
Camira weaves the way at London Transport Museum
As part of the Weaving Futures programme at London Transport Museum, we are showcasing our weaving expertise in a series of studio workshop days, the first of which has just taken place.
Between November 2016 and February 2017, London Transport Museum is looking at the ancient art of weaving, with a state-of-the-art digital jacquard loom, highlighting the importance and potential of woven textiles to the London Transport system, through a programme called Weaving Futures, curated by design industry experts Philippa Brock and Samuel Plant Dempsey.
We have been invited to participate in the three-month focus on digital jacquard woven textile design and moquette concepts, exploring process and making. Resident artists and designers have been invited to respond to a brief; exploring the role of textiles in modern transport now and in the future. They will focus on ‘untapped’ sources of data generated by, or helpful to, the transport system. Their responses will then be interpreted into woven textiles, live for museum visitors.
Immersing themselves in the studio environment will be an opportunity for our transport design team to demonstrate their creativity and promote the skills from design to weaving, the possibilities and capabilities when making transport fabrics, and showcasing the expertise that have been so valuable in the production of all Transport for London’s bus, train and tube seating fabrics.
Janina Crook, transport design and development manager, commented: “We’re excited to be part of the Designology exhibition at London Transport Museum and to showcase Camira’s contribution to London’s transport. Our residency days as part of Weaving Futures will be based on the famous rectangular fabric design, known as Misha Black which was featured on the District tube line. We will be looking at new colour combinations, designs, and creating new experiences through the use of the digital loom. The heritage of our fabrics is very important to us and we hope to share this with visitors to the museum. Not many people know we weave the seating fabrics for Transport for London and to be able to meet with the public and share our knowledge, ideas and the possibilities is something we’re really looking forward to.”
You will have further opportunities to visit Camira at Weaving Futures on 18th Jan & 7th Feb 2017.
Weaving Futures events will take place every week in the Museum’s pop-up Designology Studio from 22 November until 18 February. All day-time events are drop-in and free to attend with the annual London Transport Museum admission ticket.
