Textile Conservation at The University of Glasgow 2025
- Lucy MacDonald
- Mar 23
- 4 min read
I'm delighted to be able to let everyone know that I have been offered, and have accepted, a place on the University of Glasgow’s two-year MPhil programme in Textile Conservation at the Kelvin Centre for Conservation and Cultural Heritage Research starting in September.
1. The Course:
As a highly regarded programme, it is one of the few in the world which provides specialist training in the conservation of historic textiles, combining academic study with hands-on practical experience. It was my first choice of further education course because of its strong emphasis on both scientific and craft-based approaches to conservation and it ensures that graduates will be equipped with the skills to preserve textiles for future generations. The course is full-time, covering textile analysis, conservation ethics, and practical treatments. I will receive hands-on training in cleaning, stabilizing, and restoring fragile textiles, as well as working with museums and heritage institutions on real conservation projects.
2. Long Term Goals:
My long-term goal is to develop a professional career that integrates my expertise as a hand weaver with specialist conservation training, allowing me to contribute meaningfully to both fields. The masters degree in Textile Conservation will provide me with the technical and scientific knowledge necessary to work as a conservator, while my background in weaving and textile construction gives me a deep understanding of textile structures, materials, and traditional techniques. By combining these skills, I aim to work as a freelance textile conservator alongside my current weaving practice, offering specific conservation services informed by hands-on craft experience. Freelance conservation will allow me to work on a variety of projects, collaborating with museums, archives, heritage organisations, and private clients to preserve historic textiles. I am particularly interested in working with woven textiles, both tapestries, and garments, applying both traditional and modern conservation techniques to ensure their longevity. My experience as a craftsperson will be invaluable in assessing the construction, materials, and repair possibilities of textiles, ensuring that conservation work is carried out with respect for the original craftsmanship.
3. Fundraising:
I’m hoping to help raise funds to go towards the course fees, which total a slightly scary £31,000, over the two years. Rather than just asking for donations, I thought this would be a really lovely chance to share the photo book which I created during my Icelandic Residency trip. The book details not only the textiles I worked on during the ten week trip but also Iceland itself with a more personal look into the places I visited during my time there and the landscapes which inspired my work. Each person to donate even a small amount will receive a link and password to an online copy of the 143 page “Icelandic Textile Residency” book as a thank you. There’s no time limit, you can access the page as many times as you like for as long as you like! If you would like to support me (even if it's just for some beautiful images of Iceland in the book!) please visit https://www.ko-fi.com/arratextiles for all the details.
Here's a tiny sneak peek at what to expect from the book:
I’ll be adding photos and updates over the next few months on the conservation volunteering work I’ve been doing at Castle Fraser as well as updates on the course itself once it begins to the Ko-fi page so if you're interested in castles, textiles or conservation it will hopefully be worth a look.
4. The Road to the Masters:
For the past few years I've been working towards and planning for, my application to the Textile Conservation masters degree. In Iceland in 2023, I saw the work which went into preparing textiles for display in the museum next door to the residency centre and once I was home, I went out of my way to find as many opportunities to learn more about textile conservation as I could. I was fortunate enough to visit Crathes Castle to shadow Bevan working on a coverlet where she patiently answered my many, many questions then visited the University during their spring open day to see how the course worked. The students were so generous with their time, allowing me to ask even more questions and build up an idea of how this could all fit in with my current textile practice. I spent time with a conservation framer, had a behind the scenes tour of The Whitworth Museum in Manchester and have been volunteering weekly at Castle Fraser, a local National Trust for Scotland property.
From September 2024 to December 2025 I was studying to complete the Chemistry for Conservators course, an accredited course run by International Academic Projects so that I had the qualifications necessary to apply for the masters degree. The course was pretty full on with many reports to write alongside experiments and quizzes to complete but also incredibly interesting and rewarding.
The application for the University course had to be completed and submitted by November and I had a tense wait until just before Christmas to find out about the interview. I had to put a portfolio together for the interview in January then found out a few weeks later that I'd been offered a place to start in September. With only eight students per year it did come as a bit of a surprise but I can't wait to get started!
5. Arra Textiles Over The Next Two Years:
Although busy as the masters degree will surely be, Arra Textiles itself will be carrying on as normal. I've been working hard over the past few months to get everything in place to ensure minimal disruption to my weaving practice and I will still be creating and taking on commissions but might not be at quite so many markets as last year! Weaving workshops will be at weekends only from September onwards so not too much change there either. For now, the studio will remain in Aberdeen at Deemouth Artist Studios and I very much look forwards in taking part in the open days and workshop weekenders as they come up!
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