Curriculum Vitae
Qualifications
2015 – 19: Practice-based PhD, “Coded Cloth: How a generative digital design process for jacquard weave can reanimate historical pattern archives”, MMU, Manchester
2015-2020: PGCLTHE, Fellow of the HEA, MMU, Manchester
2013 – 14: M.A. Textile Practice, Distinction, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester
2006 – 10: B.A. (Hons) Fine & Applied Arts, Textile Art, First Class Honours, University of Ulster, Belfast
2008 – 09: Diploma in Area Studies (Business Education Initiative), College of Saint Elizabeth, NJ
2005 – 06: Foundation Studies in Art and Design (Pass with Commendation), University of Ulster, Belfast
Employment History
2014 – Current: Lecturer, Contextualising Practice. Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester
2018 – 2022: 3D Weaving Research Technician, 3D Weaving Innovation Centre, University of Leeds, Leeds
2014 – 2016: Visiting Lecturer, Textiles in Practice (Weave). Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester
2014 -2016: Graduate Teaching Assistant, Textiles in Practice (Weave & Digital Design). Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester
2010 – 15: Part Time Lecturer, Textile Design, University of Ulster, Belfast
2012 – 14: Weave Workshop Facilitator, Island Arts Centre, Lisburn
2012 – 14: Weave Workshop Facilitator, Atlas Women’s Group, Lisburn
2010 – Current: Visiting Textile Designer at the University of Ulster, Belfast
2011 – 14: Textile Workshop Facilitator, Dromore Nursery School, Dromore
2012: Weave Workshop Facilitator, St Aloysius PS, Lisburn
2012: Weave Workshop Facilitator: 6 week program. Oakwood Integrated PS, Lisburn
2010 – 12: Weave Workshop Facilitator, Ulster Folk and Transport Museum, Cultra
2011: Textile Workshop Facilitator, Irish Linen Centre, Lisburn
2007 – 11: Art Facilitator, Friendly Faces, Lurgan
2008 – 09: Gallery Assistant, Malony Art Gallery, College of Saint Elizabeth, NJ
2007: Textile Workshops: Individually Themed Projects, 6 week program. Pineview Day Nursery, Lurgan
2007: Textile Workshops: Mixed media. Individual Themed Projects, 6 week program. Drop Inn Ministries, Richill
2006: Textile Workshops: Drawing Projects, Lisnally Special Needs School, Armagh
2004: Art Classroom Assistant, Lurgan Junior High, Lurgan
Voluntary Work
2013-2017: Online Communications Director, The 62 Group of Textile Artists, UK
2011: Director of Development, UmeU, Belfast
Selected Projects
2019: “CRAFTING FUTURES: CREATING SUSTAINABLE TEXTILE FUTURES FOR WOMEN: DIGITIZING CORDILLERA WEAVING TRADITION (CSTFW) PROJECT”, British Council Project through MMU in Collaboration with the University of Philippines, Baguio & The Corditex Team.
2017: “DIGITAL : PHYSICAL”, Cultural Digital Designer in Residence, Artist in Residence, St Ambrose Barlow RHS, Manchester. Code Workshops. Resulting artwork from these workshops were produced for the school. Funded by The Ideas Foundation and Comino Foundation.
2017: “EXPLORING AUDIENCES’ ENGAGEMENT THROUGH PARTICIPATORY WORKSHOPS”, REALab weave consultancy project, with The Museum of Science & Industry in collaboration with the research faculty at the University of Manchester.
2016: “DISTINCTIVENESS”, Digital Designer in Residence, Artist in Residence, Falinge Park HS, Manchester. Code Workshops of which students and staff from both ICT and Art participated in. Resulting artwork from these workshops were produced for the school. Funded by The Ideas Foundation and Comino Foundation.
2015: “DIVERSITY”, Digital Designer in Residence, Artist in Residence, Abraham Moss HS, Manchester. Code Workshops of which students and staff from both ICT and Art participated in. Resulting artwork from these workshops were produced for the school. Funded by The Ideas Foundation and Comino Foundation.
