Textile Design & Fashion Textiles in Barcelona

Level 5 and 6 Textile Design and Fashion Textile students eligible to participate on this opportunity. There is a maximum of 30 places available, with a minimum of 15 participants required for this opportunity to take place. Students are recommended to check the eligibility criteria before applying.

Trip description

The Picasso, Miro and Tapies Foundation in Barcelona hold an extensive collection of world famous artists’ work, all offering a glimpse of how line, shape, form, composition, texture, mark making, collage, paint, colour, technique and process can be used to create art. As designers we often start a project by creating visual research from which to design. This trip to Barcelona will encourage you to develop a broader understanding of the unique mix of ingredients used by artists and designers and inspire a willingness to explore and take risks with materials in your own work.

On visiting the three Foundations (Galleries) and using what you see as inspiration, you will be set tasks to aid the development of ideas, techniques & sketchbook work to fuel block 3 & 4 for 3rd years and block 3 for 2nd years. You will each have the opportunity to present your findings on Wednesday and Thursday evening in an informal one-hour discussion / seminar to share and exchange ideas and to reflect on the learning experience.

Students are also encouraged to take part in visits to a range of cultural and design icons for inspiration. This includes the Sagrada Familia – Gaudi’s masterpiece. This large, sand-coloured Catholic church has
fluid forms, towering spires and surfaces overflowing with sculptures which is a must-visit for design and architecture enthusiasts.

To complement that visit, students are also recommended to visit Gaudi’s Parc Guell, an enchanting landscaped park, high on a hill in the Gracia district. It contains amazing stone structures, mosaics and fascinating buildings festooned with dragons and natural shapes, plus the spired house where the artist lived for most of his last 20 years. Framed by a 100-metre-long, undulating mosaic-tiled bench, that offers fabulous views of the city and sea below.

The estimated total cost for travel, accommodation and transfers for this trip to Barcelona is £450. Students will be expected to pay the remaining amount after the £200 DMU Global bursary is deducted from the total.

Why take part?

The experience contributes to a greater understanding of the sector, which is useful for interviews and employability. The cultural heritage of the museums, art galleries and architecture contain some of the world’s most radical design innovators which contributes and inspires students for their final major project. The fashion shows the business, showcasing and retail side. The trip combines 2 courses so students also have the opportunity to share ideas and approaches to learning.

Learning objectives

Participating in a DMU Global opportunity can help you develop a range of employability skills and competencies that enhance your studies. The objectives of this trip to Barcelona are:

There will be a pre-departure talk to outline the purpose of the trip. The students will be expected to collect a body of research to fuel the next modules and for presenting as the starting point in the first tutorial of that module. Due to the trip design with tasks being set, these tasks can also be set for any student to carry out in the Leicester or their local city museums.

Cultural activities

As part of the trip and the broader cultural experience students are encouraged to visit Barcelona vast array of shops and markets. They may also wish to visit less-crowded Modernist gems, such as the world’s largest Art Nouveau site, Sant Pau Recinto Modernista, designed by Lluís Domènech i Montaner in 1901.

Close to Plaça d’Espanya is a marvellous example of industrial Modernist architecture: the 1911 Casaramona factory designed by Josep Puig i Cadafalch, now home to the CaixaForum Barcelona art gallery.