by Dawn Foxall | Apr 11, 2025 | Articles, News
WE COULDN’T HAVE DONE IT WITHOUT YOU!!
Textiles Skills Centre is celebrating 10 years and we couldn’t have done it without YOU!!
As we look back on our journey, we’re taking a moment to shine a spotlight on the incredible individuals who’ve helped shape Textile Skills Centre into what it is today. Their support, passion, and dedication have woven the fabric of our community—and we’re hopeful their legacy will carry us forward for another vibrant decade.
Here’s to our fabulous volunteers:
Julia Burrows, Dawn Foxall & Nicky Simpson
ASSOCIATE MEMBERS:
RACHEL ADDY – (Presenter & Course Developer for Textiles Skills Centre; Textiles Teacher )
BSC(Hons) Textiles Design for Fashion & Interiors: Specialising in knit.
RACHEL has been the presenter & a host for the Textile Skills Centre events since April 2021. She also works as a Design & Technology Teacher as well as taking part in multiple events globally expanding her network of Textile Professionals. Rachel’s initial career was in the fashion industry working for 9 years around the world as a Product Developer.
She worked for an American based company called GIII based in Hangzhou China and has spent several years travelling the globe working with various textile manufacturers. Rachel has worked with customers from around the world including the high street stores from Marks and Spencer to Moss Bros.
Rachel’s has since moved into teaching as Design and Technology Teacher. She has taught Graphics, Textiles, Fashion Textiles & Product Design. Rachel has spent several years working for not-for-profit Networking events to support locals in making connections that will encourage skill sharing & develop professional relationships that may one day open the door to other opportunities.
LINDA HARVEY (Associate Member; Textiles Artist & Teacher)
BA (Hons) Textiles & Surface Design
Linda Harvey is a textile artist and teacher with over 28 years of experience, serving as Head of Textiles at a secondary school in North Yorkshire for more than two decades. Committed to professional development, she has delivered a TSC Tea ‘N Chat talk, “Making Time for Art”, and participated in the Textiles Skills Centre Fashion Outcomes Course, which she describes as one of the most impactful CPD experiences of her career.
Her school has hosted the TSC Fabric Manipulation Skills Workshop, providing hands-on learning for fellow teachers. She has also presented an online talk for the Careers in the Fashion Industry programme, offering insights into career pathways, and served as a mentor through the TSC Mentorship Programme, supporting emerging textile teachers.
https://www.lindaharveytextiles.co.uk/
HAIDEE FOY (Associate Member; Textiles Teacher)
BA(Hons)(1st) Fashion Textiles & Business
Haidee founded the Textile Skills Centre Mentoring Scheme, working alongside a dedicated team of mentors to provide guidance, resources, and inspiration to educators internationally. She has hosted Textile Skills workshops to support the professional development of teachers. Haidee has also contributed to educational policy by making surveys more accessible for teachers and providing feedback on key curriculum documents, enhancing and future-proofing textile education for the benefit of both teachers and students
As an established classroom teacher, Haidee has taught numerous Textiles specifications in D&T and Art Textiles to both GCSE, BTec (Level 3) and A Level. Having graduated with a 1st Class BA (hons) in Fashion Textiles and Business, Haidee gained experience working for an Indian retailer, Chinese textile manufacturer and High street retailer as a woven textiles and printed textiles designer before entering the teaching profession. Haidee has vast experience of mentoring other adult professionals, including graduate trainees, newly qualified teachers and more established classroom teachers.
CLAIRE PARSONS (Associate Member; Textiles Teacher)
Textile teacher for almost 15 years, I have been lucky enough to join the Textiles Skills Centre where I hope to be able to share my experience in teaching this wonderful subject with others. My first role has been supporting online discussions around the AQA ESA. I have been on fantastic CPD sessions with the TSC that have broadened my practical skill set and helped deliver exciting new techniques to classes.
MARGARET MAUNDERr (Associate Member; Textiles Artist)
Margaret has 35 years’ experience as a textile teacher. She has taught Art & Design Textiles at GCSE and A level with AQA and Pearson Edexcel. She is also an A level Art & Design moderator, Head of Textiles at St Catherines School, Bramley and has taught both Art & Design and Design Technology Textiles, her students achieving grades at GCSE 100% 7-9 and A*-B at A level. Margaret is a textile artist in her own right with a studio at home, where she develops her own pieces and teaches one-to-one classes and studio experiences for students.
