Clare Calveley BA, MA, PGCE
Senior Lecturer
Textiles in Practice
Clare Calveley is a practice led educator and Lecturer at Manchester School of Art on the BA (Hons) Textiles in Practice programme where she specialises in Digital & Virtual Textile Innovation Tools for Education. In her Senior role on the BA (Hons) Textiles in Practice programme, Clare is the L6 Year Leader, leads the programme social media accounts, and is part of the Exhibitions / External Shows team.
Clare is also the Design Department Graduate Outcomes Champion where she ensures that the curriculum is giving students the opportunity, skills and experience required to achieve the career literacy needed to obtain graduate level roles. She is also a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.
In her current role as External Examiner for BA (Hons) Textile Design at Staffordshire University, she is required to review working practices and ensure that the programme delivers an engaging curriculum that prepares students for employment.
Her qualifications and industry knowledge of textiles and graphic design enables interdisciplinary creative collaboration for our students which will enrich their learning experience and prepare themselves for the creative world beyond their direct home programme of study, and the understanding of wider design contexts. Clare has lead student projects with companies such as Crown Paints, Colour in Design Award, Material Source Studio, Colour of Saying and Hallmark.
In fostering knowledge exchange and industry partnerships, she is currently working on a research project with Swatcheditor, collaborating on a real-time 3D viewing and editing app for education. This app addresses sustainability within manufacturing and production within the wider field of textiles and fashion. This is informed by her practice that investigates the intersection between physical and virtual space, focusing on conveying tangibility and the haptic experience within the virtual realm. The dissemination of this research has been exhibited at Milan Design Week 2023, British Textile Biennial 2021 & 2023 and Innovate UK KTN 2023: Digital Modernisation of Textiles and Fashion Event.
Clare’s research explores the use of colour, pattern and cloth as a flexible medium. She works at the intersection of materiality, textiles and technology, and is passionate about combining her interest in virtual textiles whilst also addressing the digital skills gap within textile education to inform sustainable change in industry. She is recognised for developing good leadership in digital transformation by setting strategic direction and promoting digital-first thinking within education to inform industry.
Clare is an ECR member of the UCRKE Design and Craft: Making and Materiality Research Group at MMU which seeks to explore materials and creative solutions within design. The research is specifically towards textile design, which is based on the history of textile production and design research. The faculty seeks to support research that interrogates creative agency of material practices based on expertise and skill in subject areas. It looks at design as an applied practice that can be used to work collaboratively with external partners for specific solutions.
Membership of Professional Bodies:
Member of the UKFT Graduate Outcomes Working Group
www.ukft.org
Member of the Society of Dyers and Colourists (SDC) President’s Working Group for Schools
www.sdc.org.uk
Member of the Arts Emergency Mentoring Body
www.arts-emergency.org
Member of the Future Fashion Factory
www.futurefashionfactory.org
