Congratulations to University Centre Colchester Fashion and Printed Textile students Caris, Fiona, Lily, Jess and Lauren for winning various industry prizes in the Bradford Textiles Society Design Competition.

The competition formed part of the students ‘live industry’ brief during semester two.

The annual Bradford Design Competition is a fantastic opportunity for independent designers, designers employed in the UK textile industry and students from UK universities and colleges to share their work and gain recognition.

The Society’s annual Design Competition, with total prize money of over £14,500, is unique in its breadth of coverage and attracts almost 1,000 entries from students throughout the UK.

Prestigious Textiles Ltd

1st Prize: Lily Cornell- 1 week placement in the design studios of Prestigious Textiles Ltd + £500

3rd Prize: Caris Worham- £200

Lauren Barltrop: Certificate of Commendation

CIWMT Award

3rd Prize: Lily Cornell- £200

Jess Dumbrell: Certificate of Commendation

British Wool/Alternative Flooring Company

Fiona Davison: Certificate of Commendation

Level 3 Furniture student Nathan was invited to Edinburgh to participate in the national competition which celebrates young, skilled people while supporting their technical education via competitions-based training.

For Nathan and the other Level 2 and 3 students who followed, it was a great opportunity for the learners to network with national employers and to spectate ‘excellence’ in the trades professions.

During their time there, they saw the top eight students in the UK competing in disciplines like Plumbing, Painting and Decorating, Bricklaying, Stonemasonry, Plastering, Landscape Gardening and Roof-tiling as well as Carpentry and Furniture Making.

Area Head Christopher Coe said: “All the competitors were working so hard against the clock and to such a high standard. It was truly an inspirational event for those involved.”

Art, Design, Fashion and Photography students have raised over £500 for Colchester Food Bank through the sale of their creative work in a Pop-up Shop held during the last week of the Autumn 2022 Term. The shop, ‘Bah Humbug!’, opened in the Community 360 Hub, Long Wyre Street, Colchester, and sold a wide range of student made products including T-Shirts, Decorations, Tote Bags, Prints, Cards, Badges and Jewellery.

FE students from across our Art, Design, Fashion and Photography programmes were involved in the production of merchandise which reflected their own interests and skills. As well as having the opportunity to raise money to help those in need, students were supported to learn more about costing, pricing and visual display and to develop valuable communication skills.

Area Head David Hutt is proud of what his students accomplished: “The students worked really hard to make the project a success and really enjoyed the opportunity to merchandise and sell their work to the public. It’s great that they were able to develop their entrepreneurial skills whilst at the same time making a fantastic contribution to Colchester Food Bank.”