technology and Art & Design. These divisions have led to disparate pedagogical approaches, with each subject offering contrasting perspectives on what textiles is and how it should be taught. This has resulted in a lack of coherence in textile design pedagogy which, alongside reduced teaching hours, limits its ability to articulate its relevance to the broader educational landscape. Textile design methods are underexplored and often overlooked within wider design theory discourse. In the face of HE course closures and low recruitment, it is imperative to establish specific textile design theory and pedagogy, and to reaffirm its relevance by articulating its value within the broader educational landscape, its interdisciplinary nature and its role in technological innovation such as sustainability, healthcare and AI. This paper sets out to identify the issues facing textile education whilst advocating for reinstating textiles as a core subject within art and design education. Through qualitative research methods, including curriculum analysis and case studies from BA Textile Design at Cardiff School of Art and Design, this paper explores how an integrated, purpose-driven pedagogical approach can reinforce textile design’s significance in education and ensure its future viability as a dynamic and essential field of study.