MARGARET FINNIKIN (Associate Member; Textiles Teacher)
BA; CGLI; QFI; NEBS
Margaret studied pattern cutting and garment manufacturing in children’s, ladies and gents wear in Birmingham, beginning her career as a machinist and progressing to a sample machinist. She has 20+ years experience teaching D&T textiles and food, working in state and independent schools. Her passion is to replicate industrial applications into the classroom using domestic equipment, being a strong believer in promoting textile skills in construction.
SARAH NEWELL (Associate Member; Textiles Teacher)
Sarah Newell – My main role in the TSC is maintaining the A-level Facebook group and hosting training events. The TSC has supported my own teaching development. I’m a Textiles Teacher of over 20 years with experience in both Design Technology and Art Textiles.
BECCI UPTON (Associate Member; Textiles Teacher)
Artist and Educator with over 20 years experience teaching Art and Design up to A- level in secondary school settings. I am always keen to try out new approaches and techniques and most recently textiles has been an area I have been keen to develop in. I started teaching A-Level Textiles 4 years ago and have attended a number Textiles Skill Centre face to face courses and found the content and delivery were simply the best practical CPD I had experienced.
I also create my own artwork and have an unhealthy obsession with maps. I am hoping to combine my current practice using metal and copper with textiles techniques and I am exploring ideas with this at the moment.
Dawn and Nicky welcomed me as an Associate to help support members in the Tea N Chat A-Level exam paper discussions and adding content to some of TSC Social pages. I am loving the journey so far and excited to see what we can offer and I can learn next.
SARAH TRADGETT (Associate Member; Textiles Teacher)
TSC has been instrumental in supporting our staff to deliver a rich and diverse Textiles curriculum. Their guidance has helped us develop engaging resources for our pupils while also enabling us to plan for the future. As a result, our students have access to a broad range of specialist textile skills, fostering creativity and hands-on learning.
The Creative Pattern and Gramnet Making course we hosted, was hugely benficial to our own staff and those visiting our school, to support us in our future suceess with our pupils. We have since generated our own exciting and creative resources on the back of this session. It’s really reinvigorated our approach and energy to deliver this fantastic subject at both GCSE & A level
FAY DIEGNAN (Associate Member; Textiles Teacher)
BA (Hons) Textile Design & Surface Decoration – Specialising in Constructed Textiles.
I first discovered the Textile Skills Centre (TSC) three years ago after completing a fabulous course on constructed textiles with Nicky Simpson. Having completed my degree in textiles over 25 years ago, I was eager to refresh my techniques and update my skills for teaching textiles. The course was so inspiring, offering so many techniques and examples to bring back to demonstrate to my students. Since then, I have actively engaged with many of TSC’s wide range of courses and have been fortunate to be part of their Become a Great Textiles Teacher (BAGTT) scheme.
Last year my school hosted the Creative Heat Press course in Hertfordshire. We look forward to hosting more workshops in the future. I am a regular attendee of the online ‘Tea and Chats’ networking sessions TSC provide, these range from careers in textiles, to meet the artist sessions; the knowledge and discussions shared on these are really useful for textiles teachers. TSC has been an invaluable source of support, providing creative inspiration, the opportunity to remain up to date with innovative textile techniques and the chance to meet like minded teachers to share experiences with.
by Dawn Foxall | Mar 12, 2025 | Articles, News
Over the past five weeks, Libby Esler has been running The Broadweavers Trailblazer Programme — an intensive, hands-on creative initiative designed to inspire 9 Year 12 A-Level Textile students from 2 Coventry Secondary schools – Blue Coat and Bishop Ullathorne, to enrich their portfolios and encourage them to think about their future studies.
This programme has been funded by the Broadweavers and Clothiers Guild of Coventry, who also offer bursaries to support further education for the most talented and dedicated students who have shone throughout the Trailblazer sessions.
On Saturday 7th March Mark Francis from ‘Sew Mark Francis’ and participant in BBC’s The Sewing Bee, joined the group to set a Sewing Bee Challenge and Dawn from TSC joined them for the final day of the programme and help critique and judge the entries.
