Textiles
Unleash Your Creativity with A-Level Textiles at Varndean College
Embark on an inspiring journey of artistic exploration with A-Level Textiles. This dynamic course offers you the chance to dive into a world of colour, texture, and innovative design, using both traditional and unconventional materials. Whether you’re an aspiring tailor, fashion or costume designer, or passionate about interior design, print and surface decoration, this course is tailored to help you pursue your interest or discover what you truly love.
For All Levels of Experience
No prior study of Art and Design at GCSE is required. Whether you’re new to textiles or looking to expand your existing skills, we’ll provide the guidance and support you need to succeed.
State-of-the-Art Facilities and Expert Guidance
Our specialist studio is equipped with everything you need to experiment and bring your ideas to life. You’ll work closely with experienced tutors who combine years of teaching expertise with professional creative practice, offering you personalised support every step of the way.
Your journey will be as unique as you are. Develop projects inspired by your personal experiences and observations while learning to research and draw inspiration from influential artists and designers. By connecting your ideas to the world around you, you’ll create meaningful, original works that showcase your individuality.
Immerse Yourself in the World of Textiles Beyond the Classroom
We believe that learning should go beyond the studio walls. That’s why we offer exciting trips and visits to experience the work of renowned artists and designers up close. Recent highlights include Iris Van Herpen at Les Arts Décoratifs in Paris, Hand & Lock Prize in and Alexander McQueen’s Roses exhibition in London. These experiences bring your studies to life and spark fresh creative inspiration.
Discover and Experiment in Year 1
Your first year is all about exploration and skills-building. You’ll dive into a wide range of textiles techniques, including: Hand and machine embroidery, knitting and crochet, screen printing, fashion design, fabric manipulation and upcycling.
We also integrate photography into the course, transforming our studio into a professional photographic space multiple times a year. This multidisciplinary approach ensures you develop a broad and versatile skill set.
Championing Sustainability in Textiles
As part of an organisation committed to Carbon Literacy, sustainability is at the heart of our course. In Year 1, you’ll engage in a sustainability design project, exploring critical topics like fast fashion and recycling. You’ll create innovative designs using recycled and upcycled materials, contributing to a more eco-conscious future in the textiles industry. We collaborate with local businesses, scrap schemes, and charity shops to source a diverse range of fabrics and clothing for our course. These partnerships not only provide unique and sustainable materials for your projects but also strengthen ties with the community, inspiring innovative approaches to design and upcycling.
Showcase Your Vision in Year 2
Your second year is all about applying what you’ve learned to create something uniquely your own. Through a personal project, you’ll delve into themes like Lost & Found, Transitions, or The Elements, or carve out a theme that’s entirely your own. This is your chance to showcase your growth, creativity, and individuality.
Join us and discover how the world of textiles can inspire, challenge, and empower you to make your mark!
Louie Shubbar
“I felt so drawn to Varndean College because of its welcoming environment and its focus on student support and wellbeing. Coming from being home schooled, I felt it important to choose a college where I would be supported, whilst at the same time pushed to grow both intellectually and as a person, and Varndean really felt like a place where I could flourish. I was also so motivated by their outstanding visual arts department.
Choosing Textiles was an absolute must for me because I have always loved sewing and making clothes, but I wanted to learn new skills which would take my work to new heights. Textiles has definitely been the course I have enjoyed most and I’ve been given many exciting opportunities, from modelling one of my pieces in a college photoshoot, to attending trips and exhibitions in London. Textiles has given me an incredible skill set in an array of techniques, from stitching, printing, weave, crochet and knit, to methods of fabric manipulation like Shibori. It’s also given me the ability to research other artists and infuse inspiration from their work into my own, from the sketching progress, to making our final pieces. I have felt so supported and nurtured in my lessons and I definitely wouldn’t be where I am today without the help and care of the Textiles department.
Whilst at Varndean I also attended the weekly Politics Society which offered the chance to listen to MPs and political figures and I even managed to undertake some work experience with Citizens UK. I also attended the Ethnicity, Identity and Culture group, which provided an environment to learn about other cultures. It was also a great way to make new friends. We organised a Culture Day which was an amazing opportunity to showcase the array of different cultures within the college.
