Profile

Gareth Wadkin

Staff

BA (Hons) Textile Design - Course Leader

Gareth is Course Leader for the BA (Hons) Textile Design course at Leeds Arts University. His role involves teaching conceptual and creative approaches to printed textiles and surface pattern design across all levels of the course. As a textile designer, researcher and educator he brings to the course a wealth of teaching and professional design experience.

Gareth studied for his undergraduate degree in Textile Design and a PGCE in Continuing Education at University of Leeds. He gained an MA in Textile Practice from Manchester Metropolitan University and he was awarded Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, now Advance HE in 2018.

Gareth’s design and teaching specialism includes the reimagining of traditional printmaking, dyeing and screen-printing techniques with emerging technology, new materials and digital production methods.

Alongside his teaching practice Gareth continues to work as a freelance textile designer and a Maker/Educator for the Crafts Council. He has freelanced for various design agencies and organisations producing textile prints and patterns for both fashion and interiors markets. Gareth has worked in a variety of educational and design settings which have led to collaborations with the Arts Council England, Burberry Inspire, Crafts Council, H&M, Laura Ashley, Leeds Museums and Galleries, Nike, Puma, Sorrell Foundation’s National Art and Design Saturday Club, The Hepworth Wakefield, The Tetley and The Yorkshire Sculpture Park.

Gareth’s research and scholarly practice centres on championing craft preservation, helping to sustain age-old, textile techniques by incorporating them into contemporary, innovative designs and manufacturing processes. Projects, exhibitions and conference papers have involved partnering with the cultural and creative sectors, schools and colleges to reignite design and making in the classroom, tackle the challenges faced by craft education and showcase the value and importance art, craft and design education have on employability, 21st century skills and wellbeing.

Conference Proceedings

Pratt, C. and Wadkin, G. (2019) ‘A case study of collaborative practice: working to promote cross-curricular thinking and making within schools’, Futurescan 4: Valuing Practice – FTC Fashion and Textile Courses.

Exhibitions

Bainbridge, S., Gaston, E., Pratt, C., Scott, J. and Wadkin, G. (2018) Make Your Future. Vernon Street Gallery, Leeds Arts University. 28 June – 16 August.

Conferences, Talks & Presentations

Pratt, C. and Wadkin, G. ‘A case study of collaborative practice: working to promote cross-curricular thinking and making within schools’, Futurescan 4: Valuing Practice. University of Bolton, UK. 23 January – 24 January 2019.

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