The programme has been truly special, covering:
✨ Week 1: Introduction to fashion drawing
✨ Week 2: Introduction to weaving and textiles
✨ Week 3: The importance of AI in the world of fashion
✨ Week 4: A guest speaker from Loughborough University discussing careers and creative pathways
✨ Week 5: A sewing challenge set by Mark Francis from The Great British Sewing Bee, where students upcycled Olympic tracksuits into fabulous bucket hats!
It has been an incredible journey, and to wrap things up, we will be hosting a presentation and appreciation event for the students who have participated, where we can announce the bursary winners and celebrate their achievements with tea and cake !!
Quote from Mrs Clare Webster, textile teacher at Blue Coat school:
The Broadweavers Trailblazer Programme has been highly beneficial in deepening students’ understanding of the textile and fashion industry. Through exploring fashion illustration, AI applications, and engaging with industry professionals, students have gained valuable insights that have broadened their perspectives. This experience has not only influenced their sketchbooks and creative development but has also encouraged them to consider end uses and sustainability in their designs. The programme has truly opened their eyes to the vast possibilities within the industry, inspiring them to think more critically and innovatively about their future in fashion and textile industry.
by Dawn Foxall | Feb 27, 2025 | Articles, News, Uncategorized
10th ANNIVERSARY of TEXTILES SKILLS CENTRE 2025
WHAT WE HAVE ACHIEVED AND THE IMPACT OF OUR WORK
As we continue to celebrate a decade of inspiring and developing textile education. The month of February is all about looking at the IMPACT Textile Skills Centre has made; we also wanted to share some feedback from teachers across the country that have been part of our TSC community.
We are proud to have made an impact in the classroom, empowering teachers to learn with us and pass their knowledge on to the next generation of textile practitioners.
TEACHER FEEDBACK:
‘I have to say joining the Textiles Skill Centre family has not only made a huge impact to teaching but also my life. I joined having got a job as a textile’s teacher covering maternity. I was also offered a permanent position at the school due to my enthusiasm and commitment which would not have been apparent if I had not have found the Textiles Skill Centre family. I wasn’t very confident in textiles.
This all changed when I joined. Not only did I feel welcomed but reassured from the start and no question was too silly. The amount of skills, techniques and connections I made were second to none. I was able to relay the skills I’d learned, teaching my pupils new techniques and fresh up to date ideas that proved successful within KS3 and GCSE.
My grades with my first class went up 3 grades to some students. An external specialist within the trust noticed where I had taken over with regards to their coursework and was very impressed. The confidence TSC gave me in my ability to teach and achieve great results was a feeling I will never forget. The pupils were excited at learning new techniques in KS3 and it was evident as there appeared to be more interest in choosing the subject for GCSE. I couldn’t have asked for more. It was also comforting and reassuring to know that the team were only a text message away should I need any advice. Going from a teacher with limited knowledge and skill set in Textiles I felt I was now armed with the right tools, knowledge and confidence to make a difference and become a good teacher who is passionate about the subject.
I truly think and believe that with a resource/centre like this every school /education establishment would benefit immensely from the knowledge and resources gained. To be in a school with limited funds / resources and behaviour issues, see pupils engage, wanting to try and enjoy new up to date techniques projects gained from the courses was truly inspirational and confirms the reason why I love to teach.
I would undoubtedly recommend Dawn, Nicky and their band of Merry contributors to make a HUGE difference to results, achievements and participation in a subject worthy of recognition in schools. I am now a converted Textiles Teacher and it’s all down to Textiles Skill Centre.’
Jane Peters, Teacher, Shrewsbury
We have trained over 2000 teachers at live skills workshops hosted in schools and universities across the UK and beyond, including joint events with our colleagues at the Food Teachers Centre in the UK, Dubai and Abu Dhabi
‘I cannot recommend the face-to-face courses enough. You not only come away with new skills and samples but you make new friends along the way. This has supported me in my teaching practice far more than any school. Without TSC, I don’t think that I would’ve coped and managed setting up a Textiles department and writing my own curriculum. Working with TSC has given me something to look forward to as part of my teaching career. As a self-funder, it’s also been something that I’ve done for myself and has felt like a treat and me time when doing the face-to-face courses. Absolutely fabulous!’
