ACTIVITIES
Places I have exhibited
2023
Fashion Fictions World Tour exhibition, University of Chester
Fashion Fictions World Tour pop-up exhibition, Green Hustle, Nottingham
Fashion Fictions World Tour exhibition trail, Nottingham Creative Quarter and Sneinton Market Avenues
Climate. Emergency. Hope., The Turnpike Gallery, Leigh
2021-22
We Are Commoners, touring exhibition, curated by Craftspace. Oriel Davies Gallery, Newtown; Leicester Gallery, De Montfort University; Devon Guild of Craftsmen; The Civic, Barnsley; National Centre for Craft and Design, Sleaford; The Gallery, Hull Central Library; We are the Minories, Colchester; plus virtual tour
2017
Units of Possibility: The Reknit Revolution (solo exhibition), Rugby Art Gallery & Museum and tour to Knitting & Stitching Shows in London and Harrogate
2016
Thinking Out Loud, Open Data Institute, London, curated by Alex McLean and Hannah Redler
The Future of Fixing, The Center for Craft, Creativity & Design, Asheville, North Carolina, USA
2015
Research Through Design 2015, Microsoft Research, Cambridge
Knit 1, Mend 1, Keep 1, Change 1, Walford Mill Crafts, Dorset
2014
Knitwear: Chanel to Westwood (Visionary Knitwear display, curated by Sandy Black), Fashion & Textile Museum, London
Brave Fixed World, part of Łódź Design Festival, Poland, curated by Daniel Charny
Knitting Nottingham, Bonington Gallery, Nottingham Trent University
2012
Made in the Middle, mac, Birmingham and regional tour, curated by Craftspace
WOW: Wonder of Wool and the Art of Knit and Stitch, Gallery at Rheged, Penrith
2010
Keep & Share (solo exhibition), Hereford College of Arts
2009
Craftwerk 2.0, co-curated by Otto von Busch, Jönköpings lans museum, Sweden
2008
Fashion for Sustainability, curated by Kate Fletcher, Garanti Galeri, Istanbul, Turkey
2007
Climate Cool, curated by [re]design, British Council touring exhibition, China
New Traditions, Platform Gallery, Clitheroe
2006
Well Fashioned: Eco Style in the UK, curated by Rebecca Earley, Crafts Council Gallery, London and national tour
2005
Deconstruct: Reconstruct, Bilston Craft Gallery
Events I have (co-)organised
2023
Another Nottingham: Inventing an alternative history for Nottingham School of Art & Design workshop, Bonington Gallery, Nottingham
Fashion Fictions: Unreasonable Dreaming conversation evening, Blend, Nottingham
Fashion Fictions: Try It Out, Try It On drop-in workshop day, Nonsuch Studios, Nottingham
Degrowth Debrief, Nottingham Trent University
2022
Fashion Fictions: Living Together in Imagined Worlds, part of Nottingham Trent University’s UN75+2 virtual conference
IFFTI x NTU, Nottingham School of Art & Design
MAI-DAY Textile Elements Conversations: Reflective Stitch-in, Chelsea College of Art & Design MAI-DAY Textile Elements Conversations: Plain Sewing | Piecing | Pattern, online
2021
Crafting Worlds in Common symposium, online
Stitching Together Study Day, online
2016
The Emperor’s New Clothes conference, University of Leeds
2015
Curious Encounters with Objects Past, Present & Future public engagement event, University of Leeds
2013
Creative Research Methods researcher development workshops, Birmingham City University & University of Westminster
2012
The Curation Game consultation activity, Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery
Places I have been invited to speak
2023
Making Meaning, a podcast by Ruth Singer
Sustainability & Environment Research and Knowledge Exchange Institute, University of Chester
Fungi Film Fest, Mammoth Climate Action Cinema, Nottingham
Rebel Tartan symposium, Nottingam School of Art & Design
Fine Art Live Lecture Series, Nottingham School of Art & Design
International Conference on Fashion, Apparel & Textile 2023, Amity University, India
Powerful Times podcast
Talking Textiles: The Knit of Togetherness, New York Textile Month
Threads Sessions, Voices Gloucester
Knitting & Crochet Guild Convention 2023
The Nettle Dress post-screening Q&A, Broadway, Nottingham
Manchester Fashion Institute, Manchester Metropolitan University
Green Week, The S7 Consortium of Sixth Form Colleges, Surrey
Common Ground: Cultural Commons and the City, London Festival of Architecture
Green Hustle, Nottingham
Subversive Seminar Series, Nottingham Business School
JOIN: Sustainability, Nottingham School of Art & Design
Student Conference, Royal School of Needlework
U3A Hucknall
2022
Selvedge Wardrobe Revolution Weekend symposium
Night on the Knit, University of Huddersfield
Making Meaning Live gathering
MendIt Research Lab, HSE Art and Design School, Russia
2021
Revisiting the Prototype in Design Research PhD course, Design School Kolding, Denmark
