Textile Design Portfolio for 15 - 17 Year Olds

Monday to Friday 10 am - 4 pm, one week

Become part of the creative action and develop your textile portfolio and sustainability knowledge on this summer course, perfect for the next generation of designers.

As a young, ambitious designer, you’ll be introduced to all aspects of textile design, investigating fundamental principles in colour, form, scale, pattern and composition.

The course provides you with knowledge about sustainable textile design and the skills to work creatively with natural materials in a creative, playful and hands-on way.

You’ll build portfolio-standard work that’ll support a college or university application and will help you to gain further experience and transferable skills in effective design.

Course Description

Develop your creative design ideas and apply fundamentals of textile design practice including, pattern, repeat and composition, through a series of workshops.

You’ll be encouraged to explore experiment with design drawings, colour palettes and creating patterns to make your own textile print designs, learning how to print on fabric.

Discover and experiment with new techniques; from designing, drawing and surface decoration to dyeing fabric, block printing and creating repeat patterns, you’ll take risks to build a visually interesting collection of design work and samples.

During this course you will:

• understand how textile designers play an important role in the fashion industry
• be introduced to textile materials and sustainable designs
• follow tutor demonstrations to create your own artworks
• learn about various textile techniques and surface decoration
• consider the importance of trends in the textile industry
• explore mark making in experimental ways
• dye fabrics and other surfaces with natural materials
• create impact through your work and be inspired to develop your ideas.

You’ll be introduced to techniques through group demonstrations, samples, paper-based instructions, feedback and tutorials.

What will you gain?

By the end of this course you’ll have experimented with lots of mark making approaches and textile techniques, and have a good understanding of the importance of ethical approach to textile design.

You’ll have produced your own sketchbook of original designs to include in your portfolio, with new drawings and designs, plus examples of textiles to use for inspiration for future work.

You’ll leave with a real hand-on experience of what it is like to be a textiles student at university, and an understanding of what admissions tutors are looking for.

Level: Open to all

Entry requirement: You should have an interest in art and design or textiles, and an interest in developing your creative and technical skills.

Where you'll learn: You will be based in the School of Art and Design on the City Campus.

You will have access to an excellent range of facilities and equipment in the fashion studios, with industry-standard fashion tables, professional mannequins, and space to work on your sustainble designs and fabric manipulation.

You’ll also have access to our library to use outside of your short course; whilst you can’t reserve or take away books, you are welcome to use them as a resource for research and referencing.

Here's what our previous attendees said:

'I gained skills to show in my portfolio, learnt more about the role sustainability plays when designing textiles and learnt how to use natural materials to dye fabrics. I have lots of work to display in my portfolio and learnt new printing techniques'

'I learnt a variety of new skills and techniques that I am able to use in the future, like heat transfer, lino cutting and designing specific motifs. I gained experience of what it would be like to take an arts subject at university. Thank you!'

Tutor profile: Theodora Prassa is a multidisciplinary textile and visual artist who has exhibited internationally.

She completed her MA in fashion and textile design at Nottingham Trent University, where she embraced both fine art practices and textile design and making.

Need accommodation?

If you're aged 16 or 17 then you can stay unaccompanied with agreement from a parent/guardian.

To support safeguarding, all guests aged 16 and 17 will be accommodated together in the same halls of residence.

The reception and security team are available 24 hours, and there will be a dedicated supervisor(s) during the evenings and mornings, outside of class times.

Guests will be provided with a mobile number for the supervisor(s) during their stay.

If you're aged 15 then you can stay as long as you are accompanied by a parent/guardian.

Find out more at www.ntu.ac.uk/summeraccommodation

Doing your Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award?

This course can count as your Gold DofE Residential.

DofE participants must book both the course and accommodation on campus for this to count towards your Gold Award.

Looking to turn your one-week course into a two-week experience?

If you can match this with any second course, you’ll receive a 10% refund on your course fees.

You might be interested in:

Fashion Making for 15 – 17 Year Olds

Fashion Design Portfolio for 15 - 17 Year Olds

Any questions?

Contact the short course team:

Email: [email protected]

Tel: +44 (0)115 848 2813