Textiles

Textiles as an academic discipline encompasses far more than fabric production. It is the study of fibre, thread, weave, dye, and surface in all their material, historical, cultural, and creative dimensions. Textiles have been central to human civilisation for thousands of years, serving as clothing, shelter, currency, religious and ceremonial objects, and, increasingly, as a medium for fine art and design practice.

Studying textiles at degree level develops both technical craft knowledge, including weaving, knitting, embroidery, print, and construction techniques, and the critical and conceptual thinking needed to situate practice within the broader history and theory of material culture.

At the Open University you will study this programme part time through distance learning, making it accessible to students who cannot attend in person or who need to fit their studies around employment or other commitments. Distance learning suits textiles particularly well, as the practical work of the discipline can be developed in your own studio or workspace, and the combination of hands-on making with critical reading and writing maps naturally onto flexible study patterns. You will develop your technical skills across a range of textile processes, engage with the history and theory of textile art and design, and build a critical understanding of how textiles function in contemporary culture, fashion, craft, and the broader material world.

Graduates from textiles programmes work as textile designers, surface designers, fashion designers, craft practitioners, textile artists, and arts educators. The fashion industry, interior textiles, craft retail, arts education, and exhibition-based practice are all sectors that employ textile graduates. Many graduates combine commercial practice with teaching, artist residencies, or commissions, building portfolio careers that reflect the breadth of the discipline.

Further study in textiles, fashion, material culture, or art and design is a natural route for those who wish to deepen their practice or move into research, curating, or arts management.