Textile Conservation

Conserving and preserving our textiles heritage.

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We have been one of the foremost supporters of textile conservation in the UK. Since the 1980s, we have made capital grants, funded research, and provided bursaries for students at the Centre for Textile Conservation, supporting the Centre to the tune of £1.75 million when it was at the University of Southampton, and now in Glasgow. We have also funded internships in tapestry conservation through Historic Royal Palaces, at Hampton Court Palace.

The Clothworkers’ Centre for the Study and Conservation of Textiles and Fashion at the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A), Blythe House, was made possible by our £1 million grant towards the £3 million cost of the Centre. The British Museum’s World Conservation and Exhibitions Centre, which opened in 2014, benefitted from our £750,000 grant towards its Organics Conservation lab.

In 2019 and 2020, we funded two projects at regional museums, Worthing Museum and Manchester Art Gallery, to improve access to important textile collections.

The Clothworkers’ Company also nurtures textiles conservation skills through bursaries for postgraduate students at the Centre for Textile Conservation in Glasgow and internships at Historic Royal Palaces.

Recent Grants

Joan and Sue are volunteers at the Clothworkers’ Centre for the Study and Conservation of Textiles and Fashion at the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A), Blythe House, which received £1 million from The Company. © Victoria and Albert Museum, London.

Joan and Sue are volunteers at the Clothworkers’ Centre for the Study and Conservation of Textiles and Fashion at the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A), Blythe House, which received £1 million from The Company. © Victoria and Albert Museum, London.

Kim Tourret, who graduated from the Centre for Textile Conservation at University of Glasgow in 2018, spent her first year out of school participating in a one-year internship jointly funded by The Clothworkers’ Company and developing tapestry conservation skills at Historic Royal Palaces. © Historic Royal Palaces.

Kim Tourret, who graduated from the Centre for Textile Conservation at University of Glasgow in 2018, spent her first year out of school participating in a one-year internship jointly funded by The Clothworkers’ Company and developing tapestry conservation skills at Historic Royal Palaces. © Historic Royal Palaces.

We awarded £45,500 to the Worthing Museum & Art Gallery in 2019 to create a costume research centre covering this regional museum’s important collection of textiles and costume. Image: Pair of leather gauntlet gloves, circa 1650. © Worthing Museum & Art Gallery.

We awarded £45,500 to the Worthing Museum & Art Gallery in 2019 to create a costume research centre covering this regional museum’s important collection of textiles and costume. Image: Pair of leather gauntlet gloves, circa 1650. © Worthing Museum & Art Gallery.

We awarded £35,500 to the Centre for Textile Conservation, providing a bursary for a postgraduate degree in Textile Conservation. The MPhil offers both an academic programme and professional training.

We awarded £35,500 to the Centre for Textile Conservation, providing a bursary for a postgraduate degree in Textile Conservation. The MPhil offers both an academic programme and professional training.

In 2020, we awarded £70,000 to Manchester Art Gallery towards the cost of moving the costume collection (clothing, textile and fashion accessories) from Platt Hall to a newly-created space in central Manchester. © Manchester Art Gallery.

In 2020, we awarded £70,000 to Manchester Art Gallery towards the cost of moving the costume collection (clothing, textile and fashion accessories) from Platt Hall to a newly-created space in central Manchester. © Manchester Art Gallery.