MAI-DAY: TEXTILE CONVERSATIONS

Image: © Jessica Ogden

Plain sewing, piecing and pattern. These terms are all familiar aspects of stitch practice, but what do they mean for practitioners who explore them from different perspectives? What new contribution can they make to the meaning of textiles?

Image: Just When I Thought I Was Queen (2020) © Marcia Bennett-Male

Three conversations, taking place online on consecutive Wednesdays in March will consider each of these textile-related terms. These form the first event under the Chelsea, Camberwell, Wimbledon Design School initiative, Making-Design-Agency (MAI-DAY), part of the Design School’s Conference Series and part of UAL Research Season 2022 and will be hosted by Professor Carol Tulloch of Chelsea College of Arts (UAL) and Dr Amy Twigger Holroyd of Nottingham Trent University.

Image: © Matthew Harris

A prime consideration for MAI-DAY is to create a space for discussion: a space where practitioners can collectively explore connections and disconnections, that in turn could inform new thinking-through-making directions.

With this in mind, the Textile Elements conversation series brings together pairs of practitioners from different aspects of stitch-making and related craft-art practice to share thoughts about three fundamental aspects of stitch practice.

Image: © Barbara Burman

On 30 March, 2-4pm, a final face-to-face event will provide space to consider the interconnections between the 3 conversations within an atmosphere of thinking-while-stitching. This 'Reflective Stitch-In' will take place in the Banqueting Hall at Chelsea College of Arts and will feature several speakers, including founder and editor of Selvedge Polly Leonard. 

Image: © Etka Kaul

The Conversations
9 March: Plain Sewing, with Ekta Kaul and Barbara Burman
16 March: Piecing, with Matthew Harris and Linda Brothwell
23 March: Pattern, with Jessica Ogden and Marcia Bennett-Male
online, 3-4.30pm GMT

Reflective Stitch-in
30 March, with Sequoia Barnes, Elaine Igoe, Selvedge editor Polly Leonard and Claire-Wellesley-Smith; stitching facilitated by Stitch-School
Chelsea College of Art, 2-4pm GMT

Book your place and find out more about MAI-DAY: Textile Elements, A Series of Conversations on the UAL website: www.arts.ac.uk/whats-on/mai-day-textile-elements-a-series-of-conversations