2025 - Experimental Textiles - Mon AM

Service Description

This course looks at the use of textiles for inspiration and playful experimentation. Each week, new techniques and materials will be introduced, with time for artists to explore on their own. The course focus will be on exploration of materials, and participants will take the lead on the work they would like to produce. This workshop will emphasis fun, trial-and-error, and variety of making over traditional ‘skills’ building, and the atmosphere will be casual and conversational, with lots of space for peer feedback, question asking, and socialising! There may be some visits to local galleries or exhibitions if something inspires us. *How long is the course, and what is the structure of each session?* The course is 6 weeks long, running from the 4th November - 9th December. Each session is 2 hours long, 10am-12. The sessions will, on the whole, be led by our excellent tutor Meg Bowyer, but Rae Tribbick, one of our sculptors, will also be making an appearance this term. An example of what you could expect can be found below. Please note that the plans may change as other teachers are brought in to add their unique twist to the course Week 1: Quilting Circle - we will create a shared patchwork project using a variety of different textiles objects and attachment techniques to warm us up to working with textiles, and finding what interests us Week 2: Threading Through - exploring different techniques of weaving and knotting fabric, yarn, and string to make textured pieces, as well as make rudimentary drop spindles to spin yarn Week 3: Creating cordage from plant material - A chance to work with plant material harvested over the summer to make cordage (string) of various thicknesses and lengths Week 4: Sculpting with Textiles - This week we will be creating 3D pieces, using scrap fabrics to stuff them. They will be worked into, drawn on, interacted with, placed in space, played with, photographed or videoed Week 5: Working into it - Texture and depth are the names of the game this week - we'll apply knowledge learned to date to create new work. This could involve any methods we have worked on yet, as well as new techniques people would like to work on. Week 6: Reflection. This last week, we will look back at projects we have worked on, and perhaps work into anything individuals would like to continue.