New Textiles Leader says Hello!
I’d like to take this opportunity to introduce myself and share a little of who I am. Like many of the students at OCA I came to studying for a textiles degree later in life, after a career in nursing and having children.  I achieved a first class honours degree in Surface Design for Fashion and Interiors at Huddersfield University.  Here I learnt a range of textile techniques and had the opportunity to experiment with many different materials.
I developed a passion for materials and their possibilities using a trial and error methodology in sample making to develop new understandings. Â This led me to focus on concrete as a design material for my undergraduate degree show project followed by a Masters by Research degree where I created visual concrete by exploiting its form finding behaviour. Â This involved molding with textiles and other flexible materials to create dynamic and expressive surfaces. These sometimes-surprising surfaces have been well received at New Designers, The Surface Design Show, EcoBuild and The International Conference for Flexible Formwork.
I see myself as teacher, researcher and maker. I believe in sharing skills, knowledge and ideas to support students on their own creative journeys. By encouraging students to bring themselves and their experiences to their creativity they will produce work that is both individual and personally satisfying.
My vision for the OCA Textiles Degree has four elements.
First, to have good quality research at the centre of every student’s studies. Wide reaching research enhances the student’s creative potential by exposing them to the richness of the creative world, inspiring creativity but also developing critical thinking skills and analysis.
The second element is the importance of high quality technical skills and attention to detail, which leads to craftsmanship.
Thirdly, drawing is an intrinsic part of design and should be encouraged and supported at every level of the degree. It plays a number of vital roles: assisting students to explore the visual world, the generation of design ideas and communicating those ideas to others.
Finally I believe all good design involves risk taking. Through experimental sample making students can feel they are able to make mistakes and are encouraged to embrace serendipity, and new creative knowledge and understandings can form.
I believe the OCA textile courses are in a unique and exciting position to transform the lives of adult learners. Flexible learning methods coupled with academic rigour promises to assist students to reach their creative potential. By encouraging students to bring ‘themselves’ to their studies; the college contains a wealth of values, experiences and understandings. I believe with clear and explicit expectations this can lead to high quality creative output.
In my spare time I am part of a community art group, Knit to Gather, linked to The Art Market in Holmfirth. In our latest project we created a piece of wearable art made out of knitted carrier bags that I had the opportunity to wear. I also continue to make concrete, at the moment I am experimenting with Papercrete, which is so much lighter and behaves more like clay. I am also taking private lessons in design, pattern cutting and construction from a retired professional tailor, dressmaker and teacher.
I look forward to carrying on the excellent work Sarah Taylor started in developing the OCA Textiles Courses into a world-class degree.
(Photo of carrier bag dress taken by Molly Eyre)
15 thoughts on “New Textiles Leader says Hello!”
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Really pleased about your appointment to this role Rebecca, and wish you all the best over the coming months.
Congratulations! Exciting times ahead. (PS I love the concrete samples!)
Congratulations Rebecca. It’s really encouraging to see your vision for a high quality, challenging and reflective practice based course.
Congratulations! Having the privilege to have Rebecca as my tutor I can say that she has been a great mentor. Exciting times ahead for OCA textiles..
Your ideas are exciting and seem to chime very well with the approach I’ve been encouraged to embrace. Good luck in the new post.
Two comments strike a chord, the need to put research at the heart of study and the need for risk tasking. Many student complain about the ‘background’ work but I cannot express how much research has opened my eyes and the breadth of my horizons. If we don’t take risks, we are just rehashing what others have done.
I think research allows any artist to discover the emotional core of a subject. This in itself paves the way for very individual interpretations which makes for richer, more meaningful work.
Looking forward to some exciting ideas for our future! I l love the idea of more risk taking. Good luck
Hi Rebecca- as an international student I am both excited and daunted by this program. I have been working with textiles since I was a child, and now have an opportunity to really dive into this area. I hope that you will be able to look at how to support and encourage risk taking for people like myself who have very little contact with our tutors or classmates…
Hi Connie. Thank you for your comments. You are not alone in being separate from your classmates and tutors, it is the nature of studying or working for the OCA. Because of that there is a strong online community via the OCA forums that can be found on the website. You can ask for advice, share your work and feel more part of things. Everyone is really friendly and always glad to help if they can. I am always open to suggestions on how to support students you, can email me rebeccafairley@oca-uk.com. Rebecca x
Hi Rebecca. I am a comparatively new student of the OCA textile degree course (Feb 14). I was really interested to read about your main 4 objectives. Does this mean that the course will be reviewed, or is it being reviewed? I was also particularly interested in you comment that ‘clear and explicit expectations’, should be in place. I think this would be really good, as well as more support and hints as to how to take more risks…..more difficult with a very mature student such as myself who has previously had a 38 year career, more latterly part time, which has discouraged risk taking. I really look forward to experiencing the outcomes of your input. Very good luck. Very exciting.
Best Wishes. Ruth Seabrook.
Hi Ruth. Thank you for your comments. A number of the courses are being rewritten or being replaced currently. Like all degree courses they need updating and brought into line with current thinking. There have been a lot of comments here about how to take risks. I think what I shall do is write a blog post in the near future. Rebecca x
Hi again Rebecca. That all sounds great. How will we know when you have written a blog post? Also, do we assume that as soon as a module, or even an assignment within a module has been rewritten, it will be available to students? It would be good to know how the process works, and what the timescales might be? I am on my 3rd assignment of A Creative Approach to Textiles. Based on my experience so far, it is very good to hear that a review is taking place. Many thanks. Ruth.
Hi Ruth, just noticed your comment as I was browsing the blog.
As well as the student forums, we announce course changes and updates here on the blog, which is also sent to all students in the weekly bulletin.
When you are ready to enrol on your next unit, have a chat with the office and we will let you know anything we know!
congrats. looking forward to hearing more. your 4 ideas sound great.