OPEN CALL – Whanganui X Dundee: Textile Legacies

About the Open Call

Whanganui X Dundee: Textile Legacies is a residency programme that connects indigenous and ancestral textile practices between Whanganui, New Zealand and Dundee, Scotland to foster meaningful cultural and creative exchange. The project initiates a new connection between two UNESCO Cities of Design, supporting the development of contemporary textile design specialists through a reciprocal international residency. The long-standing textile traditions of Whanganui and Dundee are powerful expressions of place-based cultural identity. At the same time, these histories also carry complex legacies — including the impacts of colonisation, war, and cultural suppression — which have shaped and, at times, disrupted cultural development. In the resurgence of traditional textile techniques in both cities, we see not only a reconnection to ancestral knowledge, but also a recognition of how design heritage continues to shape contemporary identities and creative practices. Applications will be reviewed by a selection panel which will feature indigenous voices, sector specialists, and a representative from Whanganui. Panellists include: Lizzie Day (Project Coordinator – UNESCO City of Design Dundee), Kim Turford-Mowat (Learning Curator – Dundee Heritage Trust), Kirsty Hassard (Curator – V&A Dundee), and Greg Donson (Senior Curator – Te Whare o Rehua Sarjeant Gallery, Whanganui). Whanganui X Dundee: Textile Legacies is coordinated by UNESCO City of Design Dundee and UNESCO City of Design Whanganui and supported by the British Council New Zealand and the Pacific’s Connections Through Culture Programme.

What is Offered

A reciprocal international residency programme that connects indigenous and ancestral textile practices, fostering meaningful cultural and creative exchange and supporting the development of contemporary textile design specialists.

Requirements

This opportunity is open to practicing designers and design specialists working within textiles and/or connected fields. Applicants must live, work or have a studio located within a DD postcode (for example, DD1 1DB).

How to Apply

This opportunity is open to practicing designers and design specialists working within textiles and/or connected fields. Applicants must live, work or have a studio located within a DD postcode (for example, DD1 1DB). Application links are included within the PDF and have been copied below for ease of use: SUBMISSION FORM (https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeHKD-0a5cGNF4rvDewdH5-2SQzJLLQBDEPHJEBvFe5C5SmuQ/viewform) EQUALITY & DIVERSITY MONITORING FORM (https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfBWJ1HDbzp197KhL6LfPYAft8bacWldqtZ01uepaWjjSelxw/viewform).