Published on: Wednesday, 15 May 2013

Student Textile Design Challenge Competition

CCAD Department of Fine Art and Ceramic Design Textiles Elective and Special Purpose Award students performed very well in a prestigious UK competition which also included entries from the Textiles Departments in Leeds College of Art; UCA Farnham; Norwich University of the Arts; London Metropolitan University; LCC - University of the Arts; Plymouth College of Art; Newham College London; and Morley College London. 

CAMAC Design, the Warner Textile Archive and Braintree District Museum joined forces to launch the first Student Textile Design Challenge. Winning and shortlisted entries from the competition are showcased at Braintree District Museum, alongside contributions from guest established and emerging designers.

Each of the 240+ students who entered the Textile Challenge from colleges across Britain and Ireland was given a copy of a piece of design history housed at the Warner Textile Archive. From this they were asked to draw inspiration and then to produce an innovative and contemporary mixed media textile-related response.

The textile and paper document sources for the Challenge include work from designers who helped Warner & Sons push the boundaries of national textile design, from exquisite silks and florals to toiles and animal and bird motifs.

Submissions were juried by Patricia Christy, Chair of Textiles Education and Research in Europe; and Mary Schoeser, UK author and editor of two important recent publications: World Textiles: A Concise History,   and Textiles: the Art of Mankind. 

The following students achieved special notice:

• Submitted work to be made into Museum postcards: Ann Mechelinck (YR 2 Applied Art); Maire O'Mahony (Special Purpose Award Fine Art Textiles).
• Shortlisted---highly commended/exhibition:  Helen O'Shea (recent graduate Special Purpose Award Textiles); Commended/exhibition:  Derek O'Meara (YR 2 Fine Art); Kim Morris, Marie O'Mahony, Donna Coogan, Tina Whelan (Special Purpose Award Fine Art Textiles).
• Exhibition:  Amanda Hogan (Special Purpose Award Fine Art Textiles); Lesley Stothers (recent graduate Special Purpose Award Textiles).

An Exhibition featuring the work of these students will open 9 May in Braintree Museum, Essex. 

Further venues are scheduled for the autumn in London.

Photographer: Ben Taylor



Helen O'Shea, graduate of Special Purpose Award Fine Art Textiles Certificate 2012, her work referencing the recent horse meat scandal.

Lesley Stothers, graduate of Special Purpose Award  Fine Art Textiles Certificate 2012, her showcased work using piercing.

Museum postcards selected from among all entries include two from CIT Crawford:  Ann Mechelinck, Year 2 Applied Arts; and Máire O'Mahony, current Special Purpose Award student in Fine Art Textiles.