You can find Birmingham City University’s Textile course at stand T35 during Week 1 (June 27-30) of New Designers,
Hi there, I’m Tasha, I’m writing this post along with the New Designers exhibitors of 2018 for Birmingham City University. We are all so excited to be exhibiting this year and can’t wait to be a part of such a brilliant event!
This year we have had so many exciting and different projects that have been underway for our Final Major Projects – we look forward to showcasing them at New Designers! You can find us on stand T35 – come and say Hi! we would love to chat to you! There are 17 of us exhibiting with such a huge range of projects, it’s great how different they all are. Our projects range from curiosity cabinets to detailed florals and even a collection designed for care homes. With specialisms in Print, Constructed Textiles and Embroidery, it’s going to be a great show!
Here’s a list of those exhibiting, their collection titles along with their Instagram info for you to take a peak before the exhibition:
Chloe Baker – Self-Expression – @chloebakerembroidery
Josie Beevers – Lagom – Not Too Much, Not Too Little – @josiebeeverstextile
Louise Chilman – Manipulated Disintegration – @louise_chilman_design
Jess Croker – Enchanted Wood – @jesscrokertextiledesign
Pauline Dalle – Tension – @dalle.pauline
Smilte Diliunaite – Struktūrų Tyrimai: Contemporary Traditions – @smiltetextiles
Charlotte Greenwood – Reconstructed Past – @charlottegreenwood_textiles
Anna Johnston – Dystopian Fictions – @anna_llouise
Rebecca Lewis – Curious Creatures – @rebeccalewisdesigns
Pip Lloyd – Precious Willderness – @piplloydtextiles
Lara Oztekin – The Peculiar and Picturesque – @laraoztekindesigns
Lorna Phipps – Urban Jungle – @lorna.phipps.textile.design
Danielle Smith – Tranquillam Viventem – @dannimaedesign
Ellie Stanton – Forget Me Not – @ellierose_textiledesign
Katie Turton – Synthetic Ocean – @katiejanetextiles
Tasha Warren – ColourFlora – @tashawarrendesigns
Hannah Whitehouse – Botanical Flourish – @hannah.whitehouse.design
→ It’s always interesting to know how people got to where they are now and what sparked their interest, so a few of us wanted to tell you a bit about how we fell in love with design…
Anna Johnston
“I became interested in design when visiting the degree show on an open day and realised that this was a way in which my artwork could have a practical use and excited that it could be seen and worn by others to express themselves.”
Katie Turton
“I became interested in design at an early age through my mum always being creative and allowing me to use paints, pens and whatever I wanted really to create with. I was always encouraged to draw or make things and this lead to my interest in design and where I am now. I also studied textiles in school and this confirmed that it was something I wanted to pursue. The practical nature of design and the sections that come within it are something that have always captured my attention, such as colour, trends, interior styling and how to design for different clients.”
Pip Lloyd
“Having studied Textile Design and Production at A- Level it introduced some of the simplest textile techniques, mainly mixed media and embroidery. This intrigued me to see what else I could learn and develop in my textile practice. I had no idea what a degree would enable me to achieve and would never have dreamed I could be working for high end embroidery companies in London. This is now a realistic ambition for me in the future.”
Smilte Diluante
“Because craft and textiles is a huge part of my culture and heritage, I was introduced to textiles at a very young age. After studying it at school and college, I became more interested and wanted to know more about it.”
Jess Croker
“I’ve always had a love for art and design since I started school, I always had a real passion for drawing and painting and art lessons were always I something looked forward too. As I started college, design became something I was a lot more interested and I began to experiment with different types of printing methods and I was introduced to embroidery and my interest in that has grown since.”
Louise Chilman
“For me personally design was a hobby until college, where I had a tutor who really inspired me and opened my eyes to the possibilities within design. Then coming to a BCU open day and hearing about some of the amazing jobs within the design world, made up my mind that designing was no longer just my hobby but my passion. Since being at uni I’ve learnt that so many of my classmates had similar positive college experiences which led them onto doing design at uni and seeing it as a career to be passionate about.”
