The BA Textiles department at Coleg Sir Gâr’s Carmarthen School of Art is celebrating a host of accolades for the 2023 cohort of graduates. Each one of this year's graduates has received recognition for their high level of work, by means of awards, bursaries, residencies and other exciting opportunities.

Every year, the team behind the high-profile textile event Wonderwool Wales, visits the college to award a bursary to a textile graduate. This year, Kay-Lee Davies and Jade Holt, have both received £1,000 and a free stand at the 2024 Wonderwool event.

The Wonderwool team were impressed by the clean lines of Kay-lee’s work and how she incorporates graphic design skills in her weaves. The judges were also attracted to Jade’s colorful work and her plans for the future.

Kay-Lee Davies: “Upon completing my degree I am really excited to have been awarded the Wonderwool bursary, as well as a summer weaving residency at Newtown Textile Museum.” 

Kay-Lee has also been selected to undertake a Graduate Residency in Carmarthen School of Art alongside fellow graduate Karen Cannell. They will have full access to workspace and facilities within the textiles department for a year alongside contributing to special projects for the college.

Weaver Jackie Stephens has been selected from a nationwide call-out to deliver an online lecture for The Loom Shed, a renowned textiles teaching and research centre in Devon, about her final degree collection. Jackie has also received a Coleg Sir Gâr Excellence in Enterprise award for an outstanding achievement in this field. 

Print and knit designer Lia-Myfanwy Pennington was the bursary winner of the 2023 Miriam Briddon Scholarship Award. This £1,500 award which commemorates exemplary textiles student Miriam Briddon, will support Lia in taking the next steps with her post-graduate ambitions:.

She said: “I’m so grateful to have received this award as it has given me a great start for the next step in my career which is well underway. I have been accepted on the PGCE teaching course which I will be starting in September at Coleg Sir Gâr. I will be using some of the money to buy a new knit machine so I can continue making alongside my teaching studies, and also explore developing a small business in textiles.”

BA Textiles programme at Carmarthen School of Art is uniquely placed to offer a high level of support to all its learners. Alongside excellent workshop facilities, classes are kept small to allow for individual guidance and bespoke opportunities.

Course director Nia Lewis commented “ We knew we had a strong cohort of graduates this year and it's just wonderful to see them receiving external recognition of this. We greatly look forward to following their progress over the next few years and seeing them go on to flourish in careers that make full use of the skills they have learned with us over the degree programme.”