Fashion Commons: Clothing as a shared community resource, online panel discussion linked to We Are Commoners exhibition
Garment Stories and Sustainability: Past, Present and Future, University of York Annual Fashion Symposium
2019
Helsinki Fashion Week symposium, London
Tricky Design: Design Ethics for a Complex World symposium, Design Museum, London
With For About: Art and Democracy symposium, Heart of Glass, St Helens
2018
Creative Networks lecture series, Leeds Arts University
2017
Craft Futures seminar series, Northumbria University
Unmaking symposium, Algomech festival, Sheffield
Design Routes symposium, Manchester Metropolitan University
2015
Research Through Design 2015, keynote ‘provocation’ in collaboration with Professor David Gauntlett
Sonic Pattern and the Textility of Code symposium, Sheffield
M&S Company Archive, Leeds
2014
Knitting History Forum conference, London
2012
Community-powered Digital Transformations in Learning workshop, AHRC-funded network, University College London
2009
Jönköpings lans museum, Sweden
Association for Design and Advertising, Röhsska Museum, Sweden
2008
Upcycling Textiles symposium, Chelsea College of Art & Design
Garanti Galeri, Istanbul
2007
Maintaining Products in Use seminar, EPSRC Network on Product Life Spans, Sheffield Hallam University
100% Sustainable at 100% Design
2006
Portsmouth City Museum
I have also given guest lectures and seminars for students at universities throughout the UK since 2006, including Birmingham City University | Central Saint Martins | Chelsea College of Art & Design | University of Dundee | Gray’s School of Art | Hereford College of Arts | Kingston University | London College of Fashion | Manchester Metropolitan University | Nottingham Trent University | Royal College of Art | Sheffield Hallam University | Swansea Metropolitan University | Winchester School of Art.
Funding
2023
Nottingham Trent University Impact Accelerator Fund, £35,351
2022
Nottingham Trent University Sustainable Futures Research Talent Fund, £6,230
2021
AHRC Research, Development and Engagement Fellowship, Fashion Fictions: imagining sustainable fashion worlds, £252,555
2019
AHRC Research Networking Grant (Principal Investigator), Crafting the Commons, £45,522
Nottingham Trent University Scholarship Projects for Undergraduate Researchers scheme, £1,836
Nottingham Trent University Strategic Research Funding, £3,863
2018
AHRC Research Networking Grant (Co-Investigator): Stitching Together, £30,176
Nottingham Trent University School of Art & Design Sabbatical, £1,574
2014
University of Leeds LEAP Skills Hub, Transferable Skills Activity funding, £630
2012
Arts & Humanities Research Council, Collaborative Skills Development funding, £2,946
2010
Birmingham Institute of Art & Design Doctoral Award
Peer review
AHRC Peer Review College
Fashion and textiles book proposals and manuscripts, Bloomsbury Academic
Journals including Journal of Textile Design Research and Practice | Fashion Practice | Art, Design & Communication in Higher Education | Craft Research
Conferences including Culture, Costume and Dress | Research Through Design | Cumulus | Well-being
External examination
PhD examination, Northumbria University (2023)
PhD examination, University of Brighton (2021)
PhD examination, Northumbria University (2019)
MA Fashion Futures, London College of Fashion (2018-2023)
MA Textiles / MA Surface Pattern, University of Wales Trinity St David (2017-2021)
Doctoral supervision
Director of Studies: Sally Cooke, ‘Material Encounters: fashion sustainability examined through beginners’ experiences of learning to sew clothes at home’, Midlands4 Cities PhD studentship (2019-2023)
Director of Studies: Emily Rickard,‘Exploring the use of creative, open-ended knitting as a form of journaling to record emotions, with consideration for mental wellbeing’, Midlands4Cities PhD studentship (2019-2024)
Director of Studies: Bethan Pagett, 'Natural dyeing in contemporary craft cultures', NTU PhD studentship (2020-2024)
Director of Studies: Megha Chauhan, ‘Co-exploring nature and fashion’s relationship through collective crafting, NTU PhD studentship (2023-2027)
Second supervisor: Elsa Ball, 'Negotiating fashionable identity through hair and the salon: implications for sustainability and fashion', Midlands4Cities PhD studentship (2020-2024)
External supervisor: Selene States, 'A Suite of Changes: A Political Timeline of the "Pantsuit" 1919–1946', Bauhaus University Weimar (2019–2024)
External supervisor: Iryna Kucher, ‘Mending Futures’, Designskolen Kolding (2020–2024)
Affiliations
Treasurer, Union of Concerned Researchers in Fashion (2019–)