Angela Walker, West Midlands
ONLINE WORKSHOPS
We have a variety of short and long online courses which can be access at any time and for all abilities.
MORE INFO – ONLINE COURSES
‘I’m just emailing to say how amazing the online, on demand Surface Textile Techniques course is. I’ve just had a look through and it’s made me so excited to teach my textile girls some great new skills. As an ECT 1 with no textile background I was defiantly nervous about teaching my textile GCSE class. I cannot explain how much these courses have helped me!’
Lizzie Mayall
‘I have taken part in the Textile Skills Centre courses, they have been instrumental in the design of my course, the resources that are provided along with the course enabled me to create a high quality scheme of work for my KS4 curriculum and since starting with this course textiles has been the highest performing subject in our academy for 5 years running, without the inspirational, hands on courses and practical resources I’m not sure I would have achieved this.’
“I have been lucky enough to attend a few of the Textiles Skills Centre courses and they have all been absolutely fantastic. After changing to the Art & Design specification after years of teaching D&T I was a bit daunted by how to approach he coursework. These courses have been an absolute game changer – I came away with so many ideas which I was able to put into practice immediately. TSC provides so many examples of sketchbooks and final outcomes that you can see first-hand how the skills being delivered translate to student work. The skills themselves are varied yet equally really accessible and they provide lots of suggestions on how to approach tight budgets. The enthusiasm and expertise is really inspiring and you can’t wait to go away and try it all! The student results following the introduction of the projects developed off the back of these courses were outstanding and moderator feedback was really positive too.”
Gemma Hibbard, West Yorkshire
‘The creativity of the outcomes in year 11 is massively down to the courses I have done with Textile Skills Centre; I would say the courses have had a huge outcome on the standard and creativity of my Year 11’s work and already I can see even bigger improvements with Year 10 – they are going to be an amazing year group!
TEACHER FUNDED PROGRAMMES
The ‘Become A Great Textile Teacher’ BAGTT Programme – TSC trained over 100 teachers directly and supported and trained over 300 – This programme was match funded through a grant from ASET (All Saints Educational Trust)
‘Enrolling in the How to Become a Great Textiles Teacher programme with The Textiles Skills Centre has been an invaluable experience. The programme was incredibly informative and has had a significant impact on my classroom practice, providing me with new strategies and confidence to deliver engaging lessons.’ Emma Gilbert-Cambridgeshire
‘I would say being on the BAGTT programme has had a huge outcome on the standard and creativity of my Year 11’s work and already I can see even bigger improvements with Year 10 – they are going to be an amazing year group!’
MENTORSHIP PROGRAMME
We have several mentors that volunteer their time to talk to their colleagues. They also get a lot out of the mentorship programme
‘Being a mentor helps promote self-reflection and actually makes me more motivated! It also connects me to the wider teaching community, that in turn helps me learn more. Mentoring helps me see how teaching is emerging and changing, which is so important. My aim is simply ‘Better Textiles Teaching’ which in turn will be good for the teacher, the school and that will be reflected in a better textile industry in this country.’ Nicky Simpson, TSC Course developer
We have mentored over 200 teachers. Here is feedback from one teacher:
‘I want to extend my thanks for your support and continued mentorship for this new course. It has been very helpful to go through best practice approaches for projects and having someone to talk through ideas and plans. Making the transition from Design & Technology to Art & Textiles was both daunting and at times quite over whelming but I have been so grateful for the help you have extended initially about the course structure and continually about the content and delivery. Your resources have been amazing to use and adapt as sources of inspiration for me and also by the students. I would highly recommend using the resources alongside the mentoring to get the maximum benefit.
The impact that mentorship has had on my teaching is that I have increased confidence with the delivery of the course which has then resulted in further enthusiasm for me. This has also had a positive impact on the students who are indirectly benefiting. Pupils in KS3 no longer look at Textiles as a Tiresome subject but have a new found buzz of interest. Other teachers have also commented on how much students are engaging with Textiles.
