THE EXHIBITION
In 2019 we awarded the Joan Charnley Prize to three textile graduates from Manchester School of Art. The winners, Hannah Sheldon, Warren Reilly and Megan Ditchfield have each created a brand new design inspired by the extensive archive of Weavers Factory patron Joan Charnley.
L-R, Hannah Sheldon, Warren Reilly, Megan Ditchfield
INTERVIEW
“Our patron Joan Charnley studied Textile Design at Manchester School of Art between 1948 and 1953 and spoke warmly of her time there, so it was only natural that we would work with them on our inaugural Joan Charnley Prize.
When choosing which three graduates should win the prize, we were reminded of how Joan talked about the importance of integrity and hard work in textile design. She said it was easy to create something aesthetically pleasing, but if there was no hard work behind it, you could always tell”.
So we looked for designers who had completed in-depth research and that we could see a story behind their work. Each of the three students we selected knew their subject back to front and it really shone out.”
Warren Reilly’s work was the most experimental; it was complicated, unfinished and erratic, but by far the most exciting work at the Degree Show. His exploration of contemporary socopolitical themes in his final-year project was inspiring.
Megan Ditchfield was a complete contrast; her work was slick and considered and one of the most commercial presentations we’d seen. But again, like Warren, her portfolio showed that each design had been meticulously researched and the end result was a delight.”
Hannah Sheldon, our final winning student, was very different to every other textile student we’d seen. Her practice was heavily inspired by East-Asian traditional garment shapes and the end result was gloriously deep, lush and rich.”
Julian Bovis and Nigel Durkan, The Weavers Factory