by Dawn Foxall | Jan 8, 2025 | Articles, Events, News
WE ARE 10 YEARS OLD!!!
In June 2015 we held our first events for textiles teachers and since then run networking events and workshops nationally, bringing together teachers with a passion for textiles. We also started to manage the Textile Teachers Centre online community and built this amazing group, connecting teachers from all over the world.
Our original aim was to support textiles in schools and build a community which would help each other and we support with textiles specific CPD, networking groups and resources to both encourage and inspire teachers . Through textiles education, we want to build a better world together – empowering, educating and inspiring the next generation.
In the last 10 years we have
- Joining forces with the Food Teachers Centre, to run events in London, Liverpool, Birmingham, Dubai and Abu Dhabi,
- Hosted courses in schools to train over 1500 teachers
- Hosted 50+ online networking events with over 2000 attendees
- Developed 30+ different F2F workshops and CPD courses for both teachers, students and general public
- Since 2020 we have developed 40+ online courses
- We developed a Free Mentorship programme run by volunteers and which has mentored 100’s of teachers and technicians
- We have developed 100+ Free resources for teachers to download
- We set up our Youtube Channel which now holds 50+ videos for teachers to access
- Worked with various charities supporting in a variety of ways.
- With have work on curriculum advisory support with stakeholder groups and organisations
- We have engaged in and managed research projects considering textiles in education and published 2 reports used by curriculum influencers and stakeholders.
We will be celebrating with events, giveaways, competitions and a big In Person event in June this year, so watch this space for more news……….
by Dawn Foxall | May 16, 2023 | Events, News
THE RESULTS!!!
*WINNERS ANNOUNCED*
We are thrilled to announce the winners of our STUDENT TEXTILES ARTIST COMPETITION 2023.
We were overwhelmed at the response, receiving over 350 entries this year!!
The judges said they were ‘absolutely in awe, and love seeing all the students creations’, ‘there is some incredible work, and it wasn’t an easy decision to select the winners’.
This year’s competition was sponsored by JANOME UK & IRELAND Sewing Machines and DRYAD EDUCATION (formerly Specialist Crafts/Heart Education).
JANOME UK have kindly given a 725S sewing machine for each of the 2 winners.
DRYAD EDUCATION (formerly Specialist Crafts/Heart Education) are giving a £50 voucher to the 2 winners and a goody bag to the first 3 places in each category.
Each winner will also receive a TEXTILES SKILLS CENTRE TROPHY and each school will get a free Online TSC course.
THE JUDGES:
– Deborah Shepherd (Creative director of Janome) and the JANOME team
– Adam Brindley (International Business manager) and the DRYAD team
– Fiona Balding: Ecoprint and natural dyes artist
– Louis-Christian Pendegrass: Programme Manager in Apprenticeships
– Nicola Perren: Textile Artist & Lecturer
And our amazing student winners are:
A LEVEL winners:
1st prize: Laila Green: Woking College, Surrey
2nd prize: Sorine Furnace: Bishop’s Stortford College, Bishop’s Stortford
3rd prize: Leony Ye: Wychwood School, Oxford
GCSE winners:
1st prize: Edie Bairstow: Gateways School, Harewood, Leeds
Joint 2nd prize: Simran Amin: Royal Alexandra & Albert School Reigate Surrey
Joint 2nd prize: Eleanor Shenderey: Gateways School, Harewood, Leeds
A LEVEL WINNERS:
1st prize: Laila Green: Woking College, Surrey
with her teacher Sinead Merry
2nd prize: Sorine Furnace: Bishop’s Stortford College, Bishop’s Stortford
With her teacher Charlotte Munch
3rd prize: Leony Ye: Wychwood School, Oxford
With her Teacher Sarah McCullagh
GCSE WINNERS:
1st prize: Edie Bairstow: Gateways School, Harewood, Leeds
Edie Bairstow + Teacher Della Harrison
Joint 2nd prize: Eleanor Shenderey: Gateways School, Harewood, Leeds
with her teacher Della Harrison
A MASSIVE CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL OUR WINNERS!!
It was such a difficult decision, as we had so many wonderful entries.
A huge thank you to all the students who entered and to those amazing teachers who presented us with such fabulous work! We are thrilled that you entered your amazingly talented students work and demonstrated your own incredible teaching talents and passion for textiles!
by Dawn Foxall | Jan 10, 2023 | Articles, Events, News
TEXTILES ACTION FOR A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE: Making it Succeed in the Curriculum
Dawn Foxall (Founder Textiles Skills Centre)
This is now an online On-Demand course:
Online Course Tackling Sustainability & Climate Change & How we can deliver this through a textiles lens
This course uses presentations and materials collated for the Textiles Action For A Sustainable Future conference in June 2023. It focuses on sustainability and climate change, and how textiles education can make practical differences, using case studies approaches from businesses, NGOs and teachers.
IT’S TIME TO RAMP THINGS UP!
Textiles Skills Centre have taken on board the urgency of Climate and Environmental Sustainability! We need to become part of the Solution, not part of the Pollution!
As educators, we have been tasked to equip and empower young people with the tools to tackle the climate change challenge. Textiles Skills centre online on-demand course aims to give up-to-date information, advice and practical guidance on integrating climate education into D&T and Art & Design Textiles courses.