2015: “Art and Textiles Masterclass”, project inspired by the current exhibitions at The Whitworth Art Gallery, Manchester. Participants used code to manipulate the textile archives into new designs.
2014: “ORDER : CHAOS”, Digital Designer in Residence, Artist in Residence, St Ambrose Barlow RC HS, Manchester. Code Workshops of which students and staff from both ICT and Art participated in. Resulting artwork from these workshops were produced for the school. Funded by The Ideas Foundation and Comino Foundation.
2014: “{MACC} : CARD”, project funded by the Arts Council of England. A collaborative exhibition and interactive data collection of socio economic demographics with Gemma Latham. The main exhibition site was during the Barnaby Festival, Macclesfield.
2013: “Laser Cut Media”, project that followed alongside the Childrens’ exhibition ‘LOOP the LOOP’ at the Island Arts Centre, Lisburn. Participants engraved Perspex components for an outdoor public art piece. LAAC Funded.
2013: “Digital Textiles”, Lagan Valley Hospital, Lisburn. Patients at the Lagan Valley Hospital learnt how to weave and then they used their skills to translate their patterns into digital versions of them. An exhibition of work is now on permanent display at the Hospital. LAAC Funded.
2013: “Digital Textile Trial”, Dromore Nursery School, Dromore. Textile theory was combined with iPad applications in a six week workshop programme. Exhibition of work followed this programme. LAAC Funded.
2013: “Yarn Bomb Your City”, working with eight community groups creating an outdoor textile installation through the Island Arts Centre, Lisburn.
2013: “Techno Textiles”, incorporating basic textile skills with modern technology to create digitally formed textiles in eight schools. Island Arts Centre, Lisburn. LAAC Funded.
2012: “Collaborative Textiles”, community arts facilitation. Large-scale textile installation in Wallace Park, Lisburn. Participants included Harmony Hill Craft Group and selected students from the BA Fashion and Textiles Degree at the University of Ulster, Belfast.
Residences
2017: “DIGITAL : PHYSICAL”, Cultural Digital Designer in Residence, Artist in Residence, St Ambrose Barlow RCHS, Manchester
2016: “DISTINCTIVENESS”, Digital Designer in Residence, Artist in Residence, Falinge Park HS, Manchester
2015: “DIVERSITY”, Digital Designer in Residence, Artist in Residence, Abraham Moss HS, Manchester
2014: AA2A Artist in Residence, Sheffield Hallam, Sheffield
2014: “ORDER : CHAOS”, Digital Designer in Residence, Artist in Residence, St Ambrose Barlow RC HS, Manchester
2011 – 12: Making it programme, Artist in Residence, University of Ulster, Belfast
2011 – 12: Making it programme, Artist in Residence, R-Space Gallery, Lisburn
2010 – 11: Artist in Residence (Teaching one day a week), University of Ulster, Belfast
2007: Arts Care, Belfast City Hospital.
