VLE
Elements of the Year 9 combined Art and Design course involve textiles, but as a discrete subject Textiles is available only in Years 10 and 11, as an optional IGCSE. The course is intended for students who are considering careers in fashion or interior design, but is also suitable for students to simply want to broaden their artistic education.
IGCSE Textiles students are required to work in at least one of the following disciplines:
Textile design involves the creation, selection and manipulation of textiles across a variety of practices. Contemporary practice is often a hybrid activity which brings together different features of textile disciplines, freely using combinations of different disciplines and often embracing both traditional and contemporary technologies.
A wide range of tools is used in textiles, encompassing traditional hand-crafts and computer aided technology. Natural and manufactured materials including paper, wire, tissue, gauze, plastics, recycled packaging and cloths, silk, wool, cotton, polyester and hessian are used to address aspects of design in fashion, furnishing and fine art.
Students will be taught in small groups and will work in an individual way. Approaches and processes are demonstrated in the initial stages of a project. Teaching is supported by handouts, videos and examples taken from contemporary and historical sources. Students will be involved in self-assessment and deciding how their work is progressing.
Students will need to source and purchase their own fabrics for individual designs. A sewing machine would be advantageous for completing work at home, but is not a requirement as there are sewing machines in school.
IGCSE Textiles is 100% externally assessed. There is a 10 hour examination with six weeks' preparation time.