One of the latest additions to Walton Institute is the eTextiles lab is funded by the Enterprise Ireland Technology Gateway Capital Call with an aim of supporting start-ups and SME’s to leverage this emerging field by advancing technologies to provide more intelligent smart garments and fabric-driven innovative applications.
The e-textiles lab’s ‘Re-Fashioning the Future’, project, funded by Waterford City and County Council and Creative Ireland Waterford, brought together a community of traditional textile craft practitioners with experts from Walton Institute’s Electronic Textiles (eTextiles) and Smart Materials Living Lab. The workshop series saw these two juxtaposed industries come together by collaboratively exploring and investigating eTextiles with the Lilypad sewable range of electronic components, conductive fabrics, and conductive thread. It is based on the outcomes and ongoing impacts of this project that this suggestion is being put forward as it is clear to us that collaborations between diverse disciplines that have common roots in either the skills or materials used is beneficial to both parties.
In a similar structure to the many existing artist in residence schemes we are suggesting there may be untold benefits in establishing industry / craft residencies. These could potentially be run as open calls. Driving partnerships between creatives and complementary organisations allows for exploration into new modes of production and collaborative learning which can be used as “a vehicle to create points of connection between these skills and organisations and agencies who can benefit from creative approaches to their work” (par 3).
A key aim of any such residency should be to financially support the artist/creative while de-risking industry in the pursuit and support of collaborative creative applications. For example, this could take the form of re-examining, adapting and utilising existing production line materials or waste by-products. We would envisage such a residency to be most effective where there is a common ground from a materiality standpoint which could create several untapped opportunities. For example, a fashion design graduate could take a residency in a charity shop to work with non-saleable fabrics or a Quarry might engage a potter in a residency. We know at Walton Institute we would thoroughly embrace an opportunity to engage with a knitter or an individual with strong embroidery skills for an extended period. For that reason, we would suggest a 6-month residency at a minimum, along with an estimated cost of €15-20k to cover artists fees and materials.
Suggested Action:
Creative Waterford will seek out funding opportunities to support an industry/craft residency to drive the development of Creative and Cultural industries, in areas of specialisation and in areas that support circular economic activity.