Publications accompanied the residency:
Moment by Moment: A Pilot Arts Programme at the Cancer Centre for Northern Ireland
DVD and Information pack. Belfast Health and Social Care Trust in association with Artscare. 2007
Moment by Moment: A collection of writings and artworks created by patients and staff of the Cancer Centre
Belfast Health and Social Care Trust in association with Artscare. 2007
Exhibitions
Solo Shows
2019:
“Radical Response”, IDSAR Conference, 2nd Floor Gallery, MMU, Manchester
“Coded Cloth”, Vertical Gallery, MMU, Manchester
2013:
“Construction” NI Libraries, Lisburn
2012:
“Woven Structures” Lisburn City Library, Lisburn
“T3: Textile x Technology x Technique”, R-Space Gallery, Lisburn
Group Exhibitions
2017:
“Whipstitch: The State of Contemporary Design”, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
“Modus Operandi METHODS PRACTICE”, Grovenor Gallery, MMU, Manchester
2016:
“Fifteenth International Triennial of Tapestry”, Central Museum of Textiles, Lodz, Poland
“Making Space”, 62 Group Exhibition, Macclesfield Silk Museum, Macclesfield
2015:
“Upfront”, The 62 Group of Textile Artists group exhibition, Penrith, Cumbria
2014:
“endofthebeginning”, MA Show, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester
“CultureCraft: Culture in the Making”, National Craft Gallery, Kilkenny, Ireland
2013:
“British Textiles”, Koyo Gallery, Tokyo, Japan
“Pattern”, CCOI Exhibition of Textiles, Limerick, Ireland
“Anna Cheyne Visual Arts Exhibition 2013”, Biannual Exhibition, Island Arts Centre, Lisburn
“LOOP the LOOP”, Children’s Interactive Exhibition, Island Arts Centre, Lisburn
“Making it 11”, Seacourt Print Workshop, Bangor
“CultureCRAFT”, London Street Gallery, Londonderry
“Small Talk” at the Constance Howard Gallery,Goldsmiths, University of London, London
“MADE”, SpaceCRAFT, Belfast
2012:
“RDS National Crafts Exhibition”, RDS, Dublin
“(work in progress)”, Craft NI Gallery, Waring Street, Belfast
“RDS National Crafts Exhibition”, RDS, Dublin
2011:
“Material Messages”, R-Space at the Linen Rooms Lisburn, Lisburn
“A Christmas Trilogy”, SpaceCRAFT, Belfast
“Making Christmas Special”, Craft NI Gallery, Belfast
“Xmas Art at the Ivory”, Victoria Square, Belfast
“130th Annual Exhibition”, RUA, Ulster Museum, Belfast
“Fragments”, Craft NI Gallery, Waring Street, Belfast
“RDS National Crafts Exhibition”, RDS, Dublin
“+1 Residency Show”, University of Ulster, Belfast
2010:
“The Christmas Exhibition”, Waterfront Hall, Belfast
“Christmas 200”, Canvas Gallery, Belfast
“RUA Annual Artists’ Exhibition”, Ulster Museum, Belfast
“CRAFTFEST 2010”, Tower Gallery, Castle Ward
“RDS National Crafts Exhibition”, RDS, Dublin
“Common Thread”, Arts Care gallery, Musgrave Park Hospital, Belfast
“Degree Show 2010”, University of Ulster, Belfast
2008:
“Fusion II”, SpaceCRAFT gallery, Belfast
2007:
“Going Green”, Touring Exhibition, SpaceCRAFT, Belfast and The County Museum, Dundalk
“Fusion”, SpaceCRAFT gallery, Belfast
2006:
“Foundation End of Year Show”, University of Ulster, Belfast
Tender
2012 – 13:
“Allianz Arts and Business Awards NI 2013”. Design & Construction of 18 CNC milled & laser engraved awards.
Public Art
2013:
“Wheels of Change”, Ulster Bank Commission for the Balmoral Show. Project involved the interpretation of a local school pupils’ drawing into a public art piece. This is now on permanent display at the new site at the Maze, Lisburn.