The focus is on the Fashion & Textiles industry and curriculum, with sustainability experts from high street clothing brands such as PRIMARK and Marks & Spencers; Designers such as Wayne Hemmingway; Climate experts from the MET OFFICE; Manufacturers and Education leaders, discussing how they are addressing the challenges of ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance – standards measuring a business’s impact on society, the environment, and how transparent and accountable it is) and climate change action and how this can be integrated into the curriculum. They will be identifying and outlining how a step change in climate and sustainability education can be made, so that young people have the skills and knowledge needed for the 21st century.
Sustainability in education is being addressed by several groups and associations, including The British Educational Research Association (BERA) who published a manifesto: EDUCATION FOR ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY: A Guide For Schools
This guide was based on findings from a study to analyse where we are now with education for environmental sustainability, what change is needed, and the barriers to this change.
A summary of the findings showed:
- Undervaluing of environmental sustainability in government policy, budgetary constraints for schools, the nature of the curriculum and assessment.
- Prioritising economic considerations in decision-making, teacher workload, exam pressures and constraints, and insufficient confidence, knowledge and agency for all members of the school community.
Download the report HERE
WHERE TO START
Textiles, Art and Design & Technology subjects are the obvious place to start to embed understanding and knowledge of sustainability and moral values, which could be carried forward into the new generation of artists and designers. We must, however, address the current issues within the subjects of just ‘designing more stuff’ and re-educating textiles and art teachers right from GCSE through to degree level, to update the curriculum and stay connected to the needs of the textiles industry.
We know the fashion and textiles industry is one of the biggest global industries and the most resource-consuming due to its fast cycles, vast consumption, and global supply networks. The practice of sustainability within such an industry is incredibly difficult, with every stage of a garment’s life cycle impacting on climate and the environment.
However, a recent study with students demonstrated there is still a lack of awareness of the full impact of the industry and understanding of what sustainable fashion actually is. When pressed further, most students focused on the repair, reuse, and recycling as their interpretation of fashion sustainability, with little consideration of ethical/social injustice involved in making garments/textile products and the impact that raw materials and resources (water, energy, etc.) had on the planet. This links to the potential barriers of consumption around price and consumers lack of awareness of the environmental impacts that enable fast fashion to be so cheaply priced.
Drapers : Sustainability and the Consumer Report 2022
The fact is that as educators we are in the perfect place to deliver this message and ensure that young people understand fully the impact of their consumption habits and change their attitudes towards consumption. Textiles, Art, Design and Technology subjects are where skills and understanding of sustainable practices can be taught.
‘Respondents believed that intervention in school curricula was the best way to educate future generations about sustainability and that having the skills to maintain longevity in clothing use was a key factor to a more sustainable fashion future.’
(Educating for Change? An investigation into consumers’ perception of sustainability and the educational drivers needed to support sustainable consumption) Kirsty Bennetta & Jemma Oeppen Hill (Sept 2021)
In 2015 the UNITED NATIONS announced the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, introducing 17 goals with the purpose of meeting the future needs of the planet.
The aim is that by 2030 the sustainable development goals will be taught in every classroom (United Nations, 2021).
Through the introduction of EBACC, limited options above KS3 in the UK were made available in schools past 2018, meaning textiles subjects were merged with Art and Design & Technology, leaving fewer opportunities for young people to understand sustainability issues and acquire vital life skills needed to upcycle or repair clothing.
Incorporating sustainability into the curriculum is the most effective way to educate the future consumer. The embedding of fundamental sustainability practices from a young age is the most successful way to influence and change consumer habits – it is understood that knowledge acquired at school forms lasting habits. An understanding of the negative impacts of fashion and/or how to partake in sustainable practices would provide the future consumer the power to decide on their purchasing decisions and which ultimately affects the cycle.
Eco Printing in the classroom with Fiona Balding
But it isn’t just about circular design and increasing longevity of textiles/fashion products that we can teach. As designers and creators our students can work with a host of options and opportunities to develop new products and ideas to support environmental issues, such as producing natural dyes, experimenting and growing new biomaterials, such as mycelium and creating their own textile waste action plan for school. There are numerous ways to embed the skills and messaging and a whole variety of cross-curricular activities.
If business and education act together, we can overcome the apathy of having inherited a huge problem and focus on being an active part of the solution.
Join the Textiles Skills Centre to focus on sustainability and climate change, and how textiles education can make practical and real differences.
MORE INFO
USEFUL LINKS:
https://www.the-sustainable-fashion-collective.com/2016/08/24/fabric-made-fungi
https://materialdistrict.com/article/mycotex-textile-mushroom-mycelium/
https://www.theguardian.com/teacher-network/2017/apr/06/want-to-teach-ethical-fashion-to-kids-heres-how
https://oursharedworld.net/education-for-sustainable-fashion/
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/sustainability-and-climate-change-strategy/sustainability-and-climate-change-a-strategy-for-the-education-and-childrens-services-systems
https://wrap.org.uk/resources/report/citizen-insights-clothing-longevity-and-circular-business-models-receptivity-uk
https://www.drapersonline.com/guides/collaborating-for-change-sustainability-report-2022
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/epdf/10.1080/17543266.2022.2083694
https://www.drapersonline.com/guides/sustainability-and-the-consumer-2022
https://se-ed.co.uk
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