Being at Varndean has really helped me grow as a person and made me feel ready to go out into the world, more thoughtful and compassionate, and with new friends and companions for life. I am now going to study Fashion Design Technology at university and hope one day to be the creative director of my own fashion label.”
Studied: Textiles, English Literature, Politics
Progression: Fashion Design Technology: Menswear, University of the Arts London
Course Essentials
Courses Available
A Level
How The Course is Assessed
60% coursework, 40% externally set assignment
Career Pathways
Significant numbers of students continue their studies through Art Foundation courses and specialist degrees. Recent students have studied costume design, fashion, knit, weave, printed textiles, and fashion illustration. Some are engaged in degree courses outside the art area, for example in History, Politics, Economics and English.
Transferable Skills
Confident creative project planning and management, visualisation and research, fluent use of visual language, analytical understanding of different cultures.
Other Information
Regular visits are made to galleries and museums in London, as well as trips to Barcelona, Venice, Florence, or Paris. Students have access to the Art Enrichment programme of visits and talks from practising artists.
Enquiries To
Helen Brewer: hrb@varndean.ac.uk
Staff Profiles
Helen Brewer
With over 20 years of experience as an arts educator, Helen Brewer brings a wealth of expertise and passion to Varndean College. Holding a BA (Hons) in Costume for the Stage and Screen, Helen has an impressive professional background, having worked as a costume designer and maker for film, theatre and TV, as well as in the Fashion Buying Team for the Arcadia Group.
Before joining Varndean College, Helen spent 17 years as Head of Arts Faculty and Head of Art at a West Sussex secondary school, shaping countless young artists’ futures. She also works as part of the Art & Design team for AQA.
A firm believer in nurturing individuality, Helen is dedicated to helping students embark on their own unique creative journeys. Whether you’re passionate about fashion, fabric, textiles, or costume design, Helen is here to help turn your vision into reality. “If there’s a creative pathway you love and are excited to pursue, let’s make it happen!”
Gail Eastwood
Gail Eastwood is a Textiles Tutor for Varndean College.
Alumni Success
Bonnie Magee
Graduating from the Glasgow School of Art, Bonnie Magee has a strong foundation in textile design, with a particular focus on 3D surface design, fabric manipulation, texture, and form.
Through the exploration of materiality, process, and stitch, Bonnie’s work highlights the beauty found in the uncomfortable, merging elements of the body with the natural world.
Utilizing mixed embroidery methods, she translates her research and drawings into textured, narrative-rich samples, drawing inspiration from wearable art and historical costume.
She has recently been awarded
Tex+ ARTS and Sanderson Art in Industry Awards for her work.
Mia Rigg
Textiles student Mia Rigg’s incredible Queen of Hearts dress has been awarded third place in The Mr X Stitch student Needlework Prize 2024 in the 3D Textiles category.
Mia’s hard work paid off with excellent results, achieving A* in Photography, A* in Textiles, and a Distinction* in Environmental Sustainability. She’s now studying at the University of the Arts London studying Costume Design and Construction.
Enrichments & Trips
Trips
Visual Arts love to go on international trips, most recently we’ve been to Paris, Madrid and Berlin. Our artists, designers and photographers return from visits abroad with well-used sketchbooks, hundreds of photographs and many new and creative ideas to develop in their projects back at college.
Art Enrichment
Art Enrichment encourages learners to expand their critical thinking and industry knowledge and to become clearer about their progression plans by being introduced to a range of artist practitioners. Participants will be inspired by meeting a range of professionals and hearing them talk about their life, work and ideas development. Regular visitors include Brighton artists; Murray Ballard, Photographer; Sarah Jones, Illustrator; Jon Mills, Sculptor and Andrew Gifford, Painter. These talks also include some local university and college presentations.
Creative Arts Showcase 2024
International Trips
Visual Arts love to go on international trips, most recently we’ve been to Paris, Madrid and Berlin. Our artists, designers and photographers return from visits abroad with well-used sketchbooks, hundreds of photographs and many new and creative ideas to develop in their projects back at college.