Textiles - A Level

"Textiles is so creative. I can’t wait to start my career as a designer.”

Entry Requirements

Three GCSEs at grade 4 plus a grade 5 in English Language

Subject Intent

A Level Textile Design offers students a truly creative opportunity, allowing them to flourish personally and academically through self-expression. The curriculum provides independence, communication, learning, and thinking skills and combines this with practical elements and hands-on experience. Students can expect to gain analytical and written skills through the study of a diverse range of contextual influences.

Over the two-year course, a large variety of practical techniques, skills and processes are covered, allowing students to progress in their own creative projects. Creative works produced by students throughout the course could be used within their professional portfolios, to demonstrate their skills to future employers or interviewers. Students will develop an in depth understanding of the creative industry, and acquire knowledge, skills and professional attributes to prepare them for their future university study and careers.

Course Introduction

The emphasis of the Textiles course is on developing your own ideas and creativity with constant reference to contemporary practice. It is mainly practical where you can choose to broaden your skills in a variety of textile mediums. When you first start the course you will have an induction where you will take part in a series of workshops demonstrating various techniques and processes including stitch, print, dye, knit and fashion construction, machine and hand embroidery, felt making, surface pattern design, print techniques including mono print, lino print and screen printed fabrics for fashion and interiors.

You will work on your own project, researching and taking inspiration from a range of cultural, historical and contemporary stimuli. All the practical work you undertake is underpinned by critical analysis of appropriate sources.

This is an outstanding department with a lovely working atmosphere and a high level of teaching. Former Textile students have gone onto highly successful careers in the industry both in this country and in Europe.

Course Modules

First Year

You will be introduced to a range of different textile processes and materials as well as giving you knowledge and skills that will allow you to develop your own individual creative working practices. You will study a variety of techniques including constructed textiles, machine embroidery and fashion. Working from a given theme you will develop your recording and research skills whilst being introduced to a wide range of historical and contemporary artists. It is an art based course and, as in the other courses on offer, you will be expected to produce observation drawings and designs and to keep sketchbooks of your research and ideas. Towards the end of this first unit you will be given the opportunity to generate and develop your own ideas in response to the work of others and your understanding of the theme, before working towards a well considered final piece or pieces.

Second Year

The emphasis of the second year is on independent study to enrich your own personal work, integrating contextual studies with your personal practice. This can take many forms and is usually a very visual study including some larger pieces of work if it is appropriate.

Students are also encouraged to look at the work of the previous A2 students and apply the same rigorous process of analysis as they would to a professional artist's work. Question papers will arrive in February for you to use as starting points for the end of year examination.

Assessment

It is 60% coursework project and 40% exam project. It is not a sit-down exam.

Course Fact

Many of our students had never used a sewing machine before but are experts on completion of the course!

Example Career Opportunities

Textile Designer | Print Designer | Knitwear Buyer | Textile Technologist
Costume Designer | Textile Production Manager