A LITTLE BIT ABOUT US ... 

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Our course covers surface design and textiles for fashion, interiors and contemporary design-led products. Based in the North West we are only a short train ride from the thriving Manchester city centre and as such we have many links with galleries, design companies, fabric archives and craft studios.

Our programme is a focused multi-disciplinary course where strengths lie in surface design and textile application; exploring traditional techniques including embroidery, printed textiles, felted textiles and non-wovens; and the use of digital technologies towards interior products, fabrics, wall coverings and fashion fabrics for both commercial and design-led/craft sectors. In terms of design practice, our students have opportunities to ‘cross the boundaries’ of textile disciplines and many have gained national prestigious awards to recognise their innovative approaches to designing and making. 

Visits to trade shows, design studios, factories, exhibitions and archives enhance our students learning experiences (costed at affordable prices). We  visited Printsource trade fair in New York, USA, Linea and Anteprima Design Studios and Mantero Seta Spa at Lake Como. 

We have connections with contemporary craft studios and exhibitions allowing our modules to have a strong designer-maker focus to exhibit their work at prestigious events and outlets including the Bolton Museum, Great Northern Contemporary Craft Fair and the Manchester Craft and Design Centre. 

We work with many renowned companies including Edinburgh Weavers, Surface Print Limited and Shaws Contract Carpets, and welcome many visiting speakers including Davinder Madaher, Janine Burrows from Jam and Ginger and Sam Rhodes from the Bluecoat Display Centre, Liverpool. 

Over recent years our students have won many prizes and awards for their achievements including Jenny McCarthy who won the New Designers Associate Prize for Prestigious Textiles, and Beth Hunt who won the Sainsburys New Designers Award. Recent awards include the international  Heimtextil ‘New and Next’ Award Global University competition - showing in the Design Hall selected as one of four Universities who were selected from around the world! 

If you would like to hear more about our course, or visit our amazing facilities please get in touch with our team using the  contact form  for course information and general enquiries.