Handbook

Cultural Textiles: Field Trip is a short-term overseas study course to study textiles in a specific Asian country. The course focuses on artisan produced textiles, giving students the opportunity to understand the cultural, social and environmental issues impacting on production, with the potential of future engagement via major projects, research studies or to engage locally in design projects. The countries where Cultural Textiles: Field Trip course may be conducted are India, Indonesia, Thailand, Laos and Japan. 

The program allows students to benefit from lectures by regional experts; research textiles in museums; see demonstrations of textiles being made; participate in workshops conducted in artisan or community centres; meet designers and artisans; and learn about the issues impacting on this field of contemporary design.

The Cultural Textiles course will focus the how, where, what and the nature of production by artisan, family, village and community groups. Of particular interest is how textile traditions are maintained by these groups, how organizations work to maintain these traditions and how textiles traditions impact on contemporary designs. The Cultural Textiles course allows students to study, research and experience specific textile techniques giving them insights into how to design for, collaborate with, commission or engage with these artisan groups in the future. The various textiles techniques covered by the course depends on the location but will include a selection from block or ajarkh printing; specific embroidery techniques; resist patterning techniques eg bandani, shibori or ikat; or interlacing techniques such as weaving, basketry, ply splitting or twinning. 

Introductory seminar(s) are held at the Faculty of Art & Design prior to departure. Assessment tasks comprise a detailed travel journal; a range of textile design croquis (ideas) and a major research essay. Submission of projects will be 3 to 4 weeks after the end of the field trip component of the course. 

Note: This course is suited to UG students in their 3rd or 4th year of their course; students are responsible for their own travel arrangements and associated costs during the field trip eg accommodation, workshop fees, internal travel; an additional up-front fee is required by the Faculty of Art & Design to cover the specific cost of delivering the field trip component of the course overseas. Estimates of these costs will be available once the specific field trip location has been announced.