Making Space to Make: Funding Opportunities for Textile Practitioners

For many textile artists and designers, knowing where to begin can feel daunting. An idea may exist only faintly, while the practical step of turning intention into action is often hindered by limited time, space or resources. What is less visible is that support for textile practice exists in many forms, and in many places.

Around the world, funding, residencies, training opportunities and project grants are designed to support makers at different stages — from those just starting out, to practitioners returning after time away, and those seeking space to deepen an established practice. Textile work, with its links to craft, sustainability, heritage and innovation, continues to be recognised as a field worthy of investment.

Crucially, these opportunities do not demand a single background or linear career path. Textile artists arrive through many routes, and ideas do not need to be fully formed; often, support exists precisely to allow thinking, testing and making to unfold.

In today’s post, we share a small, curated selection of funding opportunities. Some have deadlines approaching, while others accept applications year-round. Together, they reflect the varied ways support can appear, offered in the hope of encouraging your ideas and practice to move forward...

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Traditional Arts and Culture Fund Scotland (TRAC)

Fair Isle Knitting © Daniel Craanen / Marie Bruhat

Supported by the National Lottery through Creative Scotland and delivered by TRACS, this fund champions traditional arts and crafts across Scotland. Open to individuals and organisations, it offers grants of up to £1,200 to support creation, performance, touring, showcasing and professional development, while celebrating Scotland’s shared traditions and intangible cultural heritage.

Deadline: Round 1 closes on 16 February 2026, with round 2 being launched in April 2026.

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Heritage Crafts Training Bursary for Fashion, Textiles and Costume Making

Johnette Taylor, a previous bursary recipient. Image: Heritage Crafts

Supported by The Costume Society and delivered by Heritage Crafts, these training bursaries support new entrants and early-career fashion textile, costume and related craftspeople facing financial barriers to training. Offering awards of up to £4,000, the bursaries help cover the cost of skills-focused training in garment and accessory-based textile crafts, widening access to heritage craft careers and supporting the development of practical hand skills needed for long-term professional success.

Deadline: 5pm on Friday 20 March 2026

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Textile Society Awards and Bursaries

Eleanor Burkett, Fukushima Flowers. Previous winner of the Textile Society professional development award. Image: Textile Society.