Collections
2013:
“Double Weave II”, Lisburn Arts Advisory Committee, Lisburn
2012:
“Basket Weave”, purchased by private collector, Dublin
“Embossed Print Series”, purchased by The Drawing Rooms, Belfast
2011:
“Composition I-III”, purchased by private collector
2010:
“Crepe Weave Series”, Open University Art Collection, Belfast
2008:
“Yellow”, purchased by private collector
2007:
“Look A Little Closer”, purchased for private Collection
“Recycled and Reused Fragments I”, purchased by private collector
“Untitled I”, purchased by private collector
Awards
2014:
Arts Council of England Award, England
2013:
Arts Council SIAP Award, ACNI, Belfast
Anna Cheyne Visual Art Award Winner 2013, Island Arts Centre, Lisburn
Lisburn Arts Advisory Committee Project Award, Lisburn
2012:
Young Artist of the Year, LAAC, Lisburn
Arts Council SIAP Award, ACNI, Belfast
Lisburn Arts Advisory Committee Project Award, Lisburn
1st Prize Multimedia Textiles, RDS Crafts Competition, RDS Dublin
Material grant recipient, LAAC, Lisburn
2011:
Arts Council SIAP Award, ACNI, Belfast
Murial Gahan Scholarship Nominee
1st Prize Multimedia Textiles, RDS Crafts Competition, RDS Dublin
2010:
Murial Gahan Scholarship Nominee
1st Prize Multimedia Textiles, RDS Crafts Competition, RDS Dublin
Shortlisted for Future Makers 2010
2008:
Faculty of Arts, University of Ulster Belfast, Dean’s Prize
(Dean’s List in Second year FAA)
2007:
Faculty of Arts, University of Ulster Belfast, Deans Prize
(Deans List in First year FAA)
2006:
Faculty of Arts, University of Ulster Belfast, Deans Prize
(Top mark in Foundation Studies)
Publications
2021:
“Weave Learning Toolkit”, for the Crafting Futures Project, through MMU in collaboration with the University of Philippines, Baguio & The Corditex Team.
2019:
“The digitization of Cordillera weaving: designing a new oral tradition”, Book Chapter for the Crafting Futures Project, through MMU in collaboration with the University of Philippines, Baguio & The Corditex Team.
2016:
Michelle Stephens (2016) Bauhaus Weaving Theory: From Feminine Craft to Mode of Design, TEXTILE, 13:3, pp.318-319
2015:
Textile Artist Interview, [online]
2014:
CultureCraft: Culture in the Making Exhibition Catalogue, National Craft Gallery, Ireland, England
2013:
Dromore Leader, 25th June 2013, National Craft Gallery, Ireland, England
Ulster Star, June 2013 May 2013
Belfast Telegraph, 18th May 2013, June 2013 May 2013
Daily Mirror, 18th May 2013
Farm Week, 16th May 2013
2012:
Ulster Tatler, June 2012
Ulster Star, June, July and August 2012
Belfast Telegraph, July and August 2012
Newsletter, August 2012
RDS National Crafts Catalogue, RDS, Dublin
2011:
RUA Exhibition Catalogue, June 2012
RDS National Crafts Catalogue, RDS, Dublin
2010:
RUA Exhibition Catalogue, 129th Annual Exhibition, Ulster Museum, Belfast
RDS National Crafts Catalogue, RDS, Dublin
2008:
Going Green, An exhibition of Craft, Applied Art and Design by 13 selected Arts/Designers/Makers, CRAFTMARK, pp.30-31
Robinson, J. Northern Ireland Homes and Lifestyle, May 08, Issue 21, pp. 99-102
Memberships
2012 – 2021:
The 62 Group of Textile Artists
2011 – Current:
Visual Arts Ireland
Digital Arts Studios
2011 – Current:
Craft and Design Collective
Crafts Council of Ireland
Committees
2012 – 2018:
The 62 Group of Textile Artists
2012 – 2015:
LAAC (Lisburn Arts Advisory Committee)
Selected Talks
2018:
“Creative Interpolations”, Mantis Festival, University of Manchester, Manchester
2017:
“Dis/rupt”, SIT Select Festival, Symposium, Stroud
2016:
“Contemporary Textile Practice”, Embroiderers Guild NI, Carrickfergus
2015:
“Coded Cloth”, University of Ulster, Belfast
2014:
“Coded Textile Design”, Creative Thresholds, USA
2014:
“Order Chaos”, Maker Day, Victoria & Albert Museum, London
Conferences
2019:
“International Association of Societies of Design Research”, MMU, Manchester
“ITMA”, Fira de Barcelona, Barcelona
2018:
“Creative & Applied Research Methods”, Keele University, Keele
2016:
“Thinking, Making and Meaning”, NWCDTP Annual Conference, RNCM and MMU
“Critical Creativity”, Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham
“Enterprise Futures” Conference, Manchester
“evolution of methodologies”, National Glass Centre, Sunderland