→ And what is life like at Birmingham City University? Here’s a little insight…
Josie Beevers
“Studying Textile Design at Birmingham City University has been a very diverse experience. The Parkside building, where our creative courses are based is designed in a way that encourages community studying, with vast open spaces for all students to use. It’s great to see such a mix of a creative buzz around the building all the time. There are many course specific workshops that welcome all students. The textiles workshops include print, embroidery and constructed textiles, all equipped with so many exciting tools and machines to explore and learn about. And of course, not forgetting our fantastic workshop technicians who are always on hand to help!”
Hannah Whitehouse
“The facilities at BCU have been brilliant, there’s always a good atmosphere and everyone is there to work hard and help each other out whenever needed. It’s a really new, open and fresh working space to be in, there isn’t little corners to tuck yourself away and hide, but the big working spaces make for a positive, communal area to inspire each other’s creativity. The tutors and technicians are always about, and more than happy to offer the support and guidance whenever you might need it. Everything you need is under one roof which is so convenient.”
Tasha Warren
“BCU has a really friendly and relaxed atmosphere but everyone works really hard. The tutors all have great industry knowledge and contacts, so they can give first hand advice on what it’s like to be a designer and they are always on hand whenever you need help or advice. They’ve actually inspired me to consider teaching whilst running my own business at some point in the future! I’m from the countryside to moving to Birmingham was a shock for me, I hadn’t heard great things about the city before I visited but I loved it as soon as I first visited! There’s so much going on here, especially within the creative sector. The city centre has a great feel to it, there’s lots of shops, places to eat and drink and days out to explore.”
→ New Designers! We are all so excited to be there, here’s what a few of us had to say about what we are looking forward to…
Rebecca Lewis
“It is so exciting to be given the opportunity to display work at New Designers alongside the other talented students from BCU and across the country. It will be fantastic to have conversations with people within the design industry and open up opportunities for future work projects and job opportunities. I’m really looking forward to getting down to London and making the most of this valuable experience!”
Lara Oztekin
“Going to New Designers is an exciting opportunity as I am looking forward to meeting new people, having an experience within a professional environment and networking to create new contacts. It’s amazing to also do this alongside fellow classmates and seeing each other progress and succeed together. ”
Anna Johnston
“I am looking forward to making industry contacts and excited about the unknown!”
Tasha Warren
“I can’t wait to meet and chat to people about my work, it’s going to be such a valuable experience in so many ways. I’m really excited about the opportunities that this could open up for me and my other classmates. It’s also going to be great to see all the other talent there because I visit every year to see the amazing work on display – and now I will be an exhibitor!”
Hannah Whitehouse
“Having visited New Designers for the past 4 years and always feeling so inspired by all the work I’ve seen there, I can’t wait to be there again as an exhibitor, displaying my work alongside all the other talented graduates from BCU and all around the country! I’d like to make lots of contacts within the industry, but also chat to lots of students who are at the same point in their lives, having just graduated and now looking to move on to their next step. Having worked alongside such a talented bunch of girls (and boy) for the past 3 years, it will be so exciting to share our successes in one final major exhibition space at the Business Design Centre.”
→ So, you’ve heard how we got into design and what it’s been like at BCU, but what about where we want to be in the future? In five years’ time this is where some of us would like to be…
Anna Johnston
“In 5 years I see myself with a job in a studio working for a high-end design company for either fashion or interiors.”
Tasha Warren
“In five years’ time I would love to have gained valuable experience working in a design studio – I’m really open about what sector I go into, I just love designing and I think the unknown and new opportunities can be a great challenge and so exciting! One day I would love to run my own business, I know that this is something I would thrive doing because I’m really self-motivated and passionate about what I do – I think that will be a few years in the making though!”
Smilte Diluante
“In five years I hope to be working for a high-end fashion brand doing couture embroidery. I love the technical side of embroidery and my own work requires a lot of patience and time and because I am passionate about craft and traditional techniques, I plan on developing it after I graduate.”
Jess Croker
“In five years I hope to be working in an embroidery studio using all my skills I have learnt from my time at university whilst doing a job I love.”
Thanks for reading! As a team we just wanted to say thank you to all of our tutors for helping us throughout our time at BCU, it’s been great, and we wouldn’t have got here without their help and support! Just to remind you before you go, we’re on stand T35 and we can’t wait to see you there!
Tasha and the BCU New Designers team of 2018.