Since my sessions I have re- developed the curriculum so that it incorporates the essential requirements of the specification but is now taught in a more fun and engaging method. I am still drawing on the wealth of experience that you have to offer so I do continue to develop my practice with learning exciting decorative skills to methods of making a garment or to just having someone go through inspirational Artists.
My projects are already feeling more exciting, although I plan to develop them with your support to suit changes in the environment / current trends and also most importantly for students to make the best progress and reach their true potential in an enjoyable manner.’
Leena Chauhan, Leicestershire – Curriculum Leader of Design & Technology
SOCIAL MEDIA
TEXTILES SKILLS CENTRE INSTAGRAM: @textileskillscentre
Our Facebook Community has over 10.5k, Instagram over 2000 followers, where we share competitions and giveaways from our amazing sponsors:
TEXTILE TEACHERS CENTRE FACEBOOK GROUP
FACEBOOK GROUP
OUR SPONSORS
We are very grateful to our sponsors who we have been working with for the last 3 years. They have donated amazing prizes for the competitions and social media giveaways and supported with equipment when needed. HUGE THANK YOU to:
JANOME UK & IRELAND Sewing machines
JANOME UK
DRYAD EDUCATION RESOURCES
DRYAD EDUCATION
STUDENT TEXTILE ARTIST COMPETITION
Our competition last year received over 600 entries. The prize winners received the coveted TSC trophy, a sewing machine from Janome and a voucher from Dryad, as well as a free TSC course.
‘’I would like to say a huge thank you for the opportunity your team creates for our students. Being able to enter the competition enables students to showcase their work to a wider audience, giving them confidence in the quality of their creativity and skill, especially when a prize winner! This can be springboard to next steps in the textile industry/study programme, being a national competition.’
Neve Scott with her teacher Gemma Hibbard
COMPETITION – MORE INFO
FREE CPD/EVENTS
We originally started running networking events during lockdown, so that teachers could talk to each other and ask questions. They were a real source of support in desperately lonely and difficult times especially for teachers of practical subjects and new teachers.
They were so successful we continued the events and run at least one every month, covering a huge variety of topics and presenters, from educationalists to artists and designers.
We have hosted over 100 of our Tuesday Tea ‘N Chat evenings, regularly attended by so many teachers it would be hard to count. These range from Textile artists talks and demos to Career evenings. Keeping up with the age of technology we have recently explored AI in Textile education and have planned a session on 3D printed fashion. Our ‘Exploring the ESA’ events are particularly successful, especially for new teachers. Each session comes with resources and the recordings of the sessions are uploaded to our YouTube channel where you can find all of them, for free:).
YOUTUBE CHANNEL
‘The Virtual Tea and Chat sessions for GCSE and A-Level externally set assignments have been a great source of support. These sessions have helped me—and many other teachers—navigate exam content with clarity and confidence, ensuring that we can best support our students. I highly recommend The Textiles Skills Centre to any textile’s teacher looking to develop their skills, gain fresh ideas, and be part of a supportive professional community.’’
Emma Gilbert, Cambridgeshire
‘The weekly tea n chats are great, as not only are they informative but I made a lot of friends /connections all over the country, even as far as the Isle of Man!’
Jane Peters, Shrewsbury
NATIONAL & INTERNATIONAL EVENTS
Over the past 10 years we have been part of several national events, including the BIG D&T MEET in July last year, regularly run workshops at the KNITTING & STITCHING SHOW, STITCH FESTIVAL and FESTIVAL of QUILTS.
We have also hosted conferences with our friends the Food Teachers Centre (Textiles Skills Centre joint Teachers Events: 2015-2017) both in the UK and in UAE (Dubai & Abu Dhabi)
RESEARCH.
In the last 2 years we have been lucky enough to gain funding to research into textiles education in the UK and have published 2 reports which have gained much praise and used by academics and stakeholders with the aim to secure the future of textiles education in schools.
o Unravelling The Fabric Of Textiles Education (April 2024)
o Stitching Together and Understanding of the Barriers and Facilitators to Textiles Education in UK Primary Schools (January 2025)
o Textiles Education – Inspiring Creative Minds and Sustainable Choices(April 2025)
We are working with various organisations including UK Universities and Textiles Guilds(Livery Companies) on a variety of projects to support our aims.
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 | 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
