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Inside the studio with Becky Dodman Wainwright: Colour, creativity & textiles
Wednesday, 30 April, 2025 — Textile designer and lecturer Becky Dodman Wainwright shares her passion for colour, creativity and teaching on BA (Hons) Textile Design at Arts University Plymouth.
<p dir="ltr"><strong>Becky Dodman Wainwright</strong> is a weaver, researcher and educator whose practice is rooted in colour, collaboration and creative intuition. Now a Lecturer in Textile Design and Co-Course Leader for Postgraduate Studies at Arts University Plymouth, Becky brings together decades of technical knowledge with an accessible, deeply human approach to making.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Her work spans woven portraiture, tapestry, tasseography, digitally glitched pattern design and slow-crafted wearable textiles. She is a passionate advocate for sustainable methods and inclusive practices, helping students at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels find creative confidence through research, experimentation, and self-expression.</p>
<p dir="ltr">With a background in knitwear and a belief that everyone is an artist, Becky is shaping a vibrant community of creative practitioners in the South West and beyond. Her work has been featured by publications including Talking Textiles Magazine, The Sunday Times, VICE and Voice Magazine. In 2026 she will help bring the British Tapestry Group’s 25th national touring exhibition to Plymouth, a significant moment for contemporary weaving in the UK.<br /></p>
Becky Dodman Wainwright
<p>I’ve always loved the idea of living alongside my work - of surrounding myself with textiles that hold meaning. What started as small pieces has grown over time, both literally and creatively. I love being immersed in the colours, materials, and stories I’ve made. A lot of the work in our home is woven, some from years ago, some more recent, and there are pieces that link directly to big personal milestones.</p>
<p dir="ltr">It started with my project ‘Tasseography Textiles’, which came from wanting to activate creativity in people who didn’t necessarily see themselves as artists. We’d drink tea, read the leaves together, and then co-design tapestry pieces based on the symbols they saw. I’ve read for around 65 people now. Not all of them get woven, but each one becomes part of a wider story.</p>
<p dir="ltr">For me, it’s about making creativity feel possible. Everyone has something to offer, something they can give back to the world.<br /></p>
<p>Colour is incredibly active. It energises me. I feel it intuitively, and it plays a huge role in both my home and my work. My children sometimes ask me to tone it down, but honestly, it’s probably going to get brighter! Whether I’m painting a warp thread, selecting yarns or creating digital print, colour is always the starting point.</p>
<p dir="ltr">It’s a sanctuary. With three kids in the house, I needed a space that was just mine, somewhere I could weave before work or late in the evening. I try to do 15 or 20 minutes a day. It’s grounding. My looms are all set up in advance, usually over the academic holidays, so that during term time I can focus on the process. Just me, the loom and some quiet time.<br /></p>
<p dir="ltr">I’ve been part of the community at Arts University Plymouth for over 15 years, starting in Fashion, then teaching on BA (Hons) Textile Design, and now also teaching on MA Design (Textiles) and co-leading the postgraduate programmes with Dr Jason Hirons.</p>
<p dir="ltr">My specialism is helping students develop meaningful projects. That might be through theory, technique, research or reflection. I’ve taught people working across textiles, fine art, ceramics and glass. It’s about understanding their direction and helping them make it real. I genuinely get a buzz from that.<br /></p>
<p dir="ltr">So much. At postgraduate level, we’ve got students working with optical art, biodesign, regenerative textiles. One is developing new interior materials through our bio lab. We’re experimenting with 3D-printed looms in Fab Lab South West. The whole institution is set up to be cross-disciplinary, so if you want to explore natural dyes, work in ceramics, or move between analogue and digital, you can.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><br />We’ve also got the British Tapestry Group’s national exhibition coming to Plymouth in 2026, which is a huge deal. It’s an incredible opportunity for students to see contemporary woven work at the highest level.<br /></p>
<p>Weaving is meditative. It’s ordered, quiet, absorbing. My teaching schedule can be intense; I support a lot of students, but weaving brings me back to myself. Even if the outcome looks like a product, it’s not about the result. It’s about the process, the rhythm, the small choices. That’s where the joy is.</p>
<h3 dir="ltr">Turn your creativity into a career with BA (Hons) Textile Design</h3>
<p dir="ltr">Join a vibrant, student-led course where experimentation, sustainability, and personal expression are at the heart of everything you’ll do. Taught by practicing designers like Becky Dodman Wainwright, our<a href="https://www.aup.ac.uk/courses/undergraduate/ba-hons-textile-design"> BA (Hons) Textile Design</a> course gives you access to specialist workshops, live industry briefs, and expert support as you develop your skills in print, stitch, dye, knit, tufting and digital design.</p>
<p dir="ltr">From trend forecasting and branding to ethical production and surface innovation, this course prepares you for a future in fashion, interiors, textiles and beyond, with many students going on to launch businesses, win international competitions or progress into postgraduate study on our new<a href="https://www.aup.ac.uk/courses/postgraduate/ma-design-textiles"> MA Design (Textiles)</a>.</p>
<p>Questions? Email us at textiledesign@aup.ac.uk<br />Or call: +44 (0)1752 203434</p>
