Study visit review: Textiles in Manchester

Earlier this month I had the pleasure of doing a textiles study visit to Manchester. I had arranged for the students to see two quite different but related exhibitions. We met at The Whitworth on Oxford Road to start our day examining The Revolutionary Textiles 1910 – 1939 exhibition. The fabrics on display illustrated the rapid social, technical and political changes occurring during the first half of the twentieth century. What was striking to me was how contemporary the forms and patterns felt suggesting that the styles developed during this era remain influential today. The exhibition’s supporting written information demonstrated how creativity is steered and influenced by the culture of the time, that social unrest, political change and technological development shape creative output. As contemporary practitioners it is good for OCA students to have an understanding of how the culture they live in influences the work they make and that being embedded in contemporary culture encourages the creation of meaningful work.

From The Whitworth we took a walk up Oxford Road to the Manchester Art Gallery on Mosley Street. After lunch we spent the afternoon exploring the Fashion and Freedom (14-18Now) exhibition that is part of the five year long programme of events marking the centenary of the First World War. Established and emerging fashion designers were commissioned to create garments that relate to the experiences of women during the war. This exciting collection included the daring use of techniques and materials including stitched wood, pleated aluminium along side PVC, lace, taffeta and Latex. The clothes were striking and engaging drawing us to look at the ways they were constructed and how the materials had been manipulated. Of particular value to the students was a short film of interviews with the undergraduate designers. Here we were privy to how the students used research material, drawing and analysis to bring the ideas to life. It also illustrated how a single brief can be interpreted in a whole range of ways. I hope this left the students feeling more confident about being broadminded and willing to bring their own interpretations to the work they create.

As always I was extremely impressed with the way the students engaged with each other, quickly forming a group of enthusiastic learners. Some had already ‘met’ on the OCA textiles Facebook page this appears to be good preparation for establishing safe and supportive relationships, enabling the students to very quickly share experiences and ideas. I noted that a large number of the students used drawing to record what they saw adding written notes and photographs. This is an excellent way of learning from and digesting an exhibition. Crucial to this though are the conversations and sharing that went on between the students throughout the day. One of our conversations was about the willingness and value of using technology to share ideas, obtain support from peers and feel connected to the cohort. And how important it is to use a range of social media like Twitter, Pinterest, Facebook and blogging that offer different aspects of digital communication. The more experienced technology users in the group offered support and guidance to less confident members. For me this highlighted the value of attending study visits not only to meet OCA staff and see an exhibition but also to connect with fellow learners. Thank you to all the students who attended for their invaluable input and making the day so enjoyable.

Featured Image: Toni Martin, University of Salford, Breath in, wood and wool.

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