
We encourage innovation and foster talent among young designers – particularly those who demonstrate the understanding and skill to convert ideas into products.
For many years, The Clothworkers’ Company has funded BA/BSc bursaries at the University of Huddersfield in Textiles Practice, and began funding additional bursaries in 2020 for Product Innovation with Textiles. We have also funded MA bursaries at the Royal College of Art (although 2019 was the final year of this latter commitment).
We sponsor a number of design awards each year:
- Amber Sorayapour won our TexSelect Interiors Prize at Première Vision in Paris this past autumn - 2019 marked the final year of our sponsorship commitment to the programme.
- Clara Leitaõ won the New Designers Printed Textile Design Clothworkers’ Associate Prize in 2019.
- In 2020, top prizes across our four Bradford Textile Society Design Competition awards went to Sne Tak of the Royal College of Art (Knitted Design), Hannah Grahamslaw of Leeds Arts University (Printed Textile), Anais Rolland of the Bradford School of Art (Woven Fabric Design for Fashion), and Eva Taylor of the University of Derby (Woven Fabric Design for Interiors).
Recent Grants

A student at the Royal College of Art uses the Shima Seiki digital knitting machine (which was funded by The Clothworkers’ Company).

Clara Leitao was awarded The Clothworkers’ Associate Prize for Printed Textile in 2020. Past Master Christopher McLean May and Clothworker Emily May acted as judges for the competition.

At the 2020 Bradford Textile Society Design Competition, the first place prize in The Clothworkers’ Company Award for a printed textile design for either fashion or interiors which shows creative potential was awarded to first year student Hannah Grahamslaw of Leeds Arts University.

In 2019, Sir Jonathan Portal Bt (Master, 2019-20) and Christopher McLean May (Master, 2013-4) attended the Première Vision exhibition in Paris to award the TexSelect Interiors Prize to Amber Sorayapour.

An Amaya Embroidery Machine at University of Huddersfield, where we provide bursaries for students pursuing BA/BSc